Latest news with #IndependentSchoolCouncil
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Number of Hong Kong students attending British independent schools drops by 6%
The number of Hong Kong students attending independent schools in the United Kingdom has fallen by 6 per cent, the biggest decline witnessed in recent years, according to an annual census by the sector. Advertisement This coincided with the Labour government's introduction of a 20 per cent value-added tax (VAT) on school fees in January. An education consultant who specialises in assisting Hong Kong students with enrolment in British independent schools said the new tax deterred some parents, despite most private schools absorbing some of the increase by raising fees by only about 12 per cent. According to an annual census conducted by the UK's Independent School Council, mainland China and Hong Kong remain the largest and second-largest markets, respectively, for international students in British independent schools this academic year. However, the number of students from Hong Kong dropped this year. Advertisement The census, the first survey since the VAT was introduced, was carried out in January this year and covered 1,423 schools, 12 more than last year.
Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Bridget Phillipson: Private schools ‘crying wolf' as fees leap
Private schools have 'cried wolf' over the impact of paying VAT, the education secretary has said, as it was revealed fees had increased by more than 22 per cent in the past year. Bridget Phillipson told Times Radio it was for 'private schools to justify their decision' over fee rises but said she was more interested in focusing her attention on state schools. Her comments come as an annual survey found parents were now paying £22,146 a year on average for day schools, which is 22.6 per cent higher than last year. The government introduced a 20 per cent VAT charge for private school fees earlier this year. • School fees leave families on £100k 'with less than minimum wage' The Independent School Council (ISC)
Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Private school fees rise by 22 per cent after ‘financial triple whammy'
Private school fees have increased by more than 22 per cent in the last year with the addition of VAT, according to an annual survey. It says that parent are now paying £22,146 a year on average for day schools, which is 22.6 per cent higher than last year. The increase comes after the government introduced a 20 per cent VAT charge for private school fees earlier this year. The Independent School Council (ISC) census of its 1,400 members found that the average cost for a private day school was £7,382 per term in January. Labour's VAT policy came into effect on January 1. Fees increased by 8.4 per cent in 2024 and 6.4 per cent in 2023. Not all schools have passed on the
