Labour to force vote on private school tax breaks

It comes as new data shared by the party revealed that there are now more teachers leaving the profession than are being recruited.

Labour said that closing what it calls a “tax loophole” for private schools will allow it to recruit 6.500 more teachers to drive up standards in every school.

Analysis of figures from the Department for Education found that there were 36,262 leavers in the teaching profession in last year, compared with only 34,394 starters on Initial Teacher Training, leaving a shortfall of 1,868.

Labour argues that its recruitment policy is designed to “stem a dangerous exodus of teachers by reducing unmanageable workloads and to correct worrying slides in the recruitment of new teachers to replace those leaving across England”.

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said: “Labour believes that excellence is for everyone: that is why we would end tax breaks for private schools and invest that money in 6,500 additional teachers, reducing workloads and driving up to standards in all our state schools through our National Excellence Programme.

“Labour recognises that after thirteen years of Conservative economic mismanagement, which culminated in the Conservatives crashing the economy last year, tough choices must be made to protect public finances - but the choice facing MPs today is easy.

“Conservative MPs can either vote to deliver a brilliant state for education for every child or they vote against the interests of parents across this country who aspire for better for their children, especially those in the very regions their party pledged to ‘level up’.”

On Monday ministers were warned to act “now or never” on teachers’ pay to prevent possible strikes following talks between unions and the education secretary.

Union leaders said “no concrete progress” was made during a meeting with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan on Monday, with one school leaders’ union boss describing the discussions as “largely unsatisfactory”.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), urged ministers to come forward with “real and concrete proposals very quickly” to avoid possible strike action this year.