“My daughter’s school announced yesterday it’s shutting down. No warning. Just shutting down… A high-quality, nurturing school forced to close because of greedy, arrogant taxation. Disgusting.”
CP
The Labour government’s decision to impose VAT on private school fees is facing mounting criticism as more private schools begin to shut their doors, forcing hundreds of students into an already overstretched state sector.
Critics argue that the policy, framed as a way to reduce inequality, is vindictive, short-sighted, and ultimately damaging to education across the UK.
A School Closure Shocks Parents and Pupils
Entrepreneur, Rob Moore took to social media to voice his outrage after his daughter’s school announced its sudden closure.
“My daughter’s school announced yesterday it’s shutting down. No warning. Just shutting down,” he tweeted. “Hundreds of distraught kids. Why? Labour’s tax hikes on school fees and NI hikes on staff. A high-quality, nurturing school forced to close because of greedy, arrogant taxation. Disgusting.”
Moore added: “All it does is pile more pressure on overcrowded state schools. How can ANYONE justify taxing education? Labour are destroying the very foundations of our children’s future. What an absolute disgrace.”
My daughter’s school announced yesterday it’s shutting down.
No warning. Just shutting down. 100s of distraught kids.
Why? Labour’s tax hikes on school fees & NI hikes on staff.
A high-quality, nurturing school forced to close because of greedy, arrogant taxation.…
— Rob Moore (@robprogressive) January 10, 2025
A Policy Under Fire
Labour introduced the VAT on private school fees in 2024, arguing that the measure would raise billions for the state sector and help level the playing field. However, critics, including opposition MPs, parents, and educational experts, warn that the policy will have the opposite effect by:
- Closing Private Schools: Smaller, less financially robust schools are particularly vulnerable to the increased costs, leaving thousands of children displaced.
- Straining State Schools: State schools, already under significant pressure due to funding and capacity challenges, now face the additional burden of absorbing students from closed private institutions.
- Widening Educational Inequality: Wealthier families may still afford the higher fees of elite private schools, while middle-income families are squeezed out, leaving fewer options for quality education.
Economists have suggested Labour’s policy will also cost far more than it raises.
Conservative Criticism
The policy has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. The Conservative Shadow Home Secretary described Labour’s approach as “vindictive and destructive.”
“This is what the Labour government is doing to education,” he said. “Closing down perfectly good schools and adding pressure to the state sector. They are vindictive and destructive. It will end up damaging everyone.”
Long-Term Impacts on Education
Experts warn that the closure of private schools could create a ripple effect across the education system:
- Reduced Choice: Parents lose access to diverse educational settings, narrowing options for families seeking alternatives to state education.
- Higher Costs: Remaining private schools may raise fees further to cover the additional tax burden, pushing them out of reach for more families.
- Increased Class Sizes: State schools already face overcrowding, and the influx of students from closed private schools will exacerbate this issue.
Labour’s Defence
Labour insists that the VAT policy is necessary to fund improvements in state education and to address long-standing inequality. A spokesperson for the Department for Education said, “The Labour government is committed to creating a fairer education system that prioritises the needs of all children, not just the privileged few. The VAT on private school fees ensures that private institutions contribute their fair share.”
As the fallout from Labour’s VAT raid on private schools begins to unfold, parents, educators, and politicians are questioning the unintended consequences of the policy. While the Labour government defends its approach as a step toward fairness, critics argue that it risks dismantling parts of the UK’s education system and adding pressure to an already strained state sector. For families like Rob Moore’s, the closure of a school is more than a policy debate—it’s a personal tragedy and a stark warning about the broader impacts of Labour’s educational reforms.
This article (Labour’s VAT Raid on Private Schools Sparks Backlash as More Closures Begin to Hit Families) was created and published by Conservative Post and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author CP
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RELATED
THIRD PRIVATE SCHOOL ANNOUNCES CLOSURE THIS WEEK AS LABOUR’S VAT RAID BITES
Labour’s controversial VAT raid on private school fees has claimed another victim, with Godolphin Prep in Salisbury announcing its closure at the end of the school year.
CP
The school becomes the third private school in a single week to announce it will close its doors, following announcements by Maidwell Hall in Northamptonshire and Amherst School in Loughborough.
Parents were informed on Wednesday that Godolphin Prep, which charges £12,196 a year for girls aged 3 to 11, could no longer sustain operations due to declining pupil numbers and mounting financial pressures caused by Labour’s tax hike.
The Telegraph reported a letter to parents read: “The future for stand-alone prep schools is particularly precarious at present; not only due to the introduction of VAT on fees but also in terms of ensuring we remain at the cutting edge.”
CRISIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The closures come just weeks after Labour introduced the 20% VAT charge on private school fees on January 1. From April, private schools will also face new business rates, adding even more financial strain.
The Independent Schools Council (ISC), representing 1,400 member schools, has warned that more closures are inevitable, disrupting education for pupils and causing job losses for dedicated teaching staff.
As reported in the Telegraph, Julie Robinson, ISC chief executive, said: “Many people warned the Government that VAT would prove a bridge too far for schools already under financial pressure – we are now seeing the reality: school closures, dedicated staff losing their jobs and children having their education disrupted.
Ms Robinson added: “This is something that we will unfortunately see again over the coming months and years – with more communities losing an employer, a partner and an educational hub for local children. We urge the Government to think again and work with us to mitigate the effects of this damaging policy.”
DEVASTATING IMPACT ON SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES
Maidwell Hall, a 114-year-old boarding school once attended by Earl Spencer, and Amherst School are among the latest casualties of Labour’s policy.
A report from the Good Schools Guide warns: “If this can happen to Maidwell, it can certainly happen to other small, country prep schools with boarding.”
State schools may also feel the strain as parents forced out of private education turn to an already overstretched public sector.
BURDEN ON PARENTS AND TEACHERS
Independent School Bursars Association chief executive David Woodgate cautioned that some schools might need to sell off land to balance their books. Meanwhile, other schools are already cutting bursaries for disadvantaged pupils.
Parents and teachers are raising the alarm about the broader consequences of Labour’s tax raid. One parent said: “This politics of envy from Labour doesn’t just upset private schools—it’s about the wider education system. Overcrowded state schools will bear the brunt. What sort of civilised society taxes education? Labour’s policies are a disaster and we are seeing it across the board.”
LABOUR’S DEFENCE VS GROWING CRITICISM
The Treasury claims the VAT policy will raise £1.8bn annually to support state education. A spokesperson said: “Ending tax breaks for private schools will help the 94% of children in state schools achieve and thrive.”
However, Neil O’Brien, Conservative shadow education minister, hit back, accusing Labour of an “education tax” that hurts teachers, pupils, and families across the board.
“Labour’s policy is hammering independent schools while state schools face chaos,” he said. “This isn’t just bad policy—it’s an attack on choice, opportunity, and quality in education.”
MORE TO COME?
With private schools reeling from the financial blow and more closures expected, Labour’s tax raid is quickly becoming a major flashpoint in the education debate. Critics argue the policy is short-sighted, putting teachers’ jobs, children’s education, and community institutions at risk.
The question remains: How many more schools will be forced to close before Labour rethinks its damaging education tax?
This article (THIRD PRIVATE SCHOOL ANNOUNCES CLOSURE THIS WEEK AS LABOUR’S VAT RAID BITES) was created and published by Conservative Post and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author CP
Featured image: yarraone.com.au
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