'I told you you’d never make anything of your life' MP reveals what teachers told him as he warns of damage VAT on private schools will do to 1,000 Shropshire pupils

Stuart Anderson, MP for south Shropshire made the revelation in a debate on the government's plans to scrap VAT relief on private schools.

Mr Anderson said the police could impact nearly 1,000 pupils in the county.

Mr Anderson said that the tax on aspiration will disproportionately affect smaller schools in rural communities like South Shropshire. It will also be the first time that education in the UK has been taxed since the introduction of VAT and could see 134,800 pupils moving to the state sector in the next five years - meaning larger class sizes, disruption for pupils and teachers alike, and increased costs for the taxpayer.

The policy was confirmed as the government's intention via a written statement on 26th July - meaning MPs were not given the opportunity to debate it on the floor of the House of Commons. Stuart and his fellow MPs have now forced a vote on the issue, using one of 17 debates allocated to be decided by His Majesty's Opposition. It follows concerns raised by schools, parents, and unions about the policy being introduced in January - leaving little time for schools, families, and local authorities to plan ahead.

Nine independent schools across the country have already been forced to close since they could not afford an extra 20 per cent charge of VAT without making their fees unviable for parents. Almost three quarters of independent schools fear they will be forced to close. A survey undertaken by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) of 1,185 member schools in the UK found their rolls fell by 1.7 per cent when the school year started last month, compared with 2023. If this was replicated across the country, it could add more than 10,000 pupils to state school rolls and could cost about £80 million.

In South Shropshire, 969 students attend schools in the independent sector including Concord College, Bedstone College, and Moor Park. The new government has refused to publish an impact assessment on the policy until the Budget on October 30, just nine weeks before the tax is planned to come into effect.

In the Opposition Day Debate on Tuesday Mr Anderson told the house: "My education was exceptionally poor. I went to the worst school in the area, I didn't get any GCSEs, and when I was handed my results, the teacher said, 'there you go, Anderson. I told you; you’d never make anything of your life'.

"It was quite a poor education. So, my experience of education wasn't good. But I'm a Conservative, because I believe in opportunity. I didn't have those opportunities as a child, but I believe everybody should have those opportunities if they want."

He added: "Now there's about 1000 children in my constituency that go to Moor Park, Bedstone, and Concord college. And I visited them all. And it's a huge pressure of bringing this tax in, which I believe is rushed, putting the VAT on independent schools has not been thought through, and it does have a massive, massive impact on all of these schools.

"Now, some parents will be able to afford it, and they won't feel the pinch. But there's many parents who I've spoken to in my constituency that work two jobs, they have one car, they don't go on holiday, and they do everything they can to give their children the best opportunity in life, and that should be championed. We should not remove these opportunities."

MP calls for certainty to families likely to be affected by VAT charges on private school fees

The MP called on the government to provide certainty to families likely to be affected. Afterwards, he added that the government should publish a full impact assessment of how the tax will impact education in South Shropshire. He also added that the generous bursary system offered by independent schools to many disadvantaged children may decline as a result of the increased costs.

The Opposition has also called on the government to exempt key groups such as those from military families, children with special educational needs, and those who are approaching their exams. Under the continuity of education allowance (CEA), 4,200 children of service personnel receive taxpayer support to attend boarding school while their parents are posted overseas or in frequently changing roles. Worries have been expressed that the tax would effectively render fees unaffordable for these families, even with the allowance. This is because it could triple the cost of education, making a military career less attractive due to disruption caused to their children.

Following the debate, Stuart Anderson said: “This new government has tried to avoid scrutiny of their plans to impose tax on independent education since the policy was announced. So, we used one of our 17 allocated opposition day debates to force a vote on the issue. I believe that this policy is ill-considered and would disproportionately affect rural communities like South Shropshire. It penalises hard-working parents, who may not be able to afford the higher fees. It could also force a large number of children with special educational needs out of their current school and into the state sector with little tailored support to meet their needs.

"Taxing independent education is wrong on so many levels; accelerating it without giving adequate time for the sector to prepare is reckless. It risks untold disruption, including for many state schools. The tax may not have much impact on famous-name schools but the ones it will really hit are smaller schools like those in South Shropshire. The government should reconsider this attack on aspiration, personal choice, and social mobility. I believe that hard-working British families should be able to choose where to send their children and that this policy is nothing but the politics of envy.”