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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Charity test for private school | Charity test for private school |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Regulators are set to rule on whether a fee-paying school should continue to enjoy charitable status. | Regulators are set to rule on whether a fee-paying school should continue to enjoy charitable status. |
| The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) will decide if the High School of Dundee meets a new "public benefit" assessment. | |
| The case is a test of legislation which was introduced by the Scottish Parliament in 2006. | |
| Under the new rules, charities must be able to demonstrate they have a charitable aim and benefit the public. | Under the new rules, charities must be able to demonstrate they have a charitable aim and benefit the public. |
| Other independent schools across Scotland are likely to face similar scrutiny in the coming months. | Other independent schools across Scotland are likely to face similar scrutiny in the coming months. |
| 'Public benefit | 'Public benefit |
| Critics of the charitable status enjoyed by the High School of Dundee, which charges annual fees of about £8,000 for day pupils, have described them as "elitist educational businesses". | |
| Defenders of the sector claim they save the country 35 times as much as they receive in tax relief, because their pupils do not take up places in state schools. | Defenders of the sector claim they save the country 35 times as much as they receive in tax relief, because their pupils do not take up places in state schools. |
| They point to the number of less well-off children who are able to enrol in independent schools because of grants and scholarships. | They point to the number of less well-off children who are able to enrol in independent schools because of grants and scholarships. |
| Despite interest in the ruling, the decision will not set a precedent for every fee-paying school with charitable status, as each will be judged by the regulators individually. | Despite interest in the ruling, the decision will not set a precedent for every fee-paying school with charitable status, as each will be judged by the regulators individually. |
| The Charity Commission for England and Wales is currently consulting on how to implement a similar test of "public benefit" south of the border by early next year. | The Charity Commission for England and Wales is currently consulting on how to implement a similar test of "public benefit" south of the border by early next year. |