*** UK to tax private schools in £1.5 bn boost to public education | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

UK to tax private schools in £1.5 bn boost to public education

AFP | London

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The UK will end a tax exemption for private schools on Wednesday, the centre-left Labour government has announced, in a move set to raise over £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) for public education.

After years of worsening educational inequalities, from January 1, private schools will have to pay 20 percent value added tax on tuition fees, which will be used to fund thousands of new teachers and improve standards in state schools.

"It's time things are done differently", finance minister Rachel Reeves said in a statement on Sunday.

The funding will "go towards our state schools where 94 percent of this country's children are educated", she said. The policy was promised by Labour in its election campaign and officially laid out in its inaugural budget in October.

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