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?

What a bonkers question, whether the OP agrees with the premise or not.

The cost of the private school system to the state sector is immense. It attracts some of the best teachers, many of the most highly motivated children and the pushiest parents, all of whom would improve their local comp no end.

More perniciously, the cancer of the old boy network and the old school tie excludes, demotivates and alienates the brightest state-school graduates.

The solution to provate education remains what it always was: Laser-guided bombs.

No. Privately educated children will benefit from people who are/were state educated their entire lives. It is needed and should be supported by everyone.

Only if private schools lose their charitable status and stop getting grants of taxpayers' money!

This.

I thought it was closer to 20% are privately educated at 6th form?

No, that's extreeeeeemely polarising to the point of counterproductive. I think it's very sensible to give a rebate for home-schoolers, though.

How is that a morally consistent position?

Im not sure re "space for all the kids". Its only 4% odd isnt it. So a school with 90 in a year could probably admit another 3 or 4. There are also many school with falling rolls, village schools etc.

If the money invested into private schools was then invested into state shcools as rich people had a vested interest (eg the gifts and donations,even the summer fayres and pta events bring in so much more) then it would raise the provision for so many more than just the 4%.

I mean it would never happen, but lets not kid ourselves private schools are necessary/in the other 96% best interest.

It attracts some of the best teachers

Where’ve you got that from?

Yes as people who don’t have kids pay

Could they sign an agreement that they won't ever benefit from someone who has been in state education too? So, for example, only privately educated Drs can treat them otherwise they are benefiting from everyone else's taxes too!

Just a thought, we are losing a large number of children whose parents are EU citizens, so there’ll be lots of space. And no, to me paying taxes for redistribution is one of the key points of a civilised society.

Isn't this part of the agreement that independent schools are classed as charities and not tax payers, or VATable

I don't think Private schools losing charitable status should burden state schools at all- and there's no evidence that this will be the case. On the contrary- maybe the extra revenue the Gov receives from private schools will be put to good use in the state system?

“There definitely will be hundreds families who are priced out of school fees by the VAT“

What utter bollocks. Firstly the vast majority of schools would have no need to pass on all the extra costs to parents. And secondly those that can afford to send their children private so so because they can afford it and the majority will soon find the extra money because most will absolutely have it

The poverty claiming at ds’s school is sickening I hear over and over again how people really struggle to put two or three children through private school wtf on average wages paying an average mortgage it would not be something you could even consider

The private school system racks in huge amounts of money - those that have children that attend private school know or at least should recognise that it’s a privilege (not necessarily a better outcome) and I can never understand why this is so played down like it’s a real hardship to send your children private- it’s not it’s a bloody lucky position to be in

Only if private schools lose their charitable status and tax reduction perks.

No the state system is struggling as it is

You should go into comedy OP. Tell us another one 😂

FFS.

My children attended private school.

Of course I shouldn't receive a tax rebate because I made this choice.

Why should thousands of parents be priced out of private school by the schools paying VAT on what they buy? School fees have risen massively in recent years, but private school teachers on the whole are not paid more (much more) than State school teachers. From what I've seen most of the increase in fees has been spent on a few shiney extra buildings (do you really near a school crest mosaic on the bottom of the swimming pool or a concert hall as well as a theatre and assembly hall?).
Private schools are not financially stretched on the whole. The smaller ones that used to be have on the whole already gone to the wall.
And at least where I live most "middle income" families are already priced out.

Rich people should pay tax.

NEXT!

Private schools have charitable status

You forgot the word “some”.

I know we keep having this discussion so I’m surprised you don’t remember given your alleged opinion on the subject.

Hahahaha private schools get tax breaks so are already heavily subsidised so no, no you shouldn’t.

We pay school fees. We also pay tax and we wouldnt want a tax rebate for school fees. We live in a society which thankfully offers a universal education. We CHOOSE not to use it but that doesn't mean we shouldn't contribute towards it. I also CHOOSE to use the NHS because I think its the better system for the most part... do you think people using private healthcare should get a rebate as well?

I would however be resentful if VAT goes on school fees. I know quite a few people who are just about balancing the fees with their income - an extra 20% would mean they had to put their children in state schools which would cost the system a lot more than the 20% VAT on school fees.

Molly your post has shown that most schools could cover the costs of losing their charitable status

Not all the costs need to be passed on to the parents and if schools felt they would lose a large number of pupils they would soon rethink their budgeting

Wonder what research has been done on the extra demand on state after VAT

So many people stretch to afford fees