Almost all private schools plan to push up fees if Labour comes to power and imposes VAT on school fees, The Telegraph reports.
The newspaper polled 350 independent school leaders and found that 95 per cent expect to increase fees in the event of the policy coming into force.
Of those planning to increase fees, 76 per cent said their fees would have to rise by more than 10 per cent.
The poll, conducted by Censuswide for The Telegraph, also found that almost three quarters of private schools fear they would be forced to close in the next five years if a Labour government introduced VAT.
David Woodgate, chief executive of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association, said: “There is a lot of concern because of the degree of uncertainty: schools can’t budget based on headlines, and we are yet to see a detailed plan from Labour.
“Most of our schools are small community schools that operate on tight margins; it is simply not possible for them to cut their running costs by a fifth.”
The poll also revealed that almost four in five schools said it is likely they will have to reduce scholarships and bursaries if a Labour government imposed VAT on private education.
Almost two thirds of schools said they would have to reduce the work they do in partnership with state schools.
Aatif Hassan, the founder of Dukes Education, the largest private education group in the UK, branded Labour’s plans “lazy politics” and said it would drive “more inequality”.
In an interview with The Telegraph he said his schools, which include prep schools in some wealthier parts of London, would not face closure.
Instead, the Labour plan would threaten schools in poorer areas, where parents won’t be able to absorb higher fees, he said. The “biggest impact” will be on state schools that are forced to take in more pupils from private schools, he added.
“In particular, we would really welcome the chance to talk to Labour about our concerns around the impact their policy would have on SEND support, faith education, military families and care-experienced children.”
A Labour Party spokesman told The Telegraph: “Labour will invest in delivering a brilliant state education for all our children, funded by ending tax breaks for private schools.
“Independent schools do not have to pass this change onto parents, and a high-profile independent school [Ampleforth College in York] has already said they will not be doing so.”