Taxing public schools

SIR – Sir Keir Starmer is using overly emotive language in stating that the Government is “handing taxpayers’ money” to independent schools (report, December 1). In fact, it is not taking the money in VAT from them, which is not the same thing.

Taxing independent schools would result in closures, fewer schools paying the tax, fewer places for disadvantaged children, and greater cost to the state system. More pupils in the state system would increase class sizes, and class size has a direct impact on learning. Creating additional classes to keep size down requires considerable resources, far beyond any notional gain from the extra tax.

No doubt this is all crafted to appeal to voters and attack “privilege”. But as a former pupil of a fee-paying school (Reigate Grammar changed from selective-state to independent while he was a pupil), and with an Oxbridge education, Sir Keir is a product of the privilege he seeks to curtail. Jonathan Mann

Gunnislake, Cornwall