MOST people are unaware that the government refunds the Value Added Tax (VAT) costs of schools and academies, but not sixth form colleges – this leaves the average sixth form college with £335,000 less to spend on the education of students each year.

This has a considerable impact on Herefordshire because the huge majority of sixth formers in the county come to Hereford Sixth Form College.

Introducing a VAT refund scheme for sixth form colleges would help to ensure that students in the sector receive the same level of investment in their education as students in school or academy sixth forms.

No young person should be penalised because of the type of institution in which they choose to study.

Sixth form colleges also have to pay 20% VAT on capital expenditure. This means our new extension to provide additional study and social space, currently under construction, is costing over £1.2 million, rather than the £1 million it would cost a school or academy.

The college is, therefore, losing nearly a quarter of a million pounds it should be devoting to the education of young people.

Hereford Sixth Form College has a national reputation for quality. In 2005, the then chief inspector of schools, Sir David Bell stated “Sixth form colleges are one of the glories of the education system, the best of them like Hereford, superlatively so.”

The Sixth Form Colleges Association have launched a national campaign to remove the imposition of VAT and an online petition can be found on www.dropthelearningtax.org I hope Hereford Times readers and their families and friends will support this campaign which could make a huge difference to students in the county.

JONATHAN GODFREY Principal, Hereford Sixth Form College