Dates have been set for a High Court challenge to Labour’s VAT on independent schools. A judicial review is being brought by seven families supported by the Independent Schools Council and represented by Kinglsey Napley. Filed before Christmas, multiple claims come on behalf of different groups and schools themselves…
High Court dates are from the 1st to 3rd of April. The claimants are arguing that the government is breaching the right to education as set out in the ECHR, and specifically that access is restricted to children with SEND, religious or philosophical education needs, and foreign nationals. Three judges are expected to hear this one – that’s rare…
Labour has hired not one, not two, but four KCs to defend its policy. Funnily enough, they all went to fee-paying schools:
Seeing as the government continues to insist that fees will only rise by 10% as a result of its policy these lawyers will have a tough time if they attempt to cite their alma maters as anecdotal evidence. The battle is of the classroom and into the courtroom…
Speaking on Times Radio, former Home Secretary David Blunkett spoke about overdiagnosis of mental problems:
“Let’s distinguish those who are really severely mentally ill, diagnosed with things that require prolonged medical and diagnostic treatment. My wife and I talk about this a lot, because she’s a retired GP, about the fact that you can be sad without being ill. You can be momentarily depressed because your boyfriend or girlfriend’s just thrown you and you’re not mentally ill. You can even have mild issues, which can be dealt with with the right kind of support, but it doesn’t make you mentally ill. So we’ve got a real task, I think, to get the psychology, if you like, of this over. But there are things where you definitely need medical intervention, and there are other things where you need good friends, you need good connectivity, and you need a job.”