In this live debate, our expert panel decides whether the UK's private schools should continue to enjoy their tax advantages. The UK has an education system that perpetuates inequality. Seven per cent of its children go to private schools and yet these institutions receive around three times the funding per student as the average state school. Privately educated people then go on to dominate our elite institutions. They are seven times as likely to win a place at Oxford and Cambridge universities as their state-educated peers, and they make up 65 per cent of senior judges and 29 per cent of members of parliament. Who could possibly object to a tax that would benefit the majority of Britain’s schoolchildren?
Those who believe in aspiration, that’s who, argue the champions of private schools. People like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s parents, who, as he has explained, were not wealthy or privileged but who worked hard so that they could send their son to one of this country’s top independent schools. Removing the tax breaks on private schools would amount to class war and punish parents who are prepared to make sacrifices to give their children the best start in life. Because, let’s be honest, it won’t be the one per cent who will be affected by this change, but the children of the ‘squeezed middle’ and the less well off who rely on bursaries and scholarships to access private education – many of whom these schools may no longer be able to support under Labour’s proposals.
Should private schools continue to enjoy their tax advantages or not?
On stage to discuss it for this event was our panel; Fraser Nelson, Editor of The Spectator, Helen Pike, Master of Magdalen College School, Oxford, the journalist, broadcaster and Contributing Editor at Novara Media, Ash Sarkar, and Melissa Benn, writer and campaigner for a high-quality comprehensive school system.
The discussion is in two halves. If you’re an Intelligence Squared Member you can get the whole thing right now – no waiting around. Head to intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:
- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts
- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events
- Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox
...
Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:
- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts
- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
...
Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more
...
Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.
https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Searching for Another England, with Caroline Lucas and Grace Blakeley, Part One
Arash Azizi on Iran's Turbulent Past and its Uncertain Future
Getting Weird with Physics, with Harry Cliff
Istanbul: Crossroads of the World, with Alexander Christie-Miller
Keir Starmer, Will Hutton, Alastair Campbell and Sonia Sodha on How to Remake Britain, Part Two
Keir Starmer, Will Hutton, Alastair Campbell and Sonia Sodha on How to Remake Britain, Part One
The Great London Novel, with Andrew O'Hagan
The F Word: Re-evaluating Society's Approach to Body Image, with Kate Manne
Unlocking the Power of Memory, with Charan Ranganath
Going Nuclear: Could a Catastrophic Conflict Take Place? with Annie Jacobsen
Finding the Story within Ordinary Human Failings, with Megan Nolan
Why We Need to Slow Down to Save the Planet, with Kohei Saito
A Journey Into Our Geopolitical Future, with Elliot Ackerman
Are You Free? How Work Relentlessly Eats Up Our Time
Comedy in Dark Times, with Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis, Part Two
Comedy in Dark Times, with Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis, Part One
Love and Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain, with Jason Okundaye
How Technology Has Made Us What We Are, with Tom Chatfield
Misogyny and the Middle-Aged Woman, with Victoria Smith, Hadley Freeman and Sonia Sodha, Part Two
Misogyny and the Middle-Aged Woman, with Victoria Smith, Hadley Freeman and Sonia Sodha, Part One
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free