To think that improving state schools needs people to pay an e.g. a state school tax?

I would be happy with that. Already make a voluntary contribution

It should not be a cost per person. That would mean some skipping meals or not being able to put the heat on (if this is not their situation already), while others would barely notice it. State schools should be funded through general progressive taxation.

Means test it then.

You haven’t had six weeks notice.

Been in this sector for a long time, including as a school governor. Thoughts - a good school doesn't need a fancy building, it needs great teachers, fully supported and able to control what is going on in the classroom and that means school and home should be partners in education of a child and too often a school is picking up issues from outside their building to deal with and that's a drain on resources and staffing. Money is too often top sliced and focus has to be on how and what we pay staff, but also how we ensure those staff are up to the job too. I've friends who privately educated their children in primary provision, then saw them grab places in state grammar schools, even from out of area, so this has to stop, as it tutors them to get in but often not to thrive within the provision and we are paying for this and it hits students who then get left with less than great provision and, to add here, it depends on geography too. We need to spot educational need so much earlier, but also have the provision to help and we don't, with too many of our schools teaching to the lowest in the classroom and that leads to disruption, boredom and failing too many children. There's money in our society, but it seems that prevention is often poorly funded but somehow quack cures get all the money and I am thinking here of providers and quasi-government programmes, like some of the employment support programmes, where they are supposedly meant to pick up the failures of the education system and really can't and don't, but reading reports you'd believe otherwise, unless that is you see what is going on first hand! Maybe the £1.6 billion being spent too late to get individuals into employment, should be spent on improving compulsory education from day one! Tax is not the issue, who pays it, how it is spent is. The UK's current tax level burden is the highest on record, alongside the fact that the UK also faces the highest level of property taxes across the developed world. So we are paying tax, just where is it going?????

You're 'privelaged'. What the fuck are you going to do about it?

Does that mean that current parents of state school kids aren't able to do this? Why do you think that private parents could achieve something that state parents haven't been able to?

Sending your child to state school does not mean you don't prioritise their future.

Probably vehicle tax. All I know is I pay the government to drive my car.

You absolutely don’t have to pay hundreds. Schools have so much second hand stuff they don’t know what to do with it. Swallow your pride and get second hand uniforms. All my 4 kids have it (my wages as a TA don’t cover new clothes) and it looks great, is in perfect condition and helps the environment by reusing.
I disagree that the uniform doesn’t look good or is uncomfortable- my kids stay in their uniform until bed time as it’s comfy and saves getting another set of clothes dirty.

This!

It's not just about charging those using the service to top up for minor things ...which many already do....but long term planning and investment, as well as "repaying" what you got out of the system.

I don't believe many people don't use the NHS at all.
Even if you think you don't you benefit from public health campaigns, vaccination, screening. Very very few people have private GPs and even fewer access to private A&E....even if you do the doctors working there trained in, and usually still work in NHS.

People who are higher rate tax payers need to check their privilege. I am a higher rate tax payer. My employer provided private health care does not allow me to not use the NHS and my salary would not stretch to private education for my children.
I know I don't work harder than family who earn less. I just got slightly luckier with a series of choices.

If you are wealthy, and object to paying higher taxes. Do you have relatives that are not as well off?
I for example could not feel happy in a world without state schools/with very basic provision. Paying for my own kids to go private while my siblings children got nothing.

Totally agree - the social contract has almost totally broken down. So many factors at play but faux-libertarian, anti-"nanny state" narratives have played a big role in our reaching the current situation where people feel entitled to certain things but then replay a childish tabloidesque whine of "you can't tell me what to do!" when it's suggested they might have responsibilities to society as well.

Depends exactly what needs improving.
It's often behaviour.
The state schools that I worked in would have been massively improved if the parents had been more supportive to sanctions for low level behaviour. Instead of oh he's only talking or she's only got her phone out or they've only missed 3 homeworks.
No amount of money given to the school can improve that. It's what leads to other kids leaving to go to other schools.... where they can actually get the work done.
It's not all about money.
I'm not saying for one second that schools don't need more money. I'm saying it's not the only thing.

I love the 'taking random quotes and merging them' approach adopted by some posters. 😁

The MATs were in my view a mistake - too big and not transparent in comparison with LEAs. Some of these MATs have dubious policies and are just want control - they are not geographical or local which was the original purpose. Too much money wasted on higher management tiers and not put into what really matters. Whilst I do think more funding is needed I am concerned that money is not spent as it should be.

Source please ?. And that would probably be eaten up by the NHS in a day.

Not nearly enough. Stamp duty is only paid once by each owner - perhaps only collected once every few decades if the house is a "forever home"

The difference between a Band B (minimum except for tiny flats that would be impossible to raise a family in) and Band H (maximum) council tax is barely £3000 per year yet those in Band H homes in the catchment of a selective-by-wealth state school are saving themselves £126,000 in school fees per child across 7 years of senior school as they don't have to pay because the state offering is pretty much as good. And of course plenty of homes in the naice areas are only band E or F so even less contribution.

I would rather have a government who didn't piss our hard earned tax payments up the bloody wall. How much money would be left over for roads, education and NHS if the money was spent more wisely.

Education is just like the NHS, just by throwing money at it won't improve, you need a roots and branch change, more support for teachers, parents actually parenting rather than expecting the teachers to do it.

Someone I know recently had a letter home from the school health visitor saying that their child was overweight. Her reaction was to say "well they eat at the school 5 days a week so maybe their should sort themselves out first" - I've known this child for many years and I can tell you their weight problem didn't start with school, but apparently it's their problem to fix.

Also recently some of the parents were moaning as they were asked to put suncream on the children before bringing them to school. It's always the same parents on the Whatapp group who state that whilst the child is in their care it's the schools responsibility so they should sort it out - WTF!?

No. Many families are already amongst the poorest people in society with children living on the breadline. A policy with the potential to push these children further into hardship through an additional tax burden on their parents would never win my vote. There is a vast difference between increasing the cost of a 'luxury' optional purchase through taxation, and a mandatory tax on some of those least able to afford it.