St Gerard’s School will close its doors for the final time this Friday. Due to the introduction of VAT on school fees and other financial changes, running the 100-year-old school is no longer financially viable.
St Gerard’s School has 107 pupils and employs 30 members of staff, who will now be forced to find alternative schooling and employment.
Janet Finch-Saunders, the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Bangor, Conwy Môn, who opposed the introduction of VAT on private schools, commented:
“Due to Labour’s damaging policies, St Gerard’s, a school that was founded in 1917 with strong links to our essential RAF Valley, will close. The introduction of VAT, the removal of charitable status, and the increase in employer National Insurance contributions have made running the school no longer financially viable.
“Yet this is a painful picture that is echoed across the UK, with the Independent Schools Council reporting that more than 100 independent schools have closed since the introduction of VAT on fees. Schools have also lost more than 30,000 pupils due to the cost.
“This has had a devastating impact on our education system, our teachers, and especially on pupils, who are being displaced, losing their support systems, and their routines. We cannot afford for any more of our schools, whether private, independent, or state, to close. These policies must be urgently reversed.”
ENDS
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
