School fees have risen by 19% in the space of 12 months

[Findingfactsaboutfees]

AIBU to think this is outrageous ?! Fees are exorbitant anyhow and in the last 12 months we have had an increase of 19% by way of 2 increases in a 12 month period. Fees per year for the senior school are £16690 per year and do not include state of the art facilities as other local schools do. The junior school fees aren't much less either! This is a school in the north of England. If you are paying for education, where are you based and how much do you pay? I wonder whether it is comparable.

Private education will only be for the ultra-rich if fees continue to rise at the rate that they are. It is unsustainable for most working professionals who are comfortable but not ultra-wealthy! Parents locally have tried to take their children out but can't as there are no state school places to be had within a 12 mile radius. The only other option is home schooling which isn't possible when the parents are working full time. We're not yet at the point where we are thinking of taking our child out of school but hearing the plight of those who are in the process of trying to is worrying. I've always been a labour voter but if they do go ahead with the introduction of VAT, I fear it's going to get even worse.

"I really take offence to your assumptions."

Not an assumption factually correct using the research data provided by UCL.

"Fuck you and your ignorant stereotype."

Not a stereotype, almost all private school children come from households that are in the top 10% of incomes, with the majority of them coming from the top 5% or higher.

So yeah, maybe look at the actual information. You are a tiny minority of private school parents ( although I'd lay money that there is other information you are not giving too) my post clearly stated used the words "the majority".

"It is unsustainable for most working professionals who are comfortable but not ultra-wealthy!"

Only 10% of students with household income in the top 5 % send their children to private school. It is unstainable for the vast majoirty of working professionals already.

I don’t want to raise the fees @TheThinkingGoblin. I want private schools abolished completely. That includes Eton, Harrow, Winchester et al.

Which is fine.
You have that choice

My choice is to look realistically at the figures

The Government / taxpayer will then need to find £1,007,100,000 / year to educate the kids whose parents can’t afford to send them to private given the fee hike.
Local state schools will miss out on private school spaces, sports facilities, teachers, mentoring etc
Local hotels, restaurants, shops, storage facilities etc will miss out on the billions spent by visiting parents.
And so on

The gain to the tax payer is outweighed by the loss. Which is why no Government in their right mind would do it.

( I haven’t even considered the fact that the really rich will still use private schools.)

Personally I think the fees could go up 50% and it would still be worth it. I would have been devastated if my parents didn't send me to a private school. My best memories took place in school during activities that would not have been available if I went to a public school. I remember my school taking me to America one year and we did really cool stuff like go into one of the Boeing sites and learn how planes were made and fly one of their simulators. They also found me work experience on the Obama campaign and I met Penny Pritzker. They also offer lessons in rowing etc.

"The Government / taxpayer will then need to find £1,007,100,000 / year to educate the kids whose parents can’t afford to send them to private given the fee hike."

This is based on 20% of all private school students leaving and on data that is poorly sourced. The data from UCL suggests that most parents of students at private schools could afford to absorb the cost/make "sacrifices" to afford it.

Your figures are dodgy.

"Local state schools will miss out on private school spaces, sports facilities, teachers, mentoring etc"

Oh give over, using the sports facilities for a limited time is not a benefit to a primary schools. Most private schools do very little to maintian their charity status.

@DrPrunesquallor you know what, that's a chance I'm willing to take. I expect it would turn out just fine.

What I see right now in the UK is a critical mass of angry, resentful people that is flailing about due to "reasons".

It seems the UK has not learned it lesson fron the disaster of Brexit.

Short-term thinking is precisely why the UK is in the mess it is in right now.

What is needed is a sustainable policy for education. This means sustainable long-term funding un the face of an ageing population with fewer people working.

VAT for private schools is not it.

You will end up poorer and still have the same messed up public education system.

Personally I’d rather see any savings ( if there will be any given higher pensioner numbers and a lower tax paying population ) going to better SEN education and the nhs.

And I want to visit Mars.

Try to keep things realistic. It usually helps.

Sarcasm is not attractive.

"VAT for private schools is not it."

Why not?

"You will end up poorer and still have the same messed up public education system."

Could you provide justifcation for that?

First they came for our au pairs, now they're coming for our schools! 😂

Most schools are run by an independent board of governers who make decisions about any rise in fees. They don't benefit themselves at all. If that's the case with the OP's school, I'd say she's being unreasonable to suggest that the school isn't doing what's necessary to keep up the standards parents' expect. However, I'd not say she's being unreasonable to think that private schools are quickly becoming unaffordable for even the small percentage of the population who could once afford them by cutting back on other things.

Some more figures about charitable status here (admittedly now slightly out of date). Not charities. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jun/03/private-schools-abuse-charity-status-by-giving-discounts-to-richer-families

Just to add to this complaining won't work in state school. For an over subscribed school in year admission you would have to go to tribunal which can take up to a year and still get told to take the place in the other school which has places.

I am realistic. Far more so than someone who wants to visit Mars.

@TheThinkingGoblin i agree with you. No one is saying that those who can currently afford it are in a minority. But it it’s made unaffordable (or only with cutting back elsewhere) it is unrealistic to think there will definitely not be negative consequences for other people as well.

Even if you’re not in a group affected - on either side, private school parent, service provider with downturn of business due to cutting back, parent of child who would not get a place at their next preferred school due to more kids needing school places, you can’t just dismiss it as saying as long as it doesn’t affect my family (because I’ve already got my state school place etc) it’s not my problem. That’s not how society works. That’s why we all pay taxes to be spent on schools we may or may not use, a healthcare system we may or may not use etc

Sorry that should say not in a minority!

‘"Local state schools will miss out on private school spaces, sports facilities, teachers, mentoring etc"

Oh give over, using the sports facilities for a limited time is not a benefit to a primary schools. Most private schools do very little to maintian their charity status.’

yeah - F off with that private schools share their space bollocks. Not any of the ones round here - and some have acres and acres. They do rent out the old theatre or hall or 3G pitch - as do all the state secondaries. RENT being the key word on that sentence.

@Plumbear2 additional children won’t take in year places if none are available. But if their parents choose not to put them in the senior school independents they will be included in the competition to get the places at normal entry points. May not affect your child if already there but will affect future children who would have potentially otherwise attended the school.

Yes I know they would at normal entry points ,🙄 but that's not what we are talking about

Well we are discussing the short term and long term impact of these fee increases - so I rather think we are

Ok. It's not what I was talking about in my posts so your responses don't make sense to my argument