Getting the right education has always been viewed as very important for the future success of a young person. Elizabeth Warren, the democrat American politician who is in contention to be Joe Biden’s running mate in the upcoming US election, said: “A good education is a foundation for a better future.”
In Scotland, an education in private schools is viewed as important and for many families who can afford the fees their children attend what are termed independent schools. Independent schools in Scotland have around 30,000 students. These schools in Edinburgh educate one in four pupils, the highest proportion in the UK.
In Perthshire where I live, there are several highly-regarded independent schools accounting for more than 10 per cent of the total number of students in independent schools in Scotland. As you would expect in the four Scottish ancient universities St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, those from independent schools are over-represented at 26pc of the total number of students.
In September, when pupils return to Strathallan, an independent boarding school just 30km away from my home, they will find the school a little different. Their temperatures will be taken each morning and a one-way system will steer them around the campus and socially distanced lessons will be conducted on laptops.
Mark Lauder, the headmaster, acknowledges that the school’s space and money make changes possible. Most of the 560 pupils have their own bedroom, and sport and other activities take place in the 153-acre grounds. Additionally, most of the staff live on the school campus.
In Britain, independent schools educate 6.5pc of the student population. Some are reporting a lot of interest from parents dissatisfied with remote state education during lockdown. In April, the Sutton Trust determined that half of all primary school pupils and 64pc of secondary school pupils were working for three hours a day or less. Those doing more attended independent schools, two-thirds of which already had online platforms, and which were much more rapidly able to pivot to virtual lessons.
Even so, many of the country’s independent schools may soon find themselves in trouble as lower fees and a fall in recruitment of foreign pupils may force closures and mergers. Previously, some British independent schools were purchased as investments by businesses in Hong Kong and China. Worsening relations between China and Britain could reduce the number of Chinese children expected to attend many schools. In Britain, pupils from China and Hong Kong make up 43pc of those with parents abroad and 22pc of the total.
China is not averse to using its demand for education as a political lever, having banned university students from studying in Taiwan and warned them away from Australia. British schools do not yet appear worried about Chinese pupils being held back for political reasons.
Several elite schools turned themselves into international businesses years ago. In the past 20 years, English-language education has blossomed into a $55 billion market, with a large demand from China and the Middle East. Prestigious British boarding schools have set up partner institutions in other countries.
Several schools, including Strathallan, are acting now in the face of change with plans to launch fully online education for English-speaking students. This new market allows children to have a Scottish brand-name education without having to come to Scotland.
Transforming education in a post Covid-19 world is not just nice but totally necessary.
Gordon is the former president and chief executive of BMMI. He can be reached at gordonboyle@hotmail.com