Kier starmer! He hates strivers!

[Bucketheadbucketbum]

He wants to introduce a policy to put up the cost of school fees 10 to 15%. This is a tax on hard-working parents! We slave away cutting cots everywhere living hand to mouth to try and improve our childrens future . Live in an average house average area 1 shit car no holidays work like a dog to get our kids through. We are easing the burden on the state system by choosing independent schools. We're not sending them to Eton paid by our trust fund! Why does he want to punish strivers! Tax the energy companies! So disappointed. We need a new political party. What's the point in trying to better your future.

'Striver'
'Better your future'

Catch yourself on.

Labour are not anti-aspiration, that is such a lie. They believe in aspiration for everyone, not just those that can afford it.

I’m really upset that there’s VAT on luxury yachts. It’s so unfair, I strive to be able to afford one, so I can free up my dinghy for poor refugees to use.

FFS OP, read the room. There’s people striving to be able to afford to feed their kids or heat their homes. Private schools should be treated as the businesses they are, not as charities.

I think it’s really interesting that in France, a Country which is arguably very much more Socialist in its leanings than any ‘similar’ Euro nation, every child is allocated an education budget - you either just use what you’re allocated for state school OR you just ‘top up’ to pay private… so essentially your fees are subsidised, making private more affordable for everyone…. Their healthcare system is also ‘insurance based’ and WAY!! superior to ours….. Just saying there are other ways to improve things whilst still pushing an agenda to level up society.

I actually hope so, because OP is getting short shrift on here.

Jeremy, if you are reading this, nobody supports tax cuts for Eton. Look what happened to Kwazi when he gave handouts to bankers, and think on.

I didn't have a private education and my DC dont go to private school, weve never been in a position to afford it (We also have a very old car and fairly modest holidays) so Ive no skin in the game but I think it would be naiive to assume everyone sending their kids to private schools would automatically be able to fund another 10-15% on top of the fees.
I know several people who send their kids to private schools, 2 are hedge fund managers, 1 in a partner in a London law firm and one is a Harley Street surgeon. I imagine they would be able to deal with the increase. But I also know people with much lower incomes for whom it would be more of a struggle to afford. The reality is a proportion of pupils would end up in State school before any money could be allocated to enhancing and funding better state education or more teachers.

I think as a PP said starting to add for example a 5% tax would make more sense

I disagree that independent schools should have charitable status and VAT exemptions (with the exception of specialist SEN schools). Independent schools are private sector businesses.

You are fooling yourself if you think that you're easing the burden on state schools by going private when you're benefitting from a private school's tax breaks.

It isn't envy, it's just how it is.

I'd heartily welcome the DC of "strivers" into state school. It's a surefire way the education budget will get more attention and a bigger budget. Instead of striving to pay school fees, parents can strive to improve state schools for all.

Fee paying schools are acceptable in society. I went to one, although my DC don't. But let's be very honest, a private education is a luxury product and should be taxed as such.

VAT for school fees is a clear vote winner for Labour as nowadays very few of the middle class parents can even entertain the idea that they might send their DC to fee paying school. It will only alienate the very wealthy, those who have inherited money/ GPs pay, and the few who have overstretched. Everyone else would welcome a bit more money for the education budget.

Let's hope he abolishes the academy system as well, since it was introduced the gap between good & poor schools had widened more & more. Bring back putting schools under local authority control & make all schools equal.

Don’t think I’ve ever come across anyone who describes themselves as working like a dog, working their arse off, or a ‘striver’ who actually works anything like as hard as they like to dramatically proclaim.

What on earth do you do for a living that two people working like dogs are still living hand to mouth?

This.

Op you are being utterly ridiculous.

This!!!

I live in an area where there are that many private schools, the state schools are dire. It’s sad, no one wants their children to go anywhere other than private as a result and that should not be the case!

Even worse, half the teachers at said private schools don’t even have teaching qualifications (also often hear about a teacher that usually delivers geography having to randomly be a science teacher for the year..). £20k a year for that when we could have state schools up to standard?!

@Ontheedge2 would the VAT actually raise any money, once the additional tax payer costs were factored in?
I don't believe that teaching children the basic skills of reading or writing is the sole responsibility of school teachers, especially not secondary ones. Where is the parental responsibility? If that's what secondary schools are having to teach, it's not surprising that people want to send their kids private.

The current general principle is that educational services aren't subject to VAT. Would you amend this to catch EFL providers, private tutors and other educational businesses, as well as private schools?

We slave away cutting cots everywhere living hand to mouth to try and improve our childrens future

So does everyone. For 93% of people private school fees are incompatible with food on the table.

Why do your kids deserve tax cuts to get a more expensive education than poorer kids? Answer: they don't.

Nurses are strivers, teachers are strivers, lots of people work desperately hard but simply can't access the level of pay needed to afford private schooling.

Sounds like an excellent system.

The French also have very reasonable childcare costs.

I'd heartily welcome the DC of "strivers" into state school. It's a surefire way the education budget will get more attention and a bigger budget. Instead of striving to pay school fees, parents can strive to improve state schools for all.

This. Take your demanding attitude and ask the government why our state schools aren't being given enough funding to pay teachers.

Their healthcare system is also ‘insurance based’ and WAY!! superior to ours…..

Not entirely. The french are terrible for antibiotic overuse.

A private school offers its services in return for payment. They are not charities, and should be taxed as other businesses are.

They would only be charities if they offered all of the pupils scholarships or bursaries.

@tobee it's not a myth if that's someone's direct experience.

Wait.... the French can actually get to see a Dr who can prescribe antibiotics?! That's something a lot of Brits can only dream of.

So are EFL providers, private tutors, swimming instructors etc. Presumably they should also be taxed as businesses. How many people would that price out of swimming and music lessons?

Keir Starmers real objection to private schools seems to be that they don't HAVE to follow the National Curriculum.

They can concentrate on education if they choose without including any of the endless rubbish the govt likes to shove into the curriculum.

He doesn't like EHE either for the same reason.

It's about control.

He also betrays biological women at every turn.

I'm not really sure what he does like except keeping men firmly at the top of the heap.

They aren't charities so shouldn't qualify for the tax exemption. The rest is irrelevant.

The guiding principle is that educational services are not subject to VAT. This applies to everything, not just private schools. Presumably you're in favour of VAT on swimming lesson fees?