Education minister sends his children to private schools but suggests it was the wife’s decision

The education secretary has admitted he sends his children to private schools – but suggested his wife was behind the decision.

Nadhim Zahawi, who is responsible for state schools across England, was asked why he – like Boris Johnson – chose to send his three children to independent schools instead.

The question came as Mr Zahawi hailed private schools as a tool to “upgrade” the country and criticized universities that admit state students with lower A-level grades.

After saying the country had “brilliant public schools and they’re getting better every day,” he was asked, “You still sent your kids to private schools?”

“It was a parental decision, I had to make that with my wife. I’m not doing this alone,” said 54-year-old Mr. Zahawi Sky news.

He was told that a large study of 132,000 students found that those in public schools with slightly lower grades than their private school peers were more likely to get top grades.

But Mr Zahawi attacked “tilting the system”, arguing “You don’t go up by dragging people down”, pointing to state academies run by the likes of Eton.

He added: “You’re not succeeding in delivering a great outcome to every kid by actually attacking some part of the system. I don’t want to attack independent schools – they’re doing a great job.”

Iraqi-born Mr Zahawi is one of the wealthiest members of Cabinet and has a £10million property portfolio after making his fortune co-founding the electoral organisation YouGov.

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