Education minister says NI private schools should not pay VAT

Their parents face paying more for their children’s education as the government plans to remove a long-standing VAT exemption for private schools and independent schools.

While some famous private schools like Eton and Harrow in England charge about £50,000 a year, schools in Northern Ireland charge parents a lot less than that.

Mr Givan told BBC News NI that schools in Northern Ireland could not be directly compared with many private schools in England, and the new UK-wise approach did not “reflect how the Northern Ireland education system is funded”.

While education is devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, taxation is decided at Westminster.

“This is ultimately HMRC, it’s the Treasury and I’m making the representation on behalf of schools in Northern Ireland and parents as to why they shouldn’t be included,” Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister Mr Givan said.

“I recognise the real concerns parents have.”

In a statement to BBC News NI a government spokesperson said: “We want to ensure all children have the best chance in life to succeed.”

“Ending tax breaks on private schools will help to raise the revenue needed to fund our education priorities for next year.”