Should Private School fee payers get a tax rebate

[Pamplemousecat]

Just following on from another thread. If a child isn’t in the state system should the parents still have to pay the proportion of tax that is taken for education?

Oh, when I come to power, and I abolish private schools, I will also abolish state faiths and selective schools, and admissions will be by a combination of fair banding and lottery

So even less choice than there is supposed to be already. How terribly generous of you when your children no longer need the system

It’s all very well to have these stunning ideas afterwards isn’t it?

Read the article I posted mildthing it’s clear the state system will struggle. But it suits the narrative to imagine the downfall of the villains of the piece ( private schools) without any detrimental effects elsewhere. Massive changes such as these rarely leave anyone unscathed so don’t be too smug.

That’s twice on this thread Bertrand has fantasised about coming to power. I don’t think any of us have anything to worry about.

I don’t believe parents at private school should get a tax rebate and I don’t believe private schools should have charitable status unless they’re rigorously checked to ensure they’re meeting the necessary obligations.

I don’t believe private schools should be abolished. Why make the school system have even less choice than it does?!

“It’s all very well to have these stunning ideas afterwards isn’t it?”

Of all the things you could accuse me of, not having held that particular view consistently for years is not one of them!

What about child free people? They should get EVEN bigger tax cut.

Of all the things you could accuse me of, not having held that particular view consistently for years is not one of them!

Again, terribly easy to post online right?

Given you always skirt questions thereon one could be forgiven for being sceptical.

“Given you always skirt questions thereon one could be forgiven for being sceptical.“

I’m pretty sure I don’t skirt questions. But not sure how you expect me to prove that’s what I really think! Shall I pop over and you can hook me up to your lie detector?

No. And I am one.

Well I don't have any kids and still pay tax that presumably goes towards other people's children's education. So by that reckoning I should get a tax rebate too.

Pamplemouse, you claim that VAT would result in increased class sizes in state schools due to patents no longer being anle to afford private school fees, but that is incorrect.

Private schools are oversubscribed, so any parent unable to afford the fees would be replaced by those who can afford them but were unable to get a place. I would also expect the VAT to be grandfathered in, so it would only apply to new starters, not children already at the school.

I’m pretty sure I don’t skirt questions. But not sure how you expect me to prove that’s what I really think!

Oh come on, we’ve been having this debate for years.

I wouldn’t need a lie detector - you can’t keep your options straight from one thread to the next

*opinions

Blimey. I can’t remember ever shifting my views on education. But fair enough.

Sorry Novo - you’re just not correct. It will absolutely result in higher numbers getting in to the state system. Many private schools will close and a huge wedge of fee payers will not afford the hike in fees. Hang on to your hats there’s a bumpy ride ahead.

I won’t post anymore on this thread as I have a good set of opinions now but want to say thanks very much to all who have taken time to express their thoughts all of which are very valuable. Thank you 🙏

As usual Corbyn's latest stupid ideas would lead to everyone being worse off as there's be a flurry of parents trying to get state school places as they can no longer afford the fees

It was never Corbyns idea, it was a Labour think tank, same as rising the retirement age to 75 isn't a Johnson idea but a tory think tank's

If you are paying 45k pa, the 20% vat would take it to 54k, i doubt that is going to worry most parents with kids at a boarding school, would half that for day pupils.
So would not lead to a flurry of parents putting their kids into the nearest comp.

As i said earlier, why should parents on avg wage pay vat to teach their kids to swim but the wealthy do not?

@pamplemousse- your article is behind a paywall. Do you have any other way to access it?

And a very crude calculation. Indicates that completely abolishing private schools would mean about 30 extra kids per state school. So about 2 per year. As I said- very crude, but hardly a dramatic flood. And most parents would be able to absorb fee increases anyway so even fewer.

But it’s never going to happen is it.
Either abolishing or VAT

These people have too much power

They might only be the parents of 6% of the population, but they have more clout then 30% of the parents of the rest.

Even if you don't have children or your children are not state educated, you still benefit from the state education of other children. They may become the healthcare professionals who care for you, the teachers who teach your children, your accountant, your solicitor, make the software that your computer runs on, provide a service that you need and so on.

If we didn't have state education, many children wouldn't get a good education or any education at all. They would be less able to contribute to society and maybe potentially more likely to turn to crime or antisocial behaviour.

Having state education isn't about educating your own children, it's about educating the next generation of society. And that has all sorts of direct and indirect benefits for you personally.

Pamplemouse, you're wrong. Private schools are oversubscribed, which means that any parent no longer able to afford the fees would be replaced by parents who can but currently can't get into the private sector due to lack of places.

The idea that there would be private schools with empty desks is nonsense.

Oh of course, give the wealthy a tax break...

Have you not thought for a second how many services we collectively fund that we might not use at all as individuals? Don't be so bloody ridiculous. They choose to go private. State education is available to them.

“The idea that there would be private schools with empty desks is nonsense.“
As is the idea that state schools will be overwhelmed by the refugees.

Final word. Novo you are talking utter shit. My children’s school is undersubscribed as are other private schools locally. In fact one just closed. So don’t generalise. Lots of private schools are really struggling to get pupils through the door as parents can’t afford fees ( excepting those super rich obvs). They are needing more and more to look at overseas moves to scoop up the markets abroad.

I really am going this time!! Thanks again