it's daft to think parents with kids in private school have money to burn?

[Popgoestheweaselagain]

Just got asked by my school what would be the impact if they had to pay VAT, adding 20% to fees. My response was 'I'd try to keep my child in the school, but ....'. I think almost all parents would respond this way. Alarmed, did a quick google, and found this is Labour policy. Next time they come knocking at my door looking for my vote, I'll be telling them why they can't have it!

Now, I understand why some people are ideologically opposed to private schools, the unfariness etc. But when I hear this argument that goes something like 'Those people must have loads of money because they send their kids to private school' it kind of annoys me. Money is finite. If you've spent all your money on school fees, you obviously don't have it anymore!

‘Next time they come knocking at my door looking for my vote, I'll be telling them why they can't have it!’

you WERE a Labour voter before?? I can’t imagine many private school parents ARE Labour voters anyway, so no big loss.
says it all though, you’d have the Tories destroy our entire economy and our NHS but fucking hell you’d better not have to pay any more in school fees…

Of course it doesn't make me better than anyone else! How on earth would it make me better than anyone else to pay for other people to teach my kids maths and music? That must be the most bizarre commment somebody has posted on this thread and it's a pretty long thread!

It’s nothing to do with morality, jealousy or anything other than a simple case of taxation. They are exempt because of their “charitable status” and whilst some do some admirable work with bursaries etc there is nothing charitable about educating the children of Russian oligarchs and Chines billionaires.

surely if private education has to pay VAT then private healthcare should too?

I know loads of people who have worked 2 jobs and gone without an awful lot of things to send their kids to private school. One friend worked 3 jobs including a night job whilst her husband worked 2 so they could send their son to private school, even with a scholarship for them it was a huge financial commitment.

The sharp elbowed state school parents picking super selective grammrs and posh comps and finidng religion are stealing money from the mouths of the poor in a sense in a way the private school payers do not and those posh comkp etc parents then think they are holier than thou and meet the socialist principles of choosing state education?

This is it, right here!

I've heard all about private school parents buying their children privilege. I hear less about the wealthy/connected/'religious' parents who don't pay directly for their child's education, but they certainly have spent their time or money in other ways to ensure their children end up in great schools. Well done to you all. I may well become the one of you, but I'll own it lol.

People I know express how much they'd never ever live where I live. They also are against private schooling etc. If they were to live here, I do wonder what they'd do for school. I mean, at our nearest school, 27% of pupils get 5+ GCSE grades at 9-4. Yeah, that's totally fair compared to even my old (now more leafy) north London comp that is at 57%. State education is not even equal so I'm not about to point fingers at those who pay for it.

Charitable status should be taken away from private schools - they’re a business. Pure and simple.
it’s a joke they are allowed to claim charitable status… another way the wealthy are allowed to keep their wealth and ‘status’ over others.

We're talking about a whole different type of independent school. No way could I afford those schools! already priced out.

This policy doesn’t make sense. Academy trust state schools are also charities as are free schools. Independent schools aren’t businesses and don’t make profits any more than the state academies. Only the funding source is different. How will the law differentiate? State -funded no VAT, parent-funded VAT. Plus all educational activity is VAT-free and it’s a dangerous step to attack that principle.

Every person paying for their child to go to a private a school is probably already paying enough tax to keep one family on welfare. They are already paying the tax that goes towards the state system so if all of the children who are in private education stop then they would be less money per child as they would have to stretch the money further 🤔 not sure why everyone is anti people with money as it’s their tax that pays for the rest of you in the first place. It’s not nice to work your backside off to get to a place where you have a good income to be told we have to give half of it away every month for other people who feel they deserve it more just because.

They should definitely tax private schools - actually they should abolish them.

This!!

‘I know loads of people who have worked 2 jobs and gone without an awful lot of things to send their kids to private school.’

they’re in the minority. I know it, you know it, we all know it but someone always drums this out. The cheapest private day school in our town charges £17 a year, the most expensive £30k for day £40k for boarding.
most of the people sending their children to these schools are well off by any one’s standards, no one is working 2/3 jobs to afford boarding school.
Those are fees before extras… it’s okay to send your kids if you want and you can afford it but don’t pretend ‘ordinary’ families can afford to send 2/3 kids to private school as a norm.

