Update: British Regulator Eases Tax Threat to Private Schools

In an apparent step back from tough new rules on private schools, the head of Great Britain’s Charity Commission said Wednesday that the institutions will be given five years to meet a government-imposed public-benefit test, The Times reports.

The regulatory body had previously given no time frame for schools to demonstrate sufficient community service or risk losing tax-exempt status, but the chairwoman, Suzi Leather, said that the policy would be difficult to enforce “in the current economic climate.” Two of five schools assessed by the commission in its initial round of tests earlier this year failed for not providing enough tuition waivers for low-income students.