The Foreign Office has disbursed £13.8 million to facilitate the private schooling of 514 diplomats' children in the UK during the 2022/23 academic year. An additional £24.1 million was

earmarked for sending 1,188 children to overseas schools. This marked an escalation from the preceding year, with £10.5 million expended on UK-based schools and £21.4 million on international institutions.

A government spokesperson clarified that this upswing reflects the amalgamation of the International Development department and the Foreign Office, each of which formerly had distinct staff terms and conditions. These departments were merged in 2020.

The "Continuity of Education Allowance" program has long been established to cover fees for diplomats' children who might be required to relocate suddenly or reside in nations lacking suitable free English-language-based education. There are specific instances where health or security concerns prevent staff from taking their children abroad.

Foreign Office minister David Rutley underscored the necessity of the allowance, arguing that its absence could hinder diplomatic roles for individuals with families and limit opportunities for a successful diplomatic career.

Through this scheme, senior Foreign Office staff can apply for up to 90% of their children's school fees to be covered by taxpayers, while they contribute the remaining 10%. The program, known as the "Continuity of Education Allowance," has been in place since 1996.

In the 2022/23 academic year, the maximum amount diplomats could claim was £12,471 per term for senior boarding school fees or £8,730 per term for senior day school fees. The allowance ceiling was raised by 6.27% to align with increased boarding school costs.

Among the notable expenses in the figures were £143,232 for Winchester College, £246,720 for Eton, £721,965 for Sevenoaks School, and £487,449 for Oundle School.

An official Foreign Office spokesperson emphasized the need to minimize educational disruptions for staff who frequently relocate due to their careers. The increase in expenditure, the spokesperson stated, is attributed to merging legacy International Development department and Foreign Office staff into a single figure, along with the rise in boarding school fees. Over the years 2009 to 2022, allocated funding has fluctuated between £10.5 million and £15.4 million. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.