A Level Playing Field : The Reform of Private Schools

Education is central to the Labour Party's strategy to secure equal opportunity for all.

However, while much has been done in the state sector, the private schools (a target for egalitarians) have been left alone.

This pamphlet argues that it acts as a drag on the achievement of educational equality, and that it cannot be left out of the equation.

Given that abolition is politically unfeasible, how should Labour deal with this issue in its second term.

This work sets out a radical approach to private schools, which would reconfigure the relationship between state and private education, harnessing their resources in the pursuit of equality of opportunity.

It also argues that private schools should be prohibited from selecting on the basis of ability and that charitable status should be conditional upon a genuine contribution to legitimate public purposes.

Such reform, the book argues, is essential if the Government is to realise its aim of delivering educational opportunities for all children.