Exclusive:Rules that stop private school pupils accessing free lessons in cancer wards in Edinburgh could be scrapped

While young patients from fee-paying schools are allowed to join the hospital classroom alongside state school patients, guidelines say their school or parents must pay for lessons.

The situation was branded unfair by parents who pay for education, saying children with cancer and other long-term conditions were excluded from the hospital teaching service.

Now Edinburgh City Council has pledged to produce a report assessing the impact of any changes, which could also affect provision for deaf and visually impaired children.

Lisa Kerr, principal of George Watson’s College, said every child coping with serious illness “should receive equal treatment in education services, as they do in health services, and should not discriminate on the basis of parental choice of school”.

Ms Kerr added: "In Scotland we have national agreement about the importance of Getting It Right For Every Child, but this policy seems to insert the word ‘nearly’ into that.

“I would urge members of the education, children and families committe to take the opportunity to review and reverse this policy and put all children at the heart of the decision-making process."

The issue was raised by the mother of an eight-year-old George Watson’s College pupil who said he did not have access to the ward tutor during his treatment for cancer.

In response, Edinburgh council wrote to all private schools in the capital to remind them of their statutory duty to provide education services to pupils in hospital.

However, the issue caused political division at the Labour-run council.

Christopher Cowdy, education spokesman for the council’s Conservative group, said he used the June committee meeting to press the point that all residents should have a right to “universal public services”.

Mr Cowdy said: “None should be discriminated against, particularly those with vulnerable children suffering prolonged ill health.

“I am particularly disappointed that officers have changed their recommendation for next week’s committee meeting that was originally that with immediate effect children and young people will be able to access teaching provision at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People free of charge if they meet the medical criteria.”

Lessons for private school pupils and pupils from other local authorities cost a fee of £115.78 per hour, which critics pointed out is more than double the cost of home tutors.

However, the council papers say this figure takes into account teaching hours per week, staff costs, overheads and includes a 5 per cent administrative charge.

The council said £50,000 in revenue is recovered annually from other local authorities and independent school providers for access to this service.

The council’s report

The local authority’s report, which will be reviewed by councillors at committee next week, said it had never asked a parent to pay for the teaching service while their child is in hospital.

The report adds: “Currently, independent schools can make arrangements for the provision of education for their pupils in hospital or can seek assistance from the provision provided by City of Edinburgh Council by completing a request for assistance form and agreeing funding.

“Currently, the City of Edinburgh Council charge independent schools the same inter-local authority charges as outlined above.

“When a pupil enrolled at an independent school is admitted to hospital, the responsibility to ensure that pupil is provided with an education initially rests on the independent school to make reasonable adjustments in terms of the Equality Act 2010 to ensure a pupil with a disability has access to education.”

‘Sorry to hear’

Councillor James Dalgleish, education, children and families convener, said: “I am sorry to hear that there are families in Edinburgh whose children are experiencing ill health and having to spend an extended period at hospital, and acknowledge the added strain that considering how to support a child with their learning on top of this might have.”

Teaching staff at the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh, he said, provide education to children enrolled at a school within the local authority area.

“Independent schools are required to comply with the Equality Act 2010 to ensure a pupil with a disability has access to education - this includes pupils whose disability relates to a medical condition,” Mr Dalgliesh added.

The council said earlier this year it had written to the Scottish Government to ask for guidance on the issue, given Edinburgh was following existing government policy.

The Scottish Government has, the council said, committed to assess its guidance, which has been in place since 2015.

Additional costs ‘risk’

While the report says a system of teaching privately-educated children could be introduced immediately, it raises concerns about the risk to the council of additional costs.

Should the changes be made to the hospital teaching service, it would also affect services for deaf and visually impaired children’s services where private school pupils are also not entitled to free provision.

Since 2019, records show nine pupils who were privately educated have accessed 82 hours of teaching provision.

The hospital teaching service has, the council says, recently been subject to a review of staffing levels and is now comprised of one principal teacher at primary level, one secondary English teacher and a pupil support officer.

Staffing costs are £195,645 a year.

Hospital-based teaching staff work with the pupil’s school to develop lessons, but the onus is on the child’s school to provide learning resources.

Ms Kerr added: “Independent analysis shows independent schools save Edinburgh City Council £61 million each year by educating pupils in their area - and many also welcome pupils from local state schools to study specialist or hard-to-staff subjects at no cost to their parents or their school.

“We are keen to build more two-way partnerships for the benefit of all pupils, and we appeal to Edinburgh City Council to provide support to children in hospital regardless of which school they attend.”