Edinburgh council ends charges for hospital schooling of seriously ill private school pupils

# What changed Edinburgh council has approved updated guidance removing rules that could trigger charges for children who attend independent (fee-paying) schools when they need hospital-based education. Under the new guidance, pupils treated at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People can access hospital teaching without parents or their schools being billed by the council.

# Why it was changed The policy came under scrutiny after parents said their children were denied hospital lessons while undergoing cancer treatment. One cited case involved the mother of an eight-year-old boy at George Watson's College who was receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and reportedly did not have access to the teaching service.

Headteachers and parents at private schools had argued the previous wording amounted to discrimination because families who already pay private school fees could face extra costs for hospital education. Lisa Kerr, principal of George Watson's College, described the guidelines as discrimination in earlier coverage.

# What the council said and did previously Council officers told private schools they have a statutory responsibility to ensure pupils receive education during illness, including time spent in hospital. A committee report noted the council had never required parents to pay directly for hospital education and urged independent schools either to provide the education themselves or to ask the council to provide it on the school's behalf.

# The financial impact

# Who campaigned for the change Councillors Marie-Claire Munro (Morningside) and Christopher Cowdy (Fountainbridge) campaigned on the issue. Munro 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." She added that continuing a child's education during treatment can provide normality and should not create another financial worry for families already coping with serious illness.

# Where hospital teaching is delivered Unit, which provides hospital education at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, was referenced in reporting about the policy and its effect on pupils undergoing treatment.

# What this means for families and schools

• Families with children at independent schools can now expect access to council-provided hospital teaching without an additional fee charged by the council.

# Next steps and context The council approved the guidance at a full council meeting. Council communications on the issue and the committee report framed the change as clarifying responsibilities and removing an outcome that some families and school leaders described as unfair. Edinburgh council has been approached for comment in reporting on the decision.