I refer to Ian Cole’s letter (Echo, December 11) and his wide-ranging criticism of this Government’s policies.

I wish to comment on just one: education.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, should adopt the same policy regarding private fee-paying schools as the Australian Government, which grants tax incentives to parents who wish to send their children to private schools in order to take the load off the state sector.

An eminently practical policy; so what does this Government do? It does the complete opposite.

It is going to charge not only VAT on school fees but also the schools are having to face business rates.

What is the Government’s motive in all this? Certainly not to collect vast tax revenues.

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There will be no winners. Parents are already casting around looking for schools in the state sector for their children.

This will reduce the tax take. It has been suggested that as many as 40,000 children may be dumped on the state system, which is not in a good place now, what with huge class sizes, teacher shortages, and inadequate provision for the Special Needs sector.

Other affected areas may well see preparatory schools and private independent special needs schools threatened.

The King’s School, Fair Oak, was featured in the Echo recently.

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The fee-paying schools (public schools and independent grammar schools) are the success story of our education system.

Otherwise, parents would not elect and afford to send their offspring to these schools.

The fee-paying schools will suffer loss of pupils, and a number will close.

Those remaining will become more elitist, which is neither in their interest nor that of society as a whole.

If this Government goes ahead with charging VAT on fees for private schools, it will have lasting and damaging consequences for the whole of our education system.

The Government’s stated intention is to create an aspirational society.

If so, this is no way to go about it.

Stephen Prince
Southampton