Amidst the foothills of the election skirmishes it is not yet clear if the recent declarations from the Labour Party on policy changes to the future of independent schools will make to the manifesto or government policy but ideas can gain momentum over time and we feel it is important to join our voice to supporting the vibrant success of our independent schools.
At Gabbitas, we are very aware of the importance of British Independent Education not only for the pupils it serves but also for the important part they play in the economy of this country. International students in our schools contribute £1.8b to GDP and support not only half a billion in tax revenues their fees also support fee bursaries for children across Britain. We work with families all over the world seeking British education for their children in our schools and Universities.
Burgeoning growth of new international schools
For those who chose to keep their children closer to home there is a burgeoning growth of new international schools that primarily follow the British education template. Over 60% of international schools around the world are British curriculum or British backed and the British education system is revered around the world and for very good reason – it is considered as one of the best systems of education in the world and is the bench mark for measuring the standard of education practices. A British Education is seen as a passport for life, our independent schools are some of the academically highest achieving schools in the world and their successful franchises overseas are reaching a new generation and providing revenue to support educating more children in their UK campuses.
Chairman of the Independent Schools Council in the UK, Barnaby Lenon, had this to say in a recent Times newspaper interview:
Independent schools provide excellence, capacity and innovation. They support science and arts subjects, which are vital to productivity; foreign languages as we enter a post-Brexit world; qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate, which provide a rounded curriculum; and through their focus on sport, 43 per cent of our new cricketing world champions.
Our British Independent sector remains the envy of the world. Gabbitas has been placing children in this sector for close to 150 years and unsurprisingly is a strong supporter of the many merits that UK independent schools offer parents with students of wide-ranging interests and abilities. Great education is never achieved by sinking towards the lowest common denominator and we are confident as trusted education consultants that the British independent schools we work closely with will continue to not only survive but thrive, given the appetite that has never been stronger for our younger generations to enjoy the very best opportunities.
This article from Vanessa Miner – Managing Director for London-based education consultant, Gabbitas, first appeared in the Autumn 2019 edition of School Report
