Afternoon:
14°c
Recession forces private schools to lay off staff
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent07.04.09
SOME of Britain's most prestigious private schools are being forced to lay off teachers as redundancies soar in the recession.
Over the past year 17 independent schools have closed across the country, according to analysts from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
At least six have resorted to redundancies to cut staff costs, but the true figure could be "much higher", the association said.
Officials expressed fears that more schools will close as growing numbers of parents struggle to pay fees.
John Richardson, ATL's national official for independent schools, told the Standard it only took 10 pupils to leave suddenly to bring disaster to a small prep school. "It's not just the prep schools, it's across the country. We are seeing a lot more senior schools affected. There are two or three times as many redundancies as this time last year."
At least six members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference of 250 private schools have been forced to cut staff, he said. A spokesman for the group said it had not received official reports of staff redundancies.
Independent schools are coming under pressure because cash-strapped parents are struggling with the rising fees. Typical boarding fees at a top school are approaching £30,000 a year.
Mr Richardson's comments came as the union called for tighter rules on private schools' employment procedures. ATL delegates are proposing a campaign for better regulation to ensure teachers are protected.
Reader views (7)
It is important to consider the children involved in this situation.
I never had to change schools, but I have friends who did, and it is quite a traumatic experience for a child.
Some schools are reaching compromise arrangements with parents, and that is to be encouraged.
- John Jones, Wesminster
The State sector can be reformed if tax payer money is properly spent. Bring back grammar schools now! Many parents cannot afford the 26k annual fees but would be able to find say 6k for better school fees. Look at Ireland where the private/state partnership produces educational excellence at 8k a year for the best schools! I know, my kids are getting Eton standard education for that price. No rocket science just common sense and no PC Nu Labor dogma.
- James Macleod Ritchie, Oyster Bay Cove
Over the last 10 years state education has become so bad that private schools got easily away with increasing fees. No more!
- Georgie, Islington, Londlon
This is very sad but with the state system in such a mess it may not be able to accomodate extra pupils."
Copying my name and town and posting silly comments like this won't fool anyone you know..
- Keith Price, Luton, England
Fifteen years ago, the fees at the majority of private schools were such that many middle class families could afford them. Over the last 15 years, fees have increased, every year, at many, many times the rate of inflation, so that now, at the majority of private schools, only the top few percent of the population can even consider the fees. Have the costs of these schools really increased ten-fold or more over the last decade or so?
- Ross, London, UK
Given that the UK financial and related sectors will shrink permanently it is hard to see how these sort of fees are sustainable as there will be less demand.
- Mike, london
This is very sad but with the state system in such a mess it may not be able to accomodate extra pupils..
- Keith Price, Luton
