Rachel Reeves has pledged that “every penny” of the proceeds from the Labour Party's proposal to levy VAT on independent school fees would be spent on state education, adding that the fees should be taxed 'like dining out'. Likening independent education to paid-for services incurring VAT such as restaurant dining and holidays, the shadow chancellor said: "There are state schools providing education and if you’re paying to go private, you should be paying VAT." The Times invites readers to vote in a live poll on whether VAT should be charged on independent school fees. By Henry Zeffman.

Julian Knight, Independent MP for Solihull, submitted a written question to the secretary of state for education asking "if her Department has carried out an economic assessment of the impact of changing the tax status of private and independent schools on the state education sector". In response, Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said independent schools are a key part of the education system in England and warned that the introduction of additional tax or changes to the tax status of independent schools could make them less affordable and place greater pressure on the state sector. Mr Gibb concluded: "The Government has no plans to change the tax status of independent schools and has not made an assessment of the impact of such a change on both the independent school sector, and the state education system." Hansard.

The annual State of the Nation report from the Department for Education (DfE) suggests that anxiousness among children has “worsened” during the 2021/22 academic year despite pupils returning to classrooms full-time after the pandemic. Published during Children's Mental Health Week, the report shows that rates of probable mental disorders and eating problems among pupils in England remain “at elevated levels”. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

The EIS, Scotland's largest teachers' union, is set to target the constituencies of the first minister, her deputy and the education secretary in an escalation of industrial action, which could lead to a further six days of strikes in the areas affected. BBC News.

A panel of specialists has told the Education Select Committee that Rishi Sunak's plan to make it compulsory for all children in England to study some form of maths to 18 would be hard to implement, although they broadly support the "worthy ambition". By Vanessa Clarke, BBC News.

Tes features a guide to the GCSE exam timetables for 2023, with key information for teachers from when exams will take place to resit days and what to do in the case of pupil absence. The article links to an item published in Tes last year outlining how exams have had to be adjusted because of the pandemic. Both articles are by Gráinne Hallahan.

A poll by Save the Student has found that nearly two in three student tenants are struggling with rent payments and around 41 per cent of those surveyed said they have thought about dropping out of university as a result of either rent or bills. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

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