PRIVATE schools have offered to create 10,000 free places for poorer students — but only if the taxpayer stumps up the cash to help fund them.

The cynical move comes after Prime Minister Theresa May warned in a government Green Paper that private schools would have to pull their weight in society if they want to keep their generous tax breaks.

Critics suggest the proposal by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) smacks of back-handed altruism from institutions who have enjoyed a free ride for generations through their dubious charitable status which grants them lower taxes.