If you're worried about rising private school fees..

[CurlewKate]

... why not just get a better paid job? It apparently works for poor people.

@Highandlows everywhere has class tensions. And how will your children feel about being immigrants? It's not an easy life, not understanding humour or some cultural aspects of living in another country. My friends child never really adapted to their life abroad, despite speaking the language. He kept speaking about missing his friends back home and they eventually came back. That's why there are so many threads on here by homesick expats. Not just British people abroad but most people who live in a country they were not born in. You miss family, you miss being able to find connection through shared eating habits, food, humour, celebration of festivals or general things like being able to find certain ingredients.
I'm the child of immigrants so I get it!

But you're happy to deprive your children of all of those amazing opportunities just so you can go skiing, drive a flash car, and pay someone to spend even longer cleaning your house?

How bizarre.

I'm the grandchild of immigrants which is why I know exactly how hard it is and that vanishingly small numbers of people will actually do it.

Those that will emigrate because of a small increase in one luxury item were probably the kind of people who were always going to live in various different countries (some people are like that).

Blurred - reading my second post. It is about a tipping point.

Indeed- the top 10% of income tax payers pay 60% of all income tax. Chasing away those who pay for public services because you’re jealous is just daft.

Well unfortunately all fair points but we have been pushed out. We can’t longer afford more tax rises and high bills. At least if we want to look after ourself on retirement. We have revised numbers and options and as far as I know we would be ok moving. About class I find this country is too obsessed over this. It is not so intense in other countries.

Actually, the money will go towards private tutors, music lesson and enrichment activities for my children. Plus we can save up to help with university fees, house deposit, etc.

I was being facetious about skiing, etc. School fees are an albatross around our necks, on some level it would be nice to relieved of the burden.

When many (including me) have said that they use private schools because of their children’s sen, this is a downright nasty thing to say.

Oh, you mean you were lying about the skiing and the foreign holidays and the new cars and the extremely expensive house?

Well, that makes more sense at least.

A burden that instead falls on to the state to pay for. Kind of funny - the government offering to pay for something we formerly funded ourselves.

It wasn't a response to you. That poster has explained their reasons for using private schools and it doesn't include SEN.

You must feel very silly now to have selflessly hung this albatross around your neck.

What a relief it must be now for you to realise it wasn't compulsory!

It’s interesting you talk about Finland. Their education system was created by communist government after the war and very much copied the soviet system. Even now if you look at the Baltic states and the Eastern Europe in general the school education is by far superior to what we have here. All of this was possible by starting with a blank page and redesigning a system which is equal in every way. Half measures will not change anything.

The government is already offering free education for all children, you just choose not to use it.

Finland does have private schools. You can’t make a profit out of basic education though. Therefore, private schools do exist, and the Finnish government funds the basic education which everyone receives. There is partial state funding of private schools.

Finland also has a big mental health problem.

Speaking of tipping points, that’s exactly the feeling I get speaking to some school parents.. more than one has mentioned thinking about or have already applied for jobs abroad.

If labour gave a crap about inequality in the education system they wouldn’t be moving to make private education even more inaccessible than it already is, the only people affected by it will be those scrimping to send their kids private because rightly or wrongly they believe in the opportunities it will give their children.

It will be the preserve and privilege of the uber rich. The school system on the other hand will not receive enough funding from this measure to fix any of the issues they are currently facing.

As for those gloating about people struggling to pay the fees, doesn’t even make sense 🤷‍♀️ children in private are reducing the burden on the state system, these same children moving into your children’s schools will just mean more competition for scarce resources.

Most private schools in uk are non profit making so if we were like Finland (in that respect) there would be little difference.

Households face tax rise of £3,500 a year by next election with Tories overseeing biggest increase (from 33% to 37% of national income) during a parliament since records began

But blame a proposed 20% VAT

The government doesn’t offer a good education or a suitable education for every child any more than the nhs provides suitable healthcare for all. Of course maybe they should, but that’s irrelevant when they don’t.

Duncin - eldest is at a grammar school so already fully aware of what’s on offer for free.

@Boshi 'thinking about applying for jobs abroad'... let me know when they get on that plane.
Must be hard to feel you're being squeezed financially and that you might no longer have a choice about certain things like where your child goes to school and where you get to live.
Must be hard to feel like you worked really really hard at school, got qualifications and yet you still can't really treat yourself to things like a weekly costa.
Must be hard trying to parent and work full time.
Must be hard going to the supermarket and getting a shock when you get to the till.
Must be hard having one camping holiday a year to look forward to.
Must be hard living in an area which is getting progressively worse and worse in terms of litter, crime, lack of funding.
Must be hard to feel well... poor

that increase is mainly fiscal drag. I didn’t “blame VAT” at all, just made a general point.

But yes, your right - life in the uk is becoming less attractive to people who pay a lot of tax. And as many (not all obv) are quite mobile, it could lead to a loss of tax revenue.

That poster’s reasons for using private schools were nothing to do with “not having to meet anyone poor”. They were to do with class sizes, individual attention, etc which is a huge reason many parents with asd kids use private. she didn’t say if she had sen kids or not.

so yes, the comment was made up and nasty.

@SueVineer you realise poor people have kids with SEN too right? I just don't believe those who have ASD kids in private school will whisk them off to live in another country due to the tax thing. Have you seen posts about France's attitude to autism?
Plus in the UK we do have really good services for autistic adults, they're just massively stretched.

Is it this global trend for the equality that drives some very divisive political choices. People are intrinsically different, your genes, order of birth and the family structure could have a greater impact to your life then the education you receive. So why not just agree to this and live a happier life.