To think if you can no longer afford school fees...

So if your state schools are excellent, why do you care that other people chose to spend shed loads of their money sending their dc to private? I would have thought you'd be pleased fewer dc in your school

The nastiness around this subject is getting really bad. These are children you are talking about. Children with families who have made decisions based on circumstances that have changed out with their control.

DD’s dad and I decided together to send her to a small local independent school. It’s not ‘posh’, it doesn’t have fancy facilities but it does have small classes and a lovely family atmosphere. It reminds me of my primary school 40 odd years ago. We paid the fees 50/50. A year ago he injured his leg and couldn’t work so couldn’t afford his half of the fees. I took a second weekend job as I thought this would be a temporary measure. Recently I discovered that he now has severe liver cirrhosis and may die. So now if I can’t find the extra 20% I am going to have to tell my DD that at the worst time of her life when she may lose her dad she’s also going to lose her school and all her friends.

This is the final straw on top of static wages , increased cost of living and her dad’s illness. It couldn’t come at a worse time for me. People like you are dancing around in glee. But never mind, fuck her she’ll be fine right?

@Wideskye

"Personally I'd prefer a wealth tax to fund education, "

Tax wealth, get the same reaction.

Tax higher income earners slightly more? Get the same reaction.

Put a VAT on private education which is only used by 7% of parents, who are in the vast majoirty the wealthy and high earners? Get the same reaction.

Propose deficit spending. Fiscally irresponsible, will bankrupt the country, scaremongering stories.

Where do we go from here?

This is what I don't think people have realised

Because I don't agree with people trying to buy privilege. Is that so hard to understand?

Not all kids with SEN have an ECHP though, or kids with other behavioral/emotional needs.

@Willyoujustbequiet

You're in a minority if you're luckily enough for your DC with SEN to be well supported by a state school.

Yes there are pockets of good provision, but SEN is in crisis across the UK with massive underfunding; a massive backlog; staff barely able to scratch the surface of the demand for their services etc etc etc - on top of a teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

How on earth has society become like this, when people are laughing at others, mocking their choice of children’s names, and making childish comments? It’s a sorry state of affairs when people are showing such glee at the thought of children being disrupted. Why on earth can people just be civil to each other, accept that people make different life choices (be that a bigger house, nicer car, once in a lifetime holiday, private school etc)? For those who are spending their money on a foreign holiday this year, I’m sure there’d be plenty of complaints if you were suddenly hit with a 20% tax penalty which you suddenly had to find. There will always be people better off than you. There’s little to be achieved in feeling bitter about the fact that some fly around in private jets from mansion to mansion for example. Feeling resentful about the fact that “it’s not fair” isn’t a path to a happy life.

If this policy was going to raise a decent amount of money, then perhaps it would be seen more favourably by some that currently oppose it. The fact is it isn’t. Even the IFS have now said that the amount raised will be tiny. They’ve said “don't be fooled into thinking this is going to make any real difference to the amount of money available for public services.” The policy is not about making economic sense. It’s an ideological one.

There are plenty of other areas of life where we could tweak VAT and raise more substantial funds. Cake is currently free of VAT for example. And caviar. Should we tax education but not cake and caviar? Air passenger duty is currently far lower than the VAT equivalent. Why not add VAT onto air fares? Those flying first class to Australia currently only pay around £200 in tax. That’s a fraction of the potential VAT on the fare.

The difference is the grammar chooses the kids.

I doubt the dc think anything. They are just dc who get sent to school by their parents. If they mice schools then they'll just go there instead.

I'm so sorry to hear this. I feel for you both so much.

"Best bit - you lot fund it."

Actually, you do too, it won't make any difference to the average tax payer. Thanks for all the extra consumption though, means you are actually contributing more to the exchequer than you were before.

Education is a tiny part of “privilege”. A child having a safe, warm house is a privilege. Being fed a healthy nutritious meal is a privilege. Having parents who take an interest in education, who help with homework, buy books, that’s a privilege. Parents who can afford tutors, day trips, foreign holidays, extra curricular activities, that’s a privilege. Some children being able to access amazing state schools whilst other struggle through in failing schools, that’s a privilege. There are far deeper inequalities in society than a few percent of children attending fee paying schools (many of whom have been failed by the state system for whatever reason).

@Another76543 choosing to eat caviar or travel first class is a completely different thing.

We're talking about issues that affect the general level of equality of opportunity in society when we talk about private vs state education. People who choose to go private believe that they're buying privilege. Nobody should be able to buy privilege over their fellow man. Or child.

Honestly if it were me I’d be looking at my closest grammar, if I had multiple kids I’d make sure I was in the catchment area.

There are going to be fewer opportunities at grammar schools for kids like me who weren’t tutored and weren’t in catchment. Yeah great, brilliant idea.

@BIWI

Because I don't agree with people trying to buy privilege. Is that so hard to understand?
But if your state school is so fantastic then what privilege are they buying?
So many people like you keep saying state schools are fantastic. Full of super bright dc and the pampered private school dc are going to get a surprise when they realise they are not ahead and state schools are not crap.

So what privilege are they buying then?

Bloody hell, have I left Mumsnet and moved over to 4chan.

This thread is fucking awful.

Jealously really does bring out the worst in people. And you can say what you like but it is jealousy. I cannot see any other possibly reason people would be rubbing their hands with glee over children’s lives being so disrupted.

How? If the poster sends their dc state, that's going to cost the taxpayer thousands and save the poster thousands.

@TheRealSlimShandy

" I cannot see any other possibly reason people would be rubbing their hands with glee over children’s lives being so disrupted."

Then you haven't been following the threads full of threats from PE parents.