Private schools should play state schools at competitive sport and participate in debating societies, the shadow education secretary has said in a speech urging private schools to end the “Berlin Wall” in the education system.
In a Guardian article, Tristam Hunt said he would consider withdrawing £700m of tax breaks over the next parliament if private schools did not do more to improve the quality of education in state schools. He said private schools had been asked politely to cooperate with the state sector, with limited effect. “The next government will say to them: step up and play your part – earn your keep. Because the time you could expect something for nothing is over,” he said.
Hunt accused the Tories of having “done nothing to breach this Berlin Wall in our education system”. In a speech at Walthamstow Academy in east London, he added: “It baffles me that we can have private schools loaning a sports pitch to the local comprehensive once or twice a year, yet completely refusing to play them at football or opening up their halls and amphitheatres, yet unwilling to engage in a debating competition.
“Social enterprises such as Debate Mate have shown how rewarding and relatively easy it is to set up debate clubs in highly disadvantaged state schools. And it is hardly difficult to join the local sports leagues. So I see absolutely no reason why private schools should persist with their exclusive private-only competitions. We would look to include regular participation in competitive extra-curricular activities with state schools as part of this settlement.”
Most private schools were not doing enough to earn generous state subsidies through the business rates relief as well as benefiting from other tax breaks and qualified teachers trained by the state, Hunt said.
A commitment by private schools to participate in activities with state schools, and not just open up their facilities, is likely to be one of the conditions for private schools to continue to receive business rate relief.
