To wonder if you are against private schools…

But it’s fine if “mummy and daddy” can afford to buy a house in an expensive area to give their child the best education?

The delusion that all private schools have “amazing facilities, a swimming pool, huge playing fields and kids who look like they are from an Enid Blyton book” is the problem, most private schools and children that attend them aren’t like that. Some are, yes, and I agree is unfair because every child should have a right to an equal education, but it’s way more nuanced that that.

@Mosalahiwoukd I thought when I looked back on it someone would take it like that.

Gumption - or the ability to decide the best thing to do in a situation. They simply have to take responsibility for their actions. If a child at said school misbehaves, cheeks a teacher or doesn't do homework they aren't told it doesn't matter, there are consequences. They are given sanctions and yes, often other kids know which often means they don't do it again. In the state sector behaviour is often shit, the kids play up in class and because the teachers are frightened of being told that they break some rule by telling the child off nothing will be done meaning a child never learns to make good decisions.

Self sufficiency and independence. They are given guidance. They are given a lot of opportunities but it's up to them to make use of them. Many public schools (like ours) don't actually specify a child has to do this or that at a point in time. In fact, they actually have spare time at a young age. This means they need to think about what they need to do to get the results they wanted means the child is making decisions for themselves. I accept that having exposure to this often doesn't happen in the state sector but as I say, that's why I buy it in.

Which countries are Taliban and Boko Haram?

Did these “countries” have private education and government and media attacks like here.

Maybe I should have said “non-Islamist” terror run “countries”

@Chocolatelover13 "Which is why parents looking to get their children into their local state schools are being told they are number 35+ on the waiting list, the lists are closed and that the only choices are the schools which are in special measures"

That's not how state school admissions work.

I think that this a personal vendetta on the part of Reeves etc al.

It is.

I went to a very good state school, and even so, there was no comparison to the kind of education my ex-H received at a good top private (public) school. I don't have kids, but if I did and could afford it, I'd have sent them private. I'd have felt some measure of guilt about it, because it definitely isn't fair that some parents can buy superior education for their children, but ultimately you want the best education possible for your children, so...

And yes, if you compare badly run cheap private schools to the top state schools, of course the state ones are better. But, generally speaking, the education, attention, development, and facilities at good private schools are miles ahead of good state schools. It's an unfortunate truth, and I don't like it, but that's the way it is.

Which is why parents looking to get their children into their local state schools are being told they are number 35+ on the waiting list, the lists are closed and that the only choices are the schools which are in special measures.

I'm against private schools in principle because all children should have access to a decent education, I don't like the concept of paying for advantage, and it only benefits children who are already privileged in many ways. However, I can also understand why people pay for education when our system is floundering and so completely underfunded.

And you think that your child's school will improve if there were no private schools? Or that there is VAT on school fees?

The reason your child's school is terrible has nothing to do with the fact private schools exist. The parents at those schools pay tax and Council Tax. Why don't you complain about the people who aren't using that tax properly.

The VAT from 4% of parents isn't going to solve anything at your child's school

Just curious, for those who say countries like Finland manage great state education without private schools, are you happy to pay the same tax rates to achieve this?

In Finland the 30% tax rate kicks in at equivalent of £25,000 earnings with 34% for earnings over £42,000. Their 40% rate doesn’t kick in until £75,000 but it means lower earners pay a lot more tax in Finland than in the UK.

I’d be more than happy to pay additional tax to go towards education, but it still won’t make a jot of difference to parental attitudes.

I really don’t think that the way I choose to educate my children is anyone else’s business, so whether others are “for” or “against” private school is completely irrelevant from my perspective. What I do care about is the fact that after years of poor standards at most state schools this government is fomenting politics of jealousy by making private school less accessible to more people. It’s just a populist move intended to win the favour of their political base, who want to soak the rich (or whoever they view as doing better than they are). That won’t raise education standards and the reality is that either as many children as possible need to get the best possible education (wherever they get it) or this country will fall by the wayside in the global competition for business, resources, etc. Bright children without funds can also attend private school - they all have bursaries. So ultimately this policy is stupid and the impact will not include more social mobility or equality for anyone.

