By Press Release
Around seven per cent of Britain’s children attend private schools. Be honest, if you had the money, would you pay too? Not all these parents are rich, nor can they predict the future. Just because you’re doing well today, it doesn’t mean things won’t change. The commitment to pay school fees is a long one, and if you lost that well-paid job, or your business failed, could you see it through? If the worst happened, how would your child adapt to the state system?
A few private school kids are awarded scholarships and/or bursaries. Qualifying either because they have an outstanding talent or because their parents couldn’t afford to send them otherwise. In part, it’s why private schools are usually charities, not businesses. They must also provide wider public access to their often-excellent facilities.
Charities don’t make profits, although they can create an annual surplus and enjoy substantial reserves. Historically, school fee increases exceed inflation, but their sole purpose for existing is for the education of young people. If you’re flat broke and have a talented child, usually in music, maths or sport, regardless of your income, you can apply to any private school in the land; that’s what happened to one of mine. On the Island, when it comes to private education, we have a choice of Ryde School or the Priory in Whippingham. Other kids commute to Walhampton in Lymington, or Portsmouth Grammar School.
Boarding schools are another option, provided you can afford around £45,000 in annual fees, plus extras. Winchester, Canford and Bryanston are all within easy reach and charge around that much. No, that’s not a typo; £45,000 per child, per year, which you’ll need to find from taxed income!
If elected, Labour propose adding VAT to these already eye-watering numbers. From September, even a day pupil in Ryde’s senior school will cost Mum and Dad around £16,500 per year, so you’ll need deep pockets to escape the Island’s doleful state school results. When the subject of private education comes up, people think of Eton, where Boris and David Cameron were pupils in their top hats, or Harrow, where Bob Seely was educated and the uniform includes morning suits, straw boaters and canes. But the UK has around 2,600 private schools, educating 615,000 children.
With 93 per cent of kids not getting the benefit of smaller class sizes and amazing sports facilities, some wonder why the lucky few should continue to get this head start in life. In the current school year, the government will spend around £8,000 per pupil. Private education may well seem elitist, but it’s saving the taxpayer almost £5 billion annually.
Perhaps private schools should be abolished altogether; surely Labour could find an extra £5 billion down the back of the sofa. Would they then ban private tuition? Lots of state school students get some after-school help with maths or English, their parents often going without to fund it.
Equality in education is a myth, even in the state system the very best schools are found in areas with the highest house prices. When applying to university, I doubt those who benefitted from that, or extra lessons, mention having had help achieving their A*s.
In principle, I’m not a fan of privilege, but I don’t see how you’d stop it. If Labour’s mean-spirited VAT proposal does go ahead, the richest parents and those big-name schools will easily manage. Ordinary working parents with kids at small independent schools will struggle to find the extra money. It’s estimated that up to 20 per cent of them would move their children into state schools, costing taxpayers as much as charging VAT would raise. Taxing parents wanting to do the best for their child seems wrong to me; if Labour does form the next government, let’s hope they see sense.