If VAT is added on Private School Fees, then it will be added onto University fees as well

This kind of stuff - will it definitely not be caught? https://www.rcm.ac.uk/junior/rcmjdapply/rcmjdfeesandfunding/

Like someone said, who can even afford that? It is elite and educational and expensive but clearly it is not full time. But this one is full time:

https://chethamsschoolofmusic.com/

so in terms of what to “understand”?

A. wait and see. All just rather pointless speculation until then. The devil is in the detail which will come in due time 🤷‍♀️

If VAT is added on private school fees, will it definitely just be “private schools” and what does that even mean? Or is there a risk that it will extend to other types of education in its broadest sense?

the exact question?

@shewasrooting “there’s not a huge amount to “understand””

OK so explain it to us in simple terms in one paragraph please. So that the common man on the street can understand all the nuances.

It is not just a question of morality or workability though it is also a simple question of Maths. If administering it becomes more expensive than the cash it generates it is not worth it,

Only of course if you believe that the purpose of taxation is to raise funds for public services. There are plenty of activists among the Labour party who see this as a way to "soak the rich", they don't care if it produces no revenue.

there’s not a huge amount to “understand”

I am not partisan at this point. Just trying to understand the debate. Here is the EDSK report again

https://www.edsk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EDSK-Private-matters.pdf

If you look at Recommendation 1 that is where I currently stand. Too many legal and financial risks associated with these policies.

I went to a state primary, state grammar and private sixth form because my parents had to work abroad at that point.

did you go state school throughout @Araminta1003 out of interest?

@shewasrooting - the whole teaching profession is seen as Labour voters on the whole although they lost some votes in the last general election.

https://teachertapp.co.uk/articles/labour-party-policies-ranked-comparative-judgement/

Where are the disagreements?A. Taxing Private SchoolsThe only policy with significant disagreement between some teachers is the private school taxation policy.
Labour has repeatedly said they wish to charge VAT on all private school fees and end exemptions from business rates.
Researchers disagree on the consequences of this policy. The Institute of Fiscal Studies says it could raise over £1.3bn. EDSK is less convinced.
Private school teachers were much less in favour of the tax charges than the average teacher. They ranked it last place (15th) out of all the policies. Conservative-voting teachers also placed the policy last.
Both of these groups are relatively small within the teaching profession – around 7% of teachers work in the private sector, and only 3% of teachers said they expected to vote Conservative at the next election.

Many may actually think their protégés are spoilt brat rich kids

do you think many working in private heath are think the same about their patients?

https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/labours-plan-for-schools/

• A strong core of literacy and numeracy alongside access to sports and arts subjects

Teacher votes matter and what is promised matters. It has to seem plausible and properly funded.

what actual insight do you have

both siblings in private sector and they don’t think like that about the children they teach and they have a spine - so would never be pushed by anyone to change their employer to appease someone else’s view on what is the “right thing to do”

@shewasrooting - private school teachers is an interesting question. They are basically being pushed back towards the state sector to do the “right thing”. Many may actually think their protégés are spoilt brat rich kids and their parents should pay up more… but then they may be turkeys voting for Christmas if they actually vote Labour and lose their jobs (if they like their jobs). It is a difficult question and I think they are probably the biggest victims in all of this. In the top private schools the teachers often have far more benefits than their salaries, they have houses and massive discounts for their own kids. I doubt anyone would give that up.

private school teacher
are paid better
better work life balance
better supported

they chose to work private for both pull AND push reasons

the fact this is their profession may override other sentiments in their voting

Paellaaaa · Today 10:35

The majority would be Tory voters anyway and would never in a million years switch to labour.

You think private school teachers are Tory voters? Do you know any?!

Not everyone is wedded to one party.

The majority would be Tory voters anyway and would never in a million years switch to labour.

every single parent with a child at private school and grandparent with a grandchild at private school will turn out to vote.

Given how appalling voter turn out is in this country, particularly if the weather is not kind, that is a compelling thought IMO

What is clear from these threads is that there are a number of people using state and private schools and often only using private schools for a few years for specific reasons. So are we really sure the voter base is as small as the Labour Party think?
Also, if there is an argument of affecting the creative circles, arts/music/ballet etc - these tend to be Labour voters. This stuff needs clarifying, including positive and negative impacts on unis.

“I wouldn’t worry about music courses. You need to be well off to pay for music lessons for years that will enable doing a music degree. It’s already elitest. And re humanities. Families are struggling to keep their kids at uni, for those kids paying back fees( not the rich who have parents funding the lot) they need to pick Alevels and degrees that give them a good wage in sectors that need a workforce. I’m not sure humanities is that.”

Our state school is worried about this. Every governors’ meeting comments on not enough students picking those subjects. Our local music trust does all they can to offer free music lessons in schools to poorer children especially those on FSM for as long as they want to take them. I completely disagree that these courses are not important. I mean if we are going to get the richer kids back into the state sector then we should be making sure they still take those courses? I know the arts and then music world are elitist but they will die if they are not fed by the next generation.
And if you read any dystopia then let’s face it, we need the arts.

Of course you are, dear.

Yes and many nhs hospitals have stopped offering the apprenticeships.

@meditrina - i see what you mean. From my sons state school, quite a lot of pupils left after GCSE to go and work (apprentiships) in all sorts, care work, hairdressing, motor mechanics, IT. Whereas i assume thats very unusual for children in the private sector so they become a bigger part of the a level studying cohort.