Bridget Phillipson seems to have missed the lesson at school about Peter and the Wolf, if her recent comments are anything to go by.
over the impact of VAT on their capacity to operate will ring hollow to the 23 schools who, often as a direct result of this policy decision, have announced their closure in recent months.
And what about the seemingly endless list of prep schools who have decided to jump into bed with bigger groups in order to keep the wolf from the door? Are we to believe that this is a mere coincidence? There are no false cries for help here. Just the economic reality that unless you are a big beast, the future really does look ever more precarious.
And that is the nub of the issue which Ms Phillipson, and her political colleagues seem to have ignored. VAT will have certainly impacted all independent schools, but the very ones that the Labour Party finds objectionable are exactly those who may get stronger as other weaker and more vulnerable ones are either subsumed or close.
An extra 6,500 extra teachers? Good luck with that.
These are the small, the niche, the rural or quirky schools who provide a fantastic education for middle income earners who see the value of such places. These schools who offer top quality learning support, or just a damned good all-round education for children who would flounder in the state sector, are the ones most at risk.
And this is where it is just plain sad – this political act will not help children in the state sector. An extra 6,500 extra teachers? Good luck with that. In a system that already has a shortage of 2,000 teachers, how does Ms Phillipson think she is going to magic up an extra 6,500 just because she has the cash to pay for them? I would suggest she starts with why there is a shortage.
Perhaps we should begin with a look at terms and conditions; why do so many teachers leave the profession in the first five years of their careers? Why has the government not addressed the rising levels of poor pupil behaviour? Why have they not looked at teacher burnout?
It is no wonder that more and more are abandoning the UK altogether.
And of course, in a society where a government is very happy to agree to paying train drivers far more than nurses and teachers, is it any wonder that we have an acute crisis in teacher recruitment and retention? It is no wonder that more and more are abandoning the UK altogether and opting for well-paid roles in fantastically successful and excellently resourced schools overseas (and yes, they are fee-charging).
I also wonder whether those 6,500 new teachers in a year (don’t hold your breath) will be experts in maths, physics, English, economics or chemistry? That’s what we need. Not just bodies in the classroom.
Children are not political pawns to be moved around at your whim.
So, finally, lest we forget, every independent school child who is forced back into an already creaking and overworked state system, will add both a financial and physical burden to that school. That’s not fair on the school or the child. They are not political pawns to be moved around at your whim.
We all want a better state education system for our children. They deserve that, and so do the amazing people who work in the sector. I don’t believe that there is a single person employed in the independent sector that wouldn’t want to see it thrive. But Bridget, scoring easy political points to cripple independent schools is not the answer. The wolf really is at the door. Unfortunately, it benefits nobody.
