High earners should be charged for state schools!

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

BBC report this morning carries the suggestion from Dr Anthony Seldon, head of the private Wellington College, that parents with a family income of £80k should pay for state school places.

WTAF? Kind of ignoring the fact that it is ONLY people on fairly high incomes who actually pay enough tax to cover the cost of their child/children's state school place (roughly £4500 per year per child). Yes of course tax is collected according to an ability to pay and then distributed so all benefit from "free" education, which is right and proper...

BUT he thinks people who are already paying a lot in tax should effectively be penalised and charged again for their child's place at state school! Although maybe he's coming from the POV that if high income parents have to pay for state school, they will be more likely to pay out for their child to go to his private school.

Near

I am not saying you shouldn't because I know we would if we had the money however.

My ds1 paid his own fees and worked for his own allowance. We don't have a cleaner, dc pay their own contracts, no coffees or lunches, virgin?

If you had to manage on less you would be able to.

I say this as we are very low income and have 1 dc we are still responsible for. Even we could afford school fees if we had nothing else at all and no luxuries.

I'm not saying I agree with this stupid suggestion of paying for state education, the man is batty. All dc should be entitled to a state funded schooling, however, I still maintain that many people who are saying they couldn't afford fees could if they wanted to and it was a priority.

do people pretend they are doing something morally superior? It's something that we may do in the future but in what way is it morally anything?

Ok, have just read about the insurances and apologies for not understanding. I presumed you referred to the type that weren't a requirement of the job.
From the prices people have suggested though they are pretty insignificant costs from an 80k salary.

Yes brett, they do- they think that paying fees for schooling is reprehensible, however paying through your mortgage is fine, and who cares if some poor person is priced out of catchment .

I have lost count of the number of people who think this way.

It's basically being dishonest about the buying of privilege.

Surely a couple with two children who earn a household income of 80k would struggle to pay fro private schooling, that's why they generally attend state school ?
I think it's unfair to say all schools are bad. I have three and I have experience of different county schooling and special schooling. All the schools have been good. I don't think I have just been lucky

Its just ridiculous I guess it's just another bizarre competitive parenting angle. If I did it it would be because financially paying a larger mortgage we would get some of it back when we sold the house, whereas school fees are dead money. The former seems more immoral to me....

Sorry, I'm being that person who hasn't read the thread.

Seldon's not really in a position to talk about state schools, especially good ones. His academy has just had ofsted in. I don't know the result, but I do know it won't be good.

He, and the rest of government, know nothing about the demographic whose lives they are manipulating in their status games.

For alternative reading, there's a great Secret Teacher piece I've read today. I'll find a link...

If you live anywhere on 80k I doubt you could afford it. Aren't the fees 20k,if you have 3 kids that would be 60k,after tax 80k would be nothing so they'd have to suck up the crappy schools just like many on a lot less do now.

That said I'm not sure this idea is fair as those on 80k will already be paying more than many towards state education.

I don't know the solution,lottery is perhaps the fairest but not great for the kids themselves wanting to go up to secondary with their friends,not great for managing smooth transition from feeder schools etc,nightmare re transport/siblings etc.

They are 15 k pa day fees here
And yes it's all relative, as are the living costs but surely even further north/the Midlands. Private school is not easily affordable to people on that sort of household income?

I am presuming it's 80k gross. With tax, ni and pension on paye, how much do you earn? Certainly not enough for 30k pa, plus travel and extra curricular for two children at private school
And I have added pension because pension is compulsory at a lot of workplaces

Wing, yes I see but what would you have parents do? We are those parents. We can afford I live in a 'nice' area with a good school. Private education is not an option forus and not for financial reasons. Should we move to an area with a crappy school or, as we do, work hard with the school in our area to make it better for all an put our time into supporting broader campaigns for better state education.

My idea of improving across the board may be 'lovely' and impractcial, but god help us if we all stop demanding this be because it will never happen. Obviously, different areas will need different kinds of resources. I'm not suggesting that all state schools should be the same. But all teachers should be trained to the same standard and extra resources should be poured into the places where they are needed.

As for parental choice, well that is one of the problems we now have. This obsession with choice is what justifies academies, selective grammers, free schools etc... Wouldn't most people just like an excellent local school?

Happy myself or my children to be sent to a school via lottery if that's what it takes by the way. I'm just not sure that it is the right way.

I suppose unless you have inherited money and have a trust fund off daddy like some of these in the house of bloody Lord. God it does my head in. I don't know why I have posted

I was under the impression that there are a range of fees for private schools, I'm sure I read 7k and also 20+, doesn't it depend on the school? Or have I got it wrong?

Personally, I can't see that anybody will listen to his barmy ideas anyway. If state education was fee based then parents would expect a lot more accountability and every school would have to be outstanding or else parents would go to the private sector if they had to pay anyway. Who would pay for a poor school if they could pay for better.

It just wouldn't be worth earning £80,000 as a single earner. You'd end up with a take home pay of £53,000. Say the lower fees, for two children = £12,000. Takes you down to £41,000. Take off mortgage of say £12,000 gives you £29,000.

You'd be better off on a combined income of £30,000 because on top of your take home of £26,000 and you could claim tax credits and housing benefit and you'd get your children's allowance.

Hold on, that can't be right? My maths must be off.

It's laughable as yet again the very rich are sitting pretty.

My understanding is you can only apply for a bursary if you earn under 50k per annum

Owllady

I'm sure it depends on the school and their status, some have charitable donations, charity status, schemes etc that are available for people on much higher than 50K.

Nope. High earners already pay for state school via taxes.

But Chunderella- you say there aren't many of them in the regions. Which means there aren't many at all that can afford this.