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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
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| Private sector 'to loan teachers' | Private sector 'to loan teachers' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Private schools could be required to lend teachers to state schools and share other facilities under proposals by Education Secretary Alan Johnson. | Private schools could be required to lend teachers to state schools and share other facilities under proposals by Education Secretary Alan Johnson. |
| Mr Johnson, a Labour deputy leadership candidate, says independent schools in England and Wales should do more to justify their charitable status. | Mr Johnson, a Labour deputy leadership candidate, says independent schools in England and Wales should do more to justify their charitable status. |
| But fellow Labour candidate Jon Cruddas said private schools should lose their charitable status entirely. | But fellow Labour candidate Jon Cruddas said private schools should lose their charitable status entirely. |
| Conservatives accused Mr Johnson of making "clumsy threats" over the issue. | Conservatives accused Mr Johnson of making "clumsy threats" over the issue. |
| Private schools claim many of them would close if not for the annual £100m in tax breaks from being a charity. | Private schools claim many of them would close if not for the annual £100m in tax breaks from being a charity. |
| New charity rules mean private schools now have to pass a public benefit test showing how they add to communities. | New charity rules mean private schools now have to pass a public benefit test showing how they add to communities. |
| Some teachers told the BBC that they found it patronising of Mr Johnson to imply that state school teachers needed the help of private school teachers. | Some teachers told the BBC that they found it patronising of Mr Johnson to imply that state school teachers needed the help of private school teachers. |
| So they have these facilities, they should make those facilities open to state school pupils as well Alan JohnsonEducation Secretary | So they have these facilities, they should make those facilities open to state school pupils as well Alan JohnsonEducation Secretary |
| And a spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said it was not "a one-way street". | And a spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said it was not "a one-way street". |
| "Private schools have a massive amount to learn from state schools. | "Private schools have a massive amount to learn from state schools. |
| "Teaching 30-35 pupils is very different from teaching 15 and requires a totally different set of skills and is much more demanding. That's the big problem that private school teachers will have," she said. | "Teaching 30-35 pupils is very different from teaching 15 and requires a totally different set of skills and is much more demanding. That's the big problem that private school teachers will have," she said. |
| Specialist teachers | Specialist teachers |
| Speaking at a hustings meeting in Bristol, Mr Johnson said the Charity Commission was looking to update what private schools had to do to earn their charitable status. | Speaking at a hustings meeting in Bristol, Mr Johnson said the Charity Commission was looking to update what private schools had to do to earn their charitable status. |
| He said: "It shouldn't just be access to a sports field and the occasional amateur dramatic society open event." | He said: "It shouldn't just be access to a sports field and the occasional amateur dramatic society open event." |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Why should the Private School play ball with the State? Dave Price, Leeds Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY Why should the Private School play ball with the State? Dave Price, Leeds Send us your comments |
| Mr Johnson said private schools tended to get more specialist teachers and spend more money on facilities such as science labs. | Mr Johnson said private schools tended to get more specialist teachers and spend more money on facilities such as science labs. |
| He added: "So they have these facilities, they should make those facilities open to state school pupils as well, and they should join in a partnership with state schools in order to get their charitable status. And I think that's crucial." | He added: "So they have these facilities, they should make those facilities open to state school pupils as well, and they should join in a partnership with state schools in order to get their charitable status. And I think that's crucial." |
| In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson outlined his proposal, saying the independent education sector's charitable status meant it needed to contribute more to its surrounding communities. | In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson outlined his proposal, saying the independent education sector's charitable status meant it needed to contribute more to its surrounding communities. |
| Schools Minister Lord Adonis said the argument that private schools should justify their charitable status was government policy, and not simply Mr Johnson's idea. | |
| He said: "It's very much a government policy. It follows the Charities Act, that was enacted last year, which requires public benefit to be demonstrated. | |
