BROMSGROVE’S MP has secured a parliamentary debate on what he calls a ‘destructive’ decision from the government to remove VAT and business rates exemptions from private schools.
Bradley Thomas MP will be raising the concerns of local parents whose children have been affected by the government’s policy on Tuesday, October 8 in Westminster Hall.
Under Labour’s changes, public schools will be taxed at VAT rates of 20 per cent. Labour claim the plans will generate £1.6 billion which will be spent on training 6,500 new teachers and improving state school provision.
Bradley is concerned the policy will risk the viability of independent schools in Bromsgrove and across the country and says he is already aware of local parents removing their children from independent schools.
There are three independent schools in the Bromsgrove district, including Bromsgrove School which employs more than 600 local people and contributes over £40 million to the UK’s GDP.
Only seven per cent of children attend fee-paying schools, with 93 per cent of the educational population studying in state schools.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates an effective VAT rate of 15 per cent on fees would lead to a 3 to 7 per cent reduction in independent school pupil numbers – a fall of about 20,000 to 40,000 pupils.
According to the institute, the exodus would be gradually spread over time.
Along with five colleagues, Bradley previously wrote to the Chancellor and Education Secretary to request a meeting to discuss their policy, however they failed to respond.
By holding a Westminster Hall, a Government Minister will have to attend and respond to the points raised by Bradley.
Bradley has referred to the decision as a ‘destructive’, ‘ill-conceived affront to children and families who exercise choice in education’ and ‘an attack on the wider system’ which will ‘level down education standards across the board’.
He said: “Purely for ideological reasons, parents who work hard and make sacrifices to send their children to an independent school are being punished by this Government.
“These children will now have to find places in state schools, increasing class sizes which this Government doesn’t seem to care about it, nor do they seem to have a plan to address the ramifications of their policy.
Data from University College London published in 2021 showed the proportion of children attending private school is close to zero across the vast majority of income distribution and does not rise above 10 per cent of the cohort except among those with the top 5 per cent of incomes. Only half of those in the top 1 per cent send their kids to private school.
