To wonder if you are against private schools…

@FrodisCapering I disagree. I didn't see anything vindictive about her when she presented her budget. It is clear cut. Generally all the bursaries are to try to prove charitable status, not out of the goodness of their hearts. The use of facilities similarly to prove community links. Some use of facilities are hires rather than free. I'm not saying they can't have some good links with state schools, the one I worked in did, but it's not for the added value they give the community, it's to ensure they keep their charitable status.
Everywhere does have free education in this country. It's not essential to pay, it's a choice, and one that should be taxed like any other service.

I said this on another thread. Not one person who opposed private education responded.

i suggested a method of a blind ballot to make schools genuinely inclusive and, not determined by very slim catchment areas.

But certain posters on this thread ,who can definitely afford private school but wouldn’t send their child to on because of their beliefs, woulds lose their shit. They are just buying privilege via a different means 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you're against private schools because children's standard of education shouldn't depend on how much money their parents have, are you also against private healthcare for the same reason?

Alongside all private schools, I think all state schools that are not "Ofsted outstanding" should also be abolished. And all grammar schools. They all confer either an unfair advantage/disadvantage.

All children should have the right to an excellent education so none of them should have to attend poor state schools.

Of course, the slight issue with that is that then there will be a massive shortage of school places.

But if what we're aspiring to is an excellent state education for all, then the only option should be excellent comprehensive state schools. Bin everything else.

In reality, things are somewhat more complicated. And while I don't object to the policy itself, I do object to the way it's been brought in. Especially because children having to leave private schools for financial reasons won't be getting a fair shot at a decent state education, with the good, the bad and the ugly. They'll either be stuck with the dregs of whatever local authorities have to offer or (worst case scenario) will be left without school places altogether in some of the most oversubscribed areas. It would have been fairer to apply the policy prospectively so parents could have made informed choices about schools at the proper application time.

@SleeplessInWherever when you add in dyslexia and dyscalcula and everything like that, which state and many private schools can't cope with due to utter ignorance and being tied to the education department in gov... That's a hell of a lot of failed and disengaged children.

@Kitte321

Exactly.

It's like the general education problem is so difficult they just blame everything else!!

There are swathes of children in this country whose parents can’t afford to take them on any holiday, nevermind an educational one.

There are also many whose parents just make “bad” parenting decisions and don’t raise them in a way you see fit, or are downright neglectful. Many of those kids are the ones we’re referring to as poorly behaved, or worse, in this thread.

I wholeheartedly believe that those children shouldn’t be limited by their parent’s decisions.

@LiceoDolce I think it depends on who you talk too. I think there is a move towards more " client and customer"

I think that one reason private schools are better that isn't related to having more money is the attitude they have towards parents and students.

My son's allegedly outstanding state school just ignore me if I try to contact them about anything and they treat the students in a very punitive way too.

Please list how you interpret “more teachers” and “fixing crumbling schools” equates to better educational outcomes?

Maybe it’s me. But I need to be promised something measurable when it’s describing education … not just “better”

A repaired, freshly painted school, with more teachers than classrooms ? Doesn’t say much about what’s going on at school.

I’d be more interested in a politician saying “funding for expanded tech/ coding /healthcare curriculums at GCSE/alevel” to meet challenges of modern workplace.

UK has nearly doubled skilled visa in past few years … why isn’t UK interested in developing its own workers?

://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2023/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-work

But do you live in an area with a good state school? You might well do, if you could have afforded private.

I think the issue becomes less clear when a private school's results dwarf those of the local state schools, and if you can afford private, you then have a moral dilemma: Do I sacrifice my children's education for morals?

@Nasyan

I was replying to someone saying removing grammar and private means it's harder

Just looked them up - looks like an incredible school! I would probably choose that if I lived in the area and had kids who got in.

I so agree with this. We take our DC regularly to free museums in London and other places, we have NT membership, and RHP. We go to the library a ton and read every night (to the younger DC). Most of my older child’s friends have never been to any close by museums (and yes most of them are free!).

but I am a migrant from a poor background, education is everything for me and I value the opportunities in this country so much.

Affluent parents in Finland absolutely do send their children to boarding secondary in the UK, as do parents from across Europe.

Just because Finland gov regulates curriculum and don’t facilitate private school does NOT mean that parents with money don’t send children abroad.

I just don’t believe that the existence (or not) of private schools will fundamentally impact inequality. You still have grammar schools, intake by catchments, and varying levels of family wealth impacting access to tutors, extra curricular activities, good nutrition and more stable home life’s.
Surely a bigger question is how do you adequately fund state schools, improve outcomes and fund a bigger array of activities. And most importantly, improve parental engagement and responsibility.
I’ll take a guess that none of that will be by abolishing private schools or adding VAT to fees.
To add - I went to a terrible comprehensive and my oldest currently goes to a state primary.

Loads of parents pay for their DCs schooling.

But only a minority pay via private school fees.

Most who pay do it through housing - they spend, sometimes as much, if not more, than the cost of school fees - by buying a house near a well regarded state school (pricing out poorer families in the process).

One of the main arguments I hear from parents of those who are privately educated, is that they have the right to choose. But what about everybody else’s right to choose? That’s what is fundamentally wrong, that only the rich have choice when it comes to education.

And I was privately educated.

How many of you;

Read with your DC every night?
Sign up to free maths websites and buy cheap books from WHSmiths and do it with your kids
Take them to free museums, art galleries etc.
Plan your holidays so you take your kid somewhere interesting, so they can see it with their own eyes

I bet its very few

It’s really easy to teach your kid stuff yourself, their greatest teacher, but many of us don’t. Then when someone comes along and makes the effort whether that’s doing all the above or saving to pay for school fees, others whinge that it’s not fair.

When I actually see some decent parenting in this country I might feel bad for sending my kids private.

I believe that too, and I'm sure most people do, but sadly, it's not reality.

At least Labour is trying to address these imbalances by raising lots of money for healthcare and education in the latest Budget.

If you don't understand why more teachers and money for basic building repairs are an absolute critical necessity in state education right now, then you haven't a clue what you are talking about.

And if you (general you) think the VAT paid by 4% of parents is going to solve that you (general you) haven't a clue what you are talking about.

Spot on!
And there needs to be more investment in state education. I received excellent state education as did my siblings and our children. Private education creates greater diversity and widens the gap.

It’s happening in Edinburgh just now, the parents are having to raise with the local council to get it resolved. The issue is disproportionate in Edinburgh due to the number of children in private education.

Not helped by the local council stating the number of available places which is complete nonsense.

Why's that?

If you don't understand why more teachers and money for basic building repairs are an absolute critical necessity in state education right now, then you haven't a clue what you are talking about.