UK High Court Upholds VAT on Private School Fees, Rejects Multiple Challenges

In Ireland, the High Court has granted parents of 25 special needs children permission to challenge the Minister for Education and the National Council for Special Education over the failure to provide adequate school placements, with some children forced to repeat grades due to the lack of appropriate school accommodations. Meanwhile, in the UK, several High Court rulings have dismissed legal challenges against the government's decision to impose VAT on private school fees, a policy introduced as part of Brexit freedoms and aimed at funding additional teachers in state schools. The courts acknowledged the financial and human rights impacts on families, including those with special educational needs and from religious communities, but ruled that the government has a broad discretion to balance these against public benefits. Judges clarified that the European Convention on Human Rights does not guarantee the right to private education or require state subsidies, and that parents retain the option to use state education or home schooling to avoid VAT. Independent schools and affected families expressed disappointment, highlighting concerns about the policy's impact on the private education sector and its contribution to the economy. The UK government and courts maintain that the VAT on private school fees is lawful and part of broader education funding reforms.