UK biggest spenders on private schooling

Parents in Britain spend far more educating their children privately than those in any other European country, a study has revealed.In a damning indictment of the state system, 11.3 per cent of school funding in the UK comes directly from the pockets of parents, almost double the level in France.The figures indicate that families are increasingly unhappy with the quality of our state schools pushing them to opt out and pay expensive private fees.By contrast, just 6.2 per cent of school funding in France comes from parents, compared with 4.8 per cent in the Netherlands, 3.2 per cent in Italy, and just 0.1 per cent in Portugal. Even in the US, household spending accounts for just 8.6 per cent of funding.The results reflect not just the numbers of British children going to private schools, but the higher fees they are charged compared with Continental schools. The report, by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, also showed that money for education from private sources, including business funding for academy schools soared under Labour, rising from 11.3 per cent to 21.9 per cent between 2000 and 2007.Around 510,000 children in the UK are privately educated, with average fees at almost £4,200 (Dh25,324.3) a term. Top schools charge around £30,000 a year, however. Fears over discipline and a dumbing down of the curriculum are thought to be driving the disenchantment with the state system.Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, West Yorkshire, said: "Parents who send their children to private schools are not all rich and snobbish. They are people who make enormous sacrifices because they do not think state schools are up to scratch." From / Gulf News