| "And I should stress that it's not something that the government itself will be undertaking, this is something for the Charity Commission, which is a wholly independent body, whose job is simply to implement the law." | |
| 'Two-way street' | |
| Also speaking at the hustings meeting, Mr Cruddas said he had "never understood" the charitable status for private schools. | Also speaking at the hustings meeting, Mr Cruddas said he had "never understood" the charitable status for private schools. |
| "I would get rid of it and invest that money in the public sector," he said. | "I would get rid of it and invest that money in the public sector," he said. |
| Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts said co-operation between schools should be a "two-way street", with state schools making a contribution. | Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts said co-operation between schools should be a "two-way street", with state schools making a contribution. |
| I think Alan Johnson needs to pick his words carefully because I think it does sound patronising to the wonderful teachers we have in state schools John O'FarrellSchool governor | |
| "As Alan Johnson is running for the deputy leadership he is making clumsy threats about independent schools' charity status," he said. | "As Alan Johnson is running for the deputy leadership he is making clumsy threats about independent schools' charity status," he said. |
| "Instead we would be far more positive, encouraging independent schools and maintained schools to come together through creating new academies." | "Instead we would be far more positive, encouraging independent schools and maintained schools to come together through creating new academies." |
| Anthony Seldon, the master of Wellington College in Berkshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he would be happy to lend his teachers to state schools. | Anthony Seldon, the master of Wellington College in Berkshire, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he would be happy to lend his teachers to state schools. |
| "It's been a great tragedy for British education over the last hundred years that there has been an apartheid between the state and independent sectors - and this is not helpful for the children, nor the teachers, nor the country at large." | "It's been a great tragedy for British education over the last hundred years that there has been an apartheid between the state and independent sectors - and this is not helpful for the children, nor the teachers, nor the country at large." |
| He said there were many more highly qualified graduate teachers in the sciences, languages and maths in the private sector, who should be shared in a "non-patronising way" with the state sector. | He said there were many more highly qualified graduate teachers in the sciences, languages and maths in the private sector, who should be shared in a "non-patronising way" with the state sector. |
| Mr Seldon added that there were many ways in which private schools already shared facilities and pointed out that parents pay fees as well as taxes. | Mr Seldon added that there were many ways in which private schools already shared facilities and pointed out that parents pay fees as well as taxes. |
| Chinese teachers | Chinese teachers |
| Some teachers told the programme that it was an insult to suggest that state school teachers did not do as good a job as private school ones. | Some teachers told the programme that it was an insult to suggest that state school teachers did not do as good a job as private school ones. |
| Novelist John O'Farrell, who chairs the governors of Lambeth Academy in South London, agreed, saying that state school teachers had to teach more varied communities than their private school counterparts. | Novelist John O'Farrell, who chairs the governors of Lambeth Academy in South London, agreed, saying that state school teachers had to teach more varied communities than their private school counterparts. |
| "We don't really need private school teachers in the state system. | "We don't really need private school teachers in the state system. |
| "What might be useful is the odd highly specialised teacher, teachers of Chinese or something, but that aside I think Alan Johnson needs to pick his words carefully because I think it does sound patronising to the wonderful teachers we have in state schools," said Mr O'Farrell. | "What might be useful is the odd highly specialised teacher, teachers of Chinese or something, but that aside I think Alan Johnson needs to pick his words carefully because I think it does sound patronising to the wonderful teachers we have in state schools," said Mr O'Farrell. |
| Mr Johnson has submitted a series of proposals to the charities' regulator, the Charities Commission. | Mr Johnson has submitted a series of proposals to the charities' regulator, the Charities Commission. |
| Sarah Atkinson from the Charity Commission said schools, like every other charity, must show that they benefit the public to justify their charity status. | Sarah Atkinson from the Charity Commission said schools, like every other charity, must show that they benefit the public to justify their charity status. |
| "That means that they've got to show a real benefit to the public, so not just a private interest," she said. | "That means that they've got to show a real benefit to the public, so not just a private interest," she said. |
| "And crucially they've got to show how people on low incomes can benefit as well." | "And crucially they've got to show how people on low incomes can benefit as well." |