There are many reasons why most countries don’t tax education, and the UK may be about to find out one of them.
Britain’s Labour government says it will impose VAT on private school fees from the beginning of next year, but a new report warns that the move could cost the UK treasury up to £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion). Many parents are expected to pull their children out of private schools once fees are hiked as a result of the new tax.
The Adam Smith Institute warned that one “unintended consequence” was that these parents may work less, and pay less tax, once they are not shelling out the £50,000 a year that top boarding schools cost. Other reports have suggested that most of the money the new tax may gather will have to be spent hiring new teachers for the state sector if the numbers leaving private schools run into the hundreds of thousands.
I am thousands of kilometres away in Malaysia, where my sons are educated, but I do feel personally about this issue.
I went to one of those institutions that Labour politicians are wont to decry as archaic bastions of privilege. I suppose the King’s School, Canterbury, nestled in the beautiful environs of the city’s cathedral, was archaic in one sense: it claims to have been founded in 597 AD. But were my fellow pupils in the 1980s all little Lord Snooties? Well, one was the daughter of one the 20th century’s greatest conductors, another is now the heir to a marquessate, a couple were the children of Tory cabinet ministers, and an old friend’s father was a bishop – which isn’t quite as grand as it sounds when you know what bishops were paid.
But most of us came from far less gilded backgrounds. I was there on a scholarship; my parents were teachers. Others were the offspring of accountants, country solicitors, farmers and small businessmen. One boy’s parents owned and ran a restaurant. Another’s father was in the police. It was hardly a playground for hereditary plutocrats, in other words.
We send our sons to private schools in Kuala Lumpur, and when it’s time to pay the fees, I look wistfully at the bank balance before and after I’ve signed the cheque. What holidays we could have had, what new car might we have bought, with the money. I imagine many readers may have had the same fleeting thought. But whether it’s in the Gulf, South-East Asia, Europe, or anywhere, lots of parents feel strongly that it’s more important to spend our hard-earned cash on the best education we can for our children.
We are clearly fortunate to be in a position to do so. But it is worth mentioning that this saves governments a huge amount of money – Aus$4.6 billion ($3 billion) a year in Australia alone, to take one example. And Australia is one of the many countries that acknowledges that, and recognises that it is important parents have choices, and therefore actually subsidises private schools. Denmark, New Zealand, five of Canada’s 10 provinces, and lots of other countries do the same.
Yes, in an ideal world, state schools – in whatever country – should be so superb that you would have to be mad to pay to go private. Some may remember an episode of the US TV series The West Wing when the character Sam Seaborn said: “Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. Schools should be palaces.” I agree, and some countries have managed to achieve an enviable level of consistent excellence in their state education systems. Singapore, for instance. But it doesn’t seem to be easy, and the UK is an example of a wealthy country that hasn’t managed to do as well with its state sector as many parents would like – which is one reason why there is still a thriving market for private education.
But schools as “palaces”: that surely should be the aim, not penalising parents who make sacrifices to pay hefty fees.
As the Adam Smith Institute report shows, putting taxes on private schools may end up costing the state. There can also be other knock-on effects. The smaller schools that may have to shut because of the tax hike may well be a crucial part of the local economy, which will be affected by lost jobs, lost money spent locally, loss of demand for goods and services and so on. When the Greek government put 23 per cent VAT on independent schools in 2015, the state sector was overwhelmed, and such was the chaos, the move had to be reversed.
Forcing private schools to increase their fees still more – Eton College has already warned parents that theirs will rise to a hair-raising £63,000 per year – will paradoxically make them far more the preserve of the super-rich elite, since only they will be able to afford the fortunes required for their children to go to these schools.
That cannot be an outcome UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping for. Would he want that fate for the fee-paying Reigate Grammar School that he himself attended? I doubt it. Mr Starmer should think again, and reflect that many parents paying private school fees, whether in the UK or the rest of the world, are relatively ordinary people who just want the best for their children. They are not the enemy.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20LEAGUE%202
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
Read more about the coronavirus
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The five pillars of Islam
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Record breaker
- The most total field goals made in NBA history, as well as the most consecutive games scoring 10 or more points
- The only player in NBA history to reach 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists
- Four-time regular season MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP
- Six-time NBA All-Defensive selection. Rookie of the Year in 2004
- The most All-NBA selections with 21 in a row, including a record 13 first team selections
- The most consecutive All-Star selections with 21
- The only player to play alongside his son; Bronny James was chosen by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
