The Island's two senior schools have seen their budgets cut by more than 20 percent while learning support, counselling and summer school programmes have been cut by more than 30 percent.Yesterday Minister of Education Dame Jennifer Smith announced the Ministry had reduced its budget by ten percent or $12 million. In total $128.15 million will be allocated to the Ministry in the coming fiscal year. It is the second year in a row the education budget has been cut, after it was cut by $2.6 million in 2010.“We have trimmed expenditure in some areas; opted to modify and/or discontinue some practices and procedures,” she said. “Specifically, the way we provision student services in schools and make purchases; and we are examining the way we allocate substitute teachers and paraprofessionals. We will continue to examine every policy and programme to ensure that it is in line and relevant to our mandate.“There remains much work to do as we reset the dial but we have started.”The Department of Education will also spend $5 million less on salaries. The Ministry has reduced the number of employees by 34 based on full time equivalent figures.Government estimates it will spend $17,120 per public school student this year, down 2.6 percent from last year's per student cost.CedarBridge Academy's budget was cut by $3.2 million, a 21 percent drop, while Berkeley Institute saw its budget cut by $2.9 million, down 22 percent from what they were allocated in the 2010/2011 Budget.Over the course of the past two years the budget for paraprofessionals has gone from $10.8 million to $378,000.The majority of the cut was made in the 2010/2011 budget; however an additional $1 million will be cut from the paraprofessional budget this coming year.Dame Jennifer said: “Para-professionals are an area of significant cost. This programme is being reviewed to ensure proper and appropriate utilisation.”She added that they could not have a ‘one size fits all' solution.“Each case is different, and therefore requires a solution that is best for that individual student,” Dame Jennifer added. “We are currently looking at how education can best serve students with medical advances, with technology and, in some cases, by assisting with their education abroad.”The Department will spend 18 percent less on curriculum assessment this coming year. Government reduced its budget to “design develop and implement” the curriculum by $709,000. The curriculum literacy initiative will also receive $177,000 less. The 2010 academic year saw the reintroduction of the UK GCSE model to the Island's public schools with the Department adopting the Cambridge curriculum.In addition to the paraprofessionals being significantly cut, the Lion Quest Skills programme no longer exists. It taught students skills such as self-discipline and responsibility. In the 2010/2011 Budget it was allocated $144,000. This coming year it will get nothing.Government's summer school programme saw its budget cut by 57 percent or $408,000 while the counselling services budget went down $474,000 or 19 percent and learning support lost $174,000 or 36 percent of its funding.IT support saw its budget cut 30 percent, saving $905,000.With regards to the Ministry's finances Dame Jennifer said they went over policies, programmes and positions with a “fine toothcomb” to ensure the Ministry complied with Government's financial instructions, which are the Civil Service's rules on public spending.“While we are still in the process of examining every aspect of education, those things that were ineffective, not in line with financial instructions, or no longer relevant, have been changed or are being examined with a view to implementing best practice,” she said.Dame Jennifer said her ministry remains “sensitive to the needs of students, fostering hope and providing help” but had to respond to “increased pressure to be operationally more efficient and cost-effective, while delivering value for money in the face of heavier demands on resources”She added: “In order to take advantage of ‘economies of scale' we have changed to one line of accountability for office supplies, travel, consultants, both foreign and local, contracts, grants, professional development and training.“All of these line items will fall under the authority of the Permanent Secretary as represented by the Commissioner of Education.”