Education Opinion: Why Labour should open its mind to subsidising independent schools

Labour has come a long way since abolition of the assisted places scheme was its aim; the announcement that places may be funded in independent schools for children of special musical ability would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

But why stop at musical ability? What of children with outstanding ability in modern languages, or general all-round academic giftedness? These too would benefit from assisted places in schools catering for their special talents. Dare we hope that Labour will have the courage to take the next logical step?

The assisted places scheme is quoted as costing pounds 101m a year, although this is a gross figure that does not take into account the cost were these pupils to be in state schools; the true per capita net cost to the state is "probably not more than a few hundred pounds", to quote Lord Henley in Hansard, 13 July, 1995.

This very modest subsidy is all the more effective because the funds are means-tested and therefore help gifted children whose parents could not afford to pay fees.

Opponents sometimes present the scheme as if it were a British peculiarity, but we lag far behind other European states in support to independent schools - even when we add the roughly pounds 40m which charitable status is worth.

German parents have a constitutional right to choose independent schools; most are subsidised up to two thirds of the cost per pupil in a state school, and parents can also claim allowances against tax.

In France, the state pays salaries at approved independent primary schools and a per-pupil subsidy in secondary schools. In both France and Germany, the proportion of secondary pupils attending independent schools is far higher than in Britain, about 13 per cent and 17 per cent, compared with less than 8 per cent here.

In Denmark, independent schools which reach standards comparable with their state counterparts receive, on average, 75 per cent of their operational expenditure.

In the Netherlands, where more than 70 per cent of children are educated in independent schools, all running and capital costs are subsidised, and some of the pupils' fees.

The Belgian government, with 65 per cent of the school population in independent schools, pays all salaries, a capitation-based subsidy for running costs, and grants for boarding, transport, buildings and equipment.

Sweden has recently introduced a scheme whereby all schools with an approved curriculum have the right to the same degree of public funding, and there are state per capita grants, worth 85 per cent of the average cost of state education in their municipality, made to independent schools. Subsidies on the scale of our European neighbours make the assisted places scheme look measly!

All these countries, and many others in Europe and worldwide, have built a different relationship between state-provided and independent education. Where independent schools, with all their variety, are a guaranteed and an integral part of the freedom of parental choice there is no class-based hostility. However, for independents, there is a downside. The price of being part of national choice may be less academic independence, less freedom to be distinctive, and financial vulnerability to government cuts. Any new relationship here would of course bring its conditions, but it is surely not in the interest of government of any colour to turn independents into clones of state schools.

Independent schools offer excellence and diversity, and bringing them into a fuller partnership in this country, while respecting the freedoms that have made them distinctive, can only enrich the national system. It remains sad that Labour is committed to abolition of the assisted places scheme, but we hope that alternative bridges may be found, and assisted places for musicians is certainly a start.

AVERIL BURGESS

The writer is chairman, Independent Schools Joint Council Public Affairs Committee.