Voice of the Mirror: Government must end sad tale of two unequal school systems
Britain's state schools are struggling to provide the basics - in some cases pleading for parents to help fund stationery and toilet paper - while private schools are financially thriving thanks to tax breaks
Every state school should have the same facilities as private ones(Image: Getty)
Britain’s state schools are struggling in the face of punitive Government cuts.
Some have been forced to close early, or cancel “luxuries” such as swimming and music classes. The funding shortage is so severe that heads are begging parents for money to buy basic items such as stationery and toilet paper.
For Britain’s private schools, it is a completely different story. Thanks to their dubious charitable status, they are exempt from paying millions of pounds a year in business rates.
This loophole in the law only entrenches an unacceptable educational divide.
It means an elite few benefit from an additional privilege, while the majority are taught in schools with crumbling buildings and rising class sizes.
A government that cared about our children’s education would ensure every state school has the same facilities as private ones.
They could force private schools to pay their business rates in full, and hand the £200million in proceeds to the state sector.
Streets behind
The closure of nearly two dozen branches of Debenhams is another blow for our struggling high streets.
Staff have been badly let down by its former private equity owners who lined their pockets while loading the firm with debt.
Debenhams has fallen victim to changing shopping habits(Image: Getty)
But Debenhams has also fallen victim to changing shopping habits and business rates that unfairly penalise bricks and mortar retailers but let online companies off the hook.
Department stores are a major draw for shoppers, so when they disappear it can have a knock-on effect for neighbouring retailers.
While it is not all gloomy - Primark yesterday said it was recruiting 1,200 workers - we must do more to help our high streets thrive.
This means making online firms pay their fair share.
No mean feet
Good luck to all those running in the London Marathon tomorrow.
It is quite an undertaking, but the weary legs and aching feet will be worth it for the millions of pounds raised for charity.
