One of the long-standing arguments for adding school fee VAT is that parents sending children to independent school fees are all wealthy and can afford the VAT if they just cut back on their Netflix subscriptions, avocados with toast, and similar expenditures. Many parents are already making cuts that exceed those to cover the costs to send their children, and nearly 140,000 signatures on our petition shows that they aren’t alone.
Contrary to popular belief, there are hardworking families who have made life-changing choices to send their children to an independent school. They made that choice in the same way that other families choose to live as close as they can to popular state schools, yet are singled out.
Two such families recently shared their stories:
Sabrina Malik, an assistant accountant from Leeds, shared her story in iNews. Her four-year-old son was born prematurely and was non-verbal as a toddler. Sabrina put her child onto a waiting list for a speech and language therapist, and found that her son would have to wait two to three years for an appointment. So, at a friend’s suggestion, she took her son to a nursery attached to an independent school that had a private speech and language therapist. His speech massively improved and she wants to continue his education at the school, but described how VAT would push them over the edge.
Natalie Skillicorn, a full-time carer, shared her story in The Sunday Times last week (25 June). Natalie and her husband, a construction worker who works very long hours, sent their son Louie to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts when he was 11 (he’s now 14). They live in Liverpool, which meant that Louie had to attend as a boarder, since the school is in Buckinghamshire. This was only made possible because of a scholarship he earned for his musical talents and a means-tested bursary, which reduced the £33,000/year boarding fees to £6,000. Natalie told The Sunday Times that “Sometimes I have to email the school and ask for more time to pay. If this policy comes into place I do not see any option except pulling Louie out.” Her two other children go to a state school.
Natalie and Louie spoke at length with Education Not Taxation spokesperson Loveena Tandon, and you can see their heartfelt interview here.
We have heard from many families like Sabrina and Natalie, who are already making difficult choices because they wanted to send a child to an independent school. We have heard families taking on extra jobs, working more hours and burying themselves into their work so their children can receive the support they need. These are families for whom VAT will be a bridge too far, and their children will pay the price when they’re forced out of their schools.
Anxious parents are already making plans to move their children out of their independent schools, and state schools across the country are overwhelmed with requests. The Sunday Times wrote about this in a story yesterday, and you can read about it here.
A Race to the Bottom:
There are some who believe that forcing children like these out of independent schools is a sacrifice worth making, collateral damage for the greater good. We all want great schools, but we won’t improve education by pitting schools against each other. Today the focus is on independent schools, but the arguments made could easily expand into grammar schools and high performing state schools, citing “unfair advantages” that benefit those who can best afford to live nearby or tutor their children for entrance exams. This creates a race to the bottom that does nothing to reduce inequality or life outcomes that concern so many across the political spectrum.
Yesterday, Harrow Councillor Peymana Assad (Labour) continued this line of argument on the Michael Portillo Show on GB News–but she also said the quiet part out loud. She told host Emily Carver that “I don’t see a problem with school children leaving private schools to go to state schools. I think that that would actually equalise the level of attainment in state schools.” Regarding the imposition of VAT, Assad says: “I don’t see this as a way of penalising private schools at all. I think that if children were to leave private schools and go to state schools, actually I believe it would raise the standards in the state schools.” You can hear her for yourself right here, and you can hear the full conversation which featured Education Not Taxation spokesperson Loveena Tandon here.
In short, forcing children from their schools is the price to pay for a more equal world.
The blogger Mr Chips wrote about this–and the reasons why it won’t work–in his most recent post which you can find here.
Nadeine Asbali, a state school teacher, also shared her concerns in a piece in The Metro. Asbalie notes that parents priced out of independent schools will send their children to high performing state schools instead. She writes: “If the highest performing state schools become magnets for the wealthy, then this will push out the local community, depriving them of the excellent education that was on their doorstep because they simply can no longer afford to live near a great school. It is undeniable: Labour’s plans will likely only exacerbate our existing gap between the rich and poor in our society.”
Call To Action:
It’s more important now than ever that we engage in the conversations already hotting up across the country. Here’s how you can help:
- Share our change.org petition far and wide, and encourage as many others parents and members of your community to sign it. Over 139,000 people have now signed and our voices are being heard. As schools prepare for the end of the year, encourage as many parents as possible to join us because it will affect us all, directly or indirectly. Share this with school parent groups, as well as community Facebook groups and other forums. You can share the campaign website (www.educationnottaxation.org), which has more details.
- Ask political candidates where they stand. We are in an election, and we need to know where candidates of all parties stand on this issue, and they need to know this issue matters to many parents. You can find your candidates by entering your postcode on this link: https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/. Be civil, reasoned and polite (even when others aren’t).
- Follow us on X (Twitter) @EducationNotTax. We will post updates here, especially as the conversation continues. As when engaging with political candidates, be reasoned, civil and polite. Don’t let others get the better of you.
If you’re a parent of an independent school child, join us in our Facebook community, which you can find here. This is a forum for parents having to deal with this issue. - If you’re a parent of an independent school child, join us in our Facebook community, which you can find here. This is a forum for parents having to deal with this issue.
That's all for now. We will post further updates soon!
Tony Perry
Education Not Taxation