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Charitable schools status threat Charitable schools status threat
(about 1 hour later)
Four of Scotland's leading private schools are to be warned they could lose their charitable status unless they make changes, the BBC understands.Four of Scotland's leading private schools are to be warned they could lose their charitable status unless they make changes, the BBC understands.
The affected schools are Hutchesons' Grammar in Glasgow, Lomond school in Helensburgh, St Leonards in St Andrews and Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh.The affected schools are Hutchesons' Grammar in Glasgow, Lomond school in Helensburgh, St Leonards in St Andrews and Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh.
They now face losing the charitable status which gives them thousands of pounds a year in tax relief.They now face losing the charitable status which gives them thousands of pounds a year in tax relief.
Parents may have to pay higher school fees as a result.Parents may have to pay higher school fees as a result.
The charities regulator will tell the schools that they do not meet the necessary criteria for charitable status.The charities regulator will tell the schools that they do not meet the necessary criteria for charitable status.
However, it is believed they may be able to hold on to their charitable status if they can increase the number of bursaries they offer to children from low income families. Certain private schools are so elitist that I can't see how they can maintain charitable status Christine Grahame MSP
Under new rules private schools must be able to demonstrate they have a charitable aim and serve a cross section of the public by offering places to children from disadvantaged families, or making their facilities available to the local community. However, it is believed they may be able to hold on to their status if they can increase the number of bursaries they offer to children from low income families.
Under new rules private schools must be able to demonstrate they have a charitable aim and serve a cross-section of the public by offering places to children from disadvantaged families, or making their facilities available to the local community.
A total of 11 private schools across Scotland have been inspected by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to see whether they qualify as charities.
Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that some "elitist" private schools did not deserve to receive charitable tax breaks.
'Best schools'
She added: "A charity must have a wider public benefit, and if the fees are restrictive such as, for instance, they are at Gordonstoun - where I understand it is about £18,000 a year - then they must have more bursaries and be more open to the public.
"Apparently the schools that have been listed this morning have failed some or all of those tests.
"Certain private schools are so elitist that I can't see how they can maintain charitable status. The huge tax breaks they get are public money that is subsidising really quite well-off people."
But Frank Gerstenberg, former principal at George Watson's College in Edinburgh, said private schools actually benefit the taxpayer.
He added: "These are among the best schools in Scotland, produce the best exam results and relieve the taxpayer of a huge amount of money because parents are already paying for their children to be educated in the state system but choose not to."