I think Labour’s point is that private schools shouldn’t have charitable status which makes private school fees exempt from VAT.

@PlumPudd in which case either you or Labour have completely misunderstood this.

Charitable status and VAT exemptions are completely unrelated. Some private schools are businesses, others are charities. Neither of them charge VAT on fees because education is VAT exempt. Both of them will charge VAT on services they provide which are not VAT exempt (such as facilities hire).

The difference that charitable status makes is the business rates paid to the local authority which is a tax on non-domestic buildings, just like council tax is imposed on private homes.

I waitressed to send my boys private so if I can do it anyone can but your all to lazy to do it. Also the parents are relieving the state sector. Imagine now all those kids leaving and trying to get into the already full state schools. Economics is not everyone’s forte is it.

OP is probably a higher earner taxpayer already, that can be 50% at the highest tax bands. Then she’s not using the state system so paying a shedload of tax and still paying for private.

I don’t think it’s fair to be taxed VAT on top of this

Agree with Brighteyedtriangle. Parents with kids in private school are still paying for state school places but not taking them up. State system struggling so why burden it more?

My own kids are at a fee paying school, all our cash goes on it. I’d still vote for Labour given the choice. Anything to get rid of the Tories at this stage. To those saying private education is immoral, I’m assuming you have better local schools than the choice we have here. Lucky you!

That makes me want to vote labour more!

Exactly!

Mine are in private and it takes all our ‘disposable’ income and then some… but we have the worst schools in the country (going by the recent results we are the bottom area) here and I have two really bright kids who I want to have a shot at actually getting a decent education… not sure that means we should be punished more. And no, I couldn’t afford an extra 20% and I’m definitely not in some massively high earning bracket. We just sacrifice other stuff.

Basically, make state schools better and no one will need to pay. I certainly wouldn’t if I had a viable other option

You know you are going to get the usual hatred for private schools but it’s all jealousy. I worked double shifts as a waitress to send my kids so anyone can do it but they aren’t prepared to put in the hours.

state schools that are already full would be bursting at the seams if the private kids left their schools.
parents paying for private also use private health, dentistry etc so yet again alleviating the state whilst still paying taxes and high NI that keeps state schools going.
people really do not realise basic economics or they are to jealous to try.

Correct, not all parents of privately educated children have money to burn. My sister, a single parent, a band 7 nurse, sends her child to private school. It's something like 20% of her salary and things are tight but not unmanageable.

I don't believe they should pay VAT. They are saving the country money surely in thousands of children are in private educating, thus not taking up public resources, keeping more of those educational funds and resources available for everyone else.

Also many privately educated children's parents are higher earners, paying a greater amount of tax than the general population in the first place.

Don't get me wrong I received state education at a rough school, and my own child will probably go to a state school, but i don't have any issues with whatever other people do for their own children. Would people be so opposed to parents having a child in state education, but paying for tutors in evenings/weekends? That's also paying for an education that those poorer wouldn't be able to access.

Then you are selfish. Denying your children a good education. How can the he immoral? They actually aid the state schools who now follow their curriculum and also alleviate the state system that is already overcrowded. Maybe if you’d had a better education you’d realise this.

The OP is probably right. People naturally want the best for their children so most will 'just get by' to pay the fees. If private schools didn't exist then the state schools would be under more strain. I'm more than happy to let people spend their money on what they want. Depriving their child of a really good education isn't going to improve the education of mine, so why should I be petty and deny it to others?
The key is to strive to get state schools up to the standard of private schools.
So to answer the OP's questions, no, most of them won't have pots of money. Just like those with mortgages don't have money either.

Why? Why exactly should they be abolished?

It’s not just the type of education though is it, it’s also what area you live in and who you want your child mixing with. I’ve been to the roughest school in my area and also the poshest and I know which one I’d want my kids to go to.