Industry News
Lib Dems: Private schools should earn charitable status
Posted on 30th May 2007
Private schools should be encouraged to do more to earn a right to their charitable status, according to Sarah Teather MP, the Liberal Democrats' spokeswoman for education.
Ms Teather described private school teaching as a "very different experience" and criticised the Labour government for assuming that the ailments of the state school system could be cured by trying to make them more like private schools.
Instead, private schools could be encouraged to lend equipment or specialist teachers to meet shortages, she said.
"Needs of different schools should be acknowledged. State schools teach the most difficult cases and children with complex backgrounds, and they do so in large classes with poorer facilities and constant interference from the government," remarked Ms Teather.
The comments follow the news that schools are to receive guidance from the Charities Committee on how best to achieve charitable status.
Some of the suggestions have included the formation of academies run partly by private schools that could help to boost their charitable credentials.