Tristram Hunt MP’s proposal to remove business rates tax relief from charitable private schools that do not do enough to assist state schools, is an important step. No other policy in the last 100 years has asked more of private schools. Why else would the private schools be up in arms declaring that this is a ‘class war’?
Nothing about this policy seeks to undermine state schools. I attended a non-selective comprehensive school. I can say with confidence that this policy sits side by side with a belief that thousands of UK state school teachers are among the best in the world.
While only 7% of pupils went to private school, 71% of senior judges, 62% of senior armed forces, 55% of Whitehall permanent secretaries and 50% of the House of Lords were privately educated. This is not fair. This is not equal.
Many state schools are exceptional and better than private schools. However some state schools struggle to recruit staff for particular subjects and do not have access to the brilliant sports, music, theatre and arts facilities possessed by expensive independent schools. Private schools must work harder to assist with these challenges.
A tokenistic offering of a football pitch to a state school for one afternoon will not change lives. Merely offering bursaries (sometimes only covering part of the fees) to a small number of children already performing well academically is similarly unambitious and could harm state schools. Private schools making only patronising gestures will lose their rates relief: a financial penalty, which is why they are squealing. Where a state school does not see any advantage to a partnership, it can turn the private school away. It is state schools that have the choice and they are not being forced into anything.
However, a meaningful involvement, such as through exceptional sports facilities and coaching, can be truly transformative. I speak from experience. Many thousands of people have a much tougher upbringing than me. But needing to rely on free school meals, waiting in the dole queue with my parents when they struggled for work, my parents divorcing, moving schools, running out of electricity at home, being picked on for having ‘cheap’ trainers and my suffering from childhood depression, I needed something to focus my life. Had I not have had the fortune of a local rowing coach take me and three other friends under his wing without needing payment, my life would never have been changed dramatically. Sport gave me pride, teamwork, communication skills and discipline.
While only a tiny minority benefit from the facilities and opportunities offered by many private schools, thousands of young people will continue to miss out. So will society and the economy. This Labour Party policy escalates the urgency of reform. There will of course be ongoing debate about whether the reforms should go further such as removing all tax reliefs for insufficient contributions for the public’s benefit. After all, many people believe there shouldn’t be any private schools at all. I have sympathies with these views. Wherever this policy journey ends, I believe this step to be very positive.
To the extent critics from the private school sector say this is a ‘class war’ and/or that they are already doing this, then why are they frightened of the requirements being quantifiable, meaningful and transparent? In this proposal, the power lies with the state schools. They have no obligation to enter into a partnership, nor will they be inspected on it. It is for private schools to up their game or lose their rate relief.
Tom McNeil
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Meriden, West Midlands"