Im not against private schools. I can totally understand why parents would want to give their children the best education they can.

But I am sad and disappointed that not every child gets the same level of education. There are some very talented kids, from poorer backgrounds, in not so great schools, who are being overlooked.

I just wish every child have a level playing field.

This can go the other way - the private school I went to had a very strong religious ideology and I think the state system is far safer from that perspective

I am absolutely opposed to private schools, it puts certain children at a significant advantage than other children just because mummy or daddy or rich grandparents etc can fork out an eye watering amount of money each year - the playing field between private and state school kids is not even comparable from reception onwards. Why should some children benefit more than others? Why do my kids have a school that is being knocked down due to RAAC and they are all in portacabins whilst the private school next door has amazing facilities, a swimming pool, huge playing fields and kids who look like they are from an Enid Blyton book.

More money does entitle state school parents to move to a better catchment area and enroll their child in a middle class dominated state school. How are you going to stop this from happening?

Imagine how much more it would cost the tax payer if every private school child switched to state schools.

I'm in Edinburgh. 25% of children go to private schools. There is no way Edinburgh Council wants or could cope with its school roll increasing by a 1/3 if they all moved.

I would 100% guarantee that abolishing private schools will not improve state schools one iota. To think it would is delusional and putting far too much faith and trust in governments.

I'm conflicted; on the one hand I am opposed to private education because of the privileges it perpetuates but on the other hand, I understand why some families choose independent schools. Parents are ultimately responsible for their children so it makes sense that they will find the best schools for them. For my SEND kids, state schooling was shockingly bad and knowing what I now know, I would have also sent them to a local private school if I'd had the means. Sadly there wasn't a local school and I didn't have the means, so I had to home educate instead though that decision was also driven by my DC needing care. Nevertheless, that situation should never have occurred if our children had been supported from the outset so for me the issue is less about private schools but about the quality of state schooling and why its failing so many YP like mine.

Not against them at all. I did originally agree with the tax on fees. However I changed my mind after finding out that so many parents of children with SEN sacrifice a lot so that their kids can have an accessible education.

I agree with this completely. I went to a not great school from a working-class background but still did well there, and so thought that my children who are both bright would be okay, but our catchment secondary school is on another level of not great - all aspects, academic, pastoral and extracurricular. The surrounding state schools seem marginally better but they are all full due to the current large birth years and new housing developments, so the catchment one is our only option.

We tried to stick with the state school but things got so bad there that we ended up moving DC1 to private part way into year 10 and are planning to move DC2 ahead of it to avoid the same potential scenario. I appreciate that we have an advantage over people at our catchment school who can’t afford to go private, but we can barely afford it ourselves - a number have decided to home school for the same reasons, which isn’t an option for us.

I think that all children should have an equal right to education and feel hypocritical using private education but we felt backed into a corner over it. I do resent that I am now going to have to pay extra tax on top of what I already pay for schooling because I was given no encouragement or financial help to progress in life and have worked hard to get where I am from basically nothing - but still can’t afford to buy a house in an area with better schools, so it’s this or risk our DC ending up with poor or no GCSEs.

Nor should public money be wasted doing things any parent should be doing, eg toilet training, dressing themselves nor should pupils have their education ruined by ill-bred scrotes who stop them from learning and are encouraged to do so by their equally ill-bred breeders. If schools could just teach standards would rocket but all we get is an encyclopedia of excuses for appalling behaviour.

The Taliban ! And Boko Haram !

I don't know any other countries that try to restrict the education parents provide for their children.

What an awful thought.

So so common in my area. I know at least 4 families who have done it (turned their kids into Catholics) ridiculous. Some adviced me to do the same (I am from a Catholic family) but could never do this.

Not really. Private school parents are saving the government a bundle of expense. Nobody stops to think about that. I get the grammar school effect though. In an ideal world, parents wouldn't have to pay for their child's education, but schools have been stripped to the bone. There are literally no resources left - in some schools the PTA is raising money for work books and pencils. Imagine how much more it would cost the tax payer if every private school child switched to state schools.