I believe Education is the most important thing we deliver in Government.
As you may be aware, the new Government are planning to charge VAT on independent school fees, meaning parents will now have to pay an additional 20 per cent if they send their child to an independent school. This would make us one of the only countries in Europe to tax education and worse still, it would risk more children being pushed into the state sector, requiring specialist support.
1 in 4 pupils in Surrey go to a local independent school. These aren't Etons or Harrows. These schools are often providing support for children with complex needs. If these children are forced into the state sector, this could add extra costs to the taxpayer, mean larger class sizes and worse outcomes for some of our most high needs children. There are 100,000 SEND pupils who could face this extra tax if the Government goes ahead with it, as planned in January 2025.
If you think you will be affected or you have any thoughts, please do fill in my survey.
Best wishes,
Claire Coutinho