Industry News
Private school subject of charity case
Posted on 18th July 2007
Regulators are set to rule on the charitable status of the High School of Dundee, a private school that charges annual fees of around £8,000 for day pupils.
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is expected to decide whether the private school meets the "public benefit" assessment, on the back of new legislation introduced by the Scottish parliament last year, the BBC reports.
After the ruling, independent schools are expected to demonstrate their "charitable aim" and how they benefit the public but each case will judged by the regulators individually.
Labour MSP George Foulkes recently criticised private schools for the tax breaks they receive under their charity status, the Sunday Herald reports.
But Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Liz Smith said: "The foundation of private schools was about helping disadvantaged pupils … there is a bit of class war about all of this".
Some say the sector saves the country money because private school pupils do not take up places in state schools, in addition to the educational opportunities given to less well-off children at the schools through grants and scholarships.