Private faith schools lobby for VAT exemption

  • 14th October 2024

A group representing more than 270 Jewish, Muslim and Christian independent faith schools is lobbying the government to exempt schools that charge less than £7,690 from the 20% VAT charge due to be introduced in January, The Guardian has reported.

The schools argue that they should be treated differently from elite private schools and they are often reliant on donations and volunteers to survive.

The group includes the Association of Muslim Schools, Chinuch UK representing Haredi schools, the Christian Schools Trust and Seventh-day Adventist schools.

The group stated: “For the Christian, Jewish and Muslim families we represent, attending a faith school is not a choice; it is integral to their way of life.”

The headteacher of a Haredi Orthodox Jewish school in London said: “Parents in our community simply cannot afford higher fees, and we lack the resources to make up the shortfall. If this policy goes ahead, we will be forced to close our doors.

“The result will be that thousands of Jewish children will be left without an appropriate educational option, with many parents turning to home education as the only viable alternative. This would disrupt the children’s learning and place an enormous burden on families who rely on our school not just for education, but also for cultural and religious continuity.”

The group added: “We argue those faith schools whose fees fall below the per-pupil funding level in the state sector should be exempted from VAT. This cost-neutral mitigation would allow the families we represent to continue to attend a school that reflects their faith and values.”

Ismail Gangat, chair of governors and founding trustee of Azhar Academy Girls School in East London, said it charged £3,900 and that its parents included people working as builders, taxi drivers and teachers.

Gangat said: “I am sincerely concerned that if VAT at 20% is proposed, we simply cannot afford to bear the cost to ensure the school remains affordable for our parents. We are convinced that the secretary of state for education, and the Department for Education and its civil servants haven’t taken our schools into consideration; it’s as though we do not exist.”

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