Abolishing private schools - how would it work in practice?

[Dongdingdong]

Labour has voted to abolish private schools:

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-public-private-school-abolish-eton-vote-conference-corbyn-education-policy-a9115766.html

Whether you agree with this or not, I don’t understand how the logistics would work. Would private schools suddenly cease to exist from say, summer 2023, with all pupils forced to find a place at the local state school for the autumn term onwards? What would happen to the buildings and facilities - would they remain as state schools or be sold off to developers for example?

Forced nationalisation. I think it has happened for other things at other times, maybe other places? How did the railways end up nationalised originally

Why take away choice? Can we not have private healthcare or pensions? The Labour Party has become very odd since I was a child. It’s not the left that my parents and grandparents knew - used to be about socialism and fairness.

How ridiculous of them, but yes, of course it will never happen. Makes them look an (even more) stupid party though - shooting themselves in the foot once again.

This is nothing like communism! private schools are set up as charities- all this is saying is they can no longer charge children to attend and presumably will be funded the same way as state schools!

I find that wording quite chilling for some reason!

Perhaps because it is chilling. Corbynites don't like it when North Korea and Venezuela are brought up, but this is exactly the kind of extreme leftwing authoritarianism that has brought them to their knees.

@MissMarks which of the Edinburgh private’s was adopted by the council?

But, but where would all the children, of Labour politicians, currently attending private schools go???

James Gillespie’s in Edinburgh- was private and then became a comprehensive in the 1970s under council control. It was a merchant school same as lots of the other Edinburgh lower tier private schools like Watson’s/ ESMS

@TitianaTitsling probably because those lives of phrases usually accompany genocide.

I would assume the state would compulsorily purchase private school assets. In practice though I don’t see what is going to stop parents from ‘homeschooling’ and just paying for private tutors to share between a group of ten or so.

Interesting, before my time, I didn’t realise that had happened.

Exactly cendrillon. I do wonder if in this brave new education system Labour will ban Animal Farm on school reading lists? Won't do anyone any good to see what goes wrong when everyone is equal bo some are more equal...

How could the stats afford to buy, say Westminster, downside, stow?

Not exactly the same though is it?

ATM Private schools get tax breaks worth 3.5 billion or 10% of the education budget.

Private schools should pay their way, those that can't can go back into state ownership, its actually capitalism!

Although labour don't appear to be proposing to compensate businesses for the 10% of equity which will be taken from businesses and given to employees, even though that equity is often owned by pension funds.

It's perfectly possible the assets would just be seized.

all this is saying is they can no longer charge children to attend and presumably will be funded the same way as state schools!

To do that will cost £2.5 billion.

Overseas students who pay to go to boarding schools in the U.K. currently contribute £1.8 billion to the economy, which would be lost.

Who has got the magic money tree now?

They wouldn’t need to buy them- they aren’t privately owned- they are charities. They would just need to change their charitable objectives back to what they were originally set up as- to educate the children of the poor!

That should have said Gillespie’s change from private was before my time.

The buildings and assets are privately owned.

James Gillespie’s in Edinburgh- was private and then became a comprehensive in the 1970s under council control. It was a merchant school same as lots of the other Edinburgh lower tier private schools like Watson’s/ ESMS

Yes it became a comp in the 70s but the merchants handed it over to the council in 1908 and it stopped being private then.

This is really sad ideology. Where does it stop? Everyone now drives a Volkswagen and all luxury models get removed from the market?

We live in a very nice village very close to London. The local infant school has lovely grounds and facilities and performs very well. The only downside is the large class sizes. The catchment is small. Currently the houses on one side of the school cost at least £500k and those the other side of the school start at £1m. If the nearby private prep schools close, what would happen is that the catchment would shrink further and the house prices in the prime area will shoot up further and only the wealthy will frequent that particular state school. The junior school nearby is also very good and popular, too.

The local comprehensive is dreadful! A lot of our neighbours go state till age 11 and then go private. I would imagine a lot of home schooling and people employing private teachers to coach children through their GCSEs and A-levels.

So will private schools stop offering bursaries and discounts to families? Will the stop giving access to their facilities to the next door state schools, instead renting out their halls and sports centres? Will they stop the ‘partnering’ with local state schools to mentor kids into uni?

@MissMarks, which Edinburgh school out of interest?

But not bo!

I think that the first step would be to remove their charitable status, treat them as businesses and just have a bit of honesty about the situation.

Ah, seen that's been answered