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?

The thing that Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t seem to understand is that if you repeatedly poke the bear that is the top 2% who contribute such a vast amount to the economy in tax, they will just fucking leave.

@BarbarAnna the vast majority does. the percentage who don’t also don’t take anything out of the system but pay into the uk economy, so no issue. and if they are poor on paper (but rich in reality), they will start taking out of the system big time if they go into the state sector, and still not contribute.

That isn’t true for the people I know whose kids are at private school. I would be interested to see the stats that prove the majority pay their way. It must just be that I know immoral people.

@BarbarAnna you certainly have odd friends!
but even if you were right, why would these people suddenly pay into the system if private schools wouldn’t exist? they would have even bigger incentives to hide stuff!

Well they would need less money to educate their kids, so why would they hide more stuff? I work in an industry with lots of contractors who definitely do not pay their way. They are not odd so much as greedy.

the parents of my son’s friends are: nhs doctors, teachers, (university) scientists, HR professionals, lawyers, architects, musicians. Nobody on salaries worth hiding from the state. we are all very comfortable, but after school fees are paid there isn’t much wiggling room. small houses, holidays are camping in the uk, one older car per family. which is our choice, so that’s fine.
this is typical for the 3 private schools i know kids in.

I must be unlucky in my acquaintances then, possibly my industry.

BarbarAnna like you I know some really quite wealthy people who pay absolutely nothing in U.K. tax - in fact they use subsidies and grants to increase their wealth.

@BarbarAnna probably! if i would come to conclusion about state school parents based on our neighbours, i would say that they don’t give a shit about education (kids go to school or not, parents don’t care), are pathological liars and encourage their kids to steal and lie (one mother recently threatened our 92 year old neighbour to report him to the police for child abuse if he wouldn’t pay her several hundred pounds. the men is housebound and can’t walk, he’s never even talked to her kids). but i know that we are just unlucky with our neighbours, and most state school parents are decent people.

The fact that labour put abolition forward indicates to me they have a poor grasp of the problems in education.

Thinking about a tax would be sensible. But even considering abolition without trying the former and monitoring effects sounds silly to me.

@CherryPavlova I can recall standing in the line for my student grant (back in the day), not quite a full award because my single parent mum had been completely honest on the application, amongst kids who went to top public schools also queuing, bragging about their full grants because ‘daddy’s accountant sorted it’. To add insult to injury, they then took the piss out of my regional accent. So I might just have a small chip, nestling on my shoulder!

crispy exactly. In addition they are deliberately ignoring the fact the 7% using independent aren't the exact same people in the top 7% of wealth bracket.

It's not just the top 2% of wealth, we definitely aren't anywhere near that bracket, but if there was a real risk of taxing land or seizing private property, or any other communist notions he may have, many around or above our bracket would be going too. And I'd love to know how he intends funding all his shite in the current climate, let alone after the majority of net contributors have decided to leave.

smilethoyourheartisbreaking

The people who have the means to leave are the people whose tax contribution really matter.

“In 2016, the top 1 percent of taxpayers accounted for more income taxes paid than the bottom 90 percent combined. The top 1 percent of taxpayers paid roughly $538 billion, or 37.3 percent of all income taxes, while the bottom 90 percent paid about $440 billion, or 30.5 percent of all income taxes”

Instead of getting rid of educational choice for parents and abolishing private schools, the majority of which arent Eton and Harrow- like and instead of getting rid of charity status and deprivi those who can’t afford private school the chance to go there... why don’t we just NOT VOTE FOR PRIVATELY (especially Eton) EDUCATED MPs.

This seems to be what it’s all about... the cabinet went to private school and we don’t like them. So let’s abolish private schools. No! Don’t punish everyone because Boris Johnson is a wanker.

To be fair, Boris Johnson is not the only wanker in the Houses of Parliament.

And it isn’t what it’s all about.

smile. Not at all. Many people with professions and either some equity in their home or modest savings would have no problem having their applications to emigrate approved in many countries. You're also forgetting that housing elsewhere in the world is significantly cheaper so any initial loss would be quickly recouped.

You're also missing the fact it isn't just salary that comprises wealth. Plenty of people that are barely higher rate taxpayers bought at the right time to be wealthy because of their assets.

Local business owners for example might have higher incomes and be unable to relocate, but that doesn't mean someone with a universal profession and more modest means can't. And certainly doesn't mean everyone with a similar income to the local business owner is equally stuck.

smile I doubt many would based on private being abolished. But in the highly unlikely scenario of him coming to power, and the even lower probability of him implementing land taxes or seizure of private property, then yes, of course many will sell up and leave.

Your right dailygrowl it does smack of Stalin. Let me hazard a guess at the true corbyn plan. Borrow ridiculous amounts of money and spend it on trying to buy back everything privatised. Then tax the hell out of the few left working . Then as economy collapses emergency rules and takes control of all services and bring in political education to schools. A generation of poverty, talent drain and removal of all military resources. If the gullible aren’t careful he’ll deliver stalins ideal and we’ll have to suffer it. Well anyone who’s stuck in the uk and doesn’t move their money fast will loose their life’s savings and investments

smile as I said, in the mythical situation of him being in a position to seize their assets, they wouldn't be living wonderful affluent lives. For possibly the first time ever, brexit is irrelevant. You don't need freedom of movement to emigrate. For most countries it's simply proof you can support yourself, same as it's always been outside the Eu.

Closing private schools will change nothing. The elite will school in Europe or US in stead, middle wealth would buy up all property near top public schools and price out the rest. The lower earners and non earners suffer. It’s classic Corbyn trying the us vs the wealthy, but actually his policies will hurt everyone but the wealthy

smile

We would leave if Corbyn got in. 67% tax? No private schools? No fucking thank you.