U.K. Broadens Rules for Private Schools to Show Public Benefit
June 28, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
Britain’s Charity Commission issued new guidelines Wednesday that give private schools more options by which to demonstrate they are providing public benefit, thereby justifying their tax breaks, the Press Association and The Telegraph report.
The new guidance replaces previous rules that were widely interpreted to require fee-charging academies to offer more free or discounted placements to low-income children. Private schools challenged the provisions in court and won a victory last year when Britain’s High Court ordered the commission to issue broader guidelines.
The draft proposal mandates that schools offer “more than minimal or tokenistic” benefits to their communities, but unlike the previous guidelines it provides a detailed checklist of possible services by which institutions can meet the charity test.
Along with tuition assistance, the list suggests that private academies offer sports, recreation, and performance and classroom facilities to public-school students and mount joint projects with state schools.
