Critics slamming rise in private school fees need to ‘put up or shut up’ – country needs extra cash, education sec says
A HIKE in public school fees is urgent as the country needs extra cash pouring in to pay for public services, the Education Secretary says.
Bridget Phillipson doesn’t accept critics’ “scaremongering” over the 20 per cent rise saying they need to “put up or shut up” over paying for more teachers.
Labour will end private school’s VAT exemption earlier than expected in January next year in a bid to fund 6,500 teachers in the state sector.
The Cabinet Minister told The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots show: “Well, you’ve seen the state of the public finances, we need to raise money to invest in our public services.
“We will use this money to invest in more teachers and more mental health support.
“The challenge that I would give to some of these Conservative leadership contenders is, are they going to continue to are any of them going to suggest they’re going to repeal this?
“And if so, how are they going to find the money for the teachers that our state schools desperately need?”
Under the plans, private schools will have to pay the full business rates from April 2025.
Ms Phillipson also knocked back claims that the policy won’t raise as much money as expected which is around £1.7 billion.
There are 554,316 children at private schools in the UK which is around 6 per cent of all pupils.
Annual fees in private day schools average £18,064 but costs rise if pupils go to boarding school.
She added: “This policy will raise significant extra revenue. We can put directly into our state schools, more teachers, more mental health support. That’s so important.”
Ms Phillpson also hit back at claims that the state sector will be flooded by the families of private school pupils who can no longer afford the fees.
She said: “The evidence doesn’t bear that out. Alongside that, what we’re seeing at the moment across our state schools is a falling number of children coming through.
“So in many cases there is already extra capacity. But I don’t accept the scaremongering of the private schools lobby. I never have done.
She added: “Private schools frequently close. They’ve closed over many decades. This is just the way of the way of these things.
“They’re businesses. They’ve got a model. They’ve got some options that they sell to parents. If parents choose to use their services, then they’ll continue to succeed.”