Edinburgh council scraps 'unfair' hospital teaching costs for seriously ill private school pupils
The controversial rules were reviewed after parents of private school pupils said their children were denied lessons while being treated for cancer
Edinburgh council has approved plans to scrap rules that stop children at fee-paying schools accessing free lessons while being treated for serious illnesses at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.
Previous guidelines meant that children who attend independent schools could face charges when accessing hospital education, a policy which has been heavily criticised by private school parents and headteachers.
The issue came to light after a mother of an eight-year-old boy enrolled at George Watson’s College said her son did not have access to the teaching service at the hospital while undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Last year, Lisa Kerr, principal of George Watson’s College, told The Scotsman the guidelines amounted to “discrimination” of those who choose to pay for their child’s education, and called on councillors to reverse the policy.
In response, Edinburgh council wrote to private schools in the city reminding them they had a statutory responsibility to ensure that pupils are provided with an education while they are unwell, including during periods they may be in hospital.
Later, a committee report on the issue said the council had never asked parents to pay for their child’s education while they are in hospital, and urged independent schools to accept their responsibility - either by providing education themselves or requesting the council to provide the education on their behalf.
But at a full council meeting last week, councillors approved updated guidance which means pupils attending independent schools can access hospital teaching free of charge - without parents or schools having to foot the bill.
Council officers said an additional allocation of £15,000 per annum would be required to cover the cost of the lost revenue and any additional teaching costs.
Morningside councillor Marie-Claire Munro, who has campaigned on the issue alongside Fountainbridge councillor Christopher Cowdy, said: “For me, the principle has always been simple: a seriously ill child is a seriously ill child, regardless of the school they normally attend.
“These families are already going through one of the most frightening and difficult periods of their lives. Continuing their child’s education can provide some normality and connection with life outside hospital. It should never create another financial worry.”
She continued: “These children are patients first. Their education should continue, but it has to be delivered safely around their treatment.
“There is also a basic point of fairness. These parents already contribute through taxation towards publicly funded education, while also paying their child’s independent school fees and not ordinarily taking up a council school place.
“Under the previous arrangements, when their child became seriously ill, they could then face yet another cost for education in hospital.
“For families already dealing with a child receiving cancer treatment, I simply did not believe it was fair to add a third financial burden just so their child could continue their education. This was never about defending one type of school over another.
“When a child is lying in a hospital bed receiving cancer treatment, their education should be about what they need – not the badge on their school uniform.”
Edinburgh council has been approached for comment.