Do you think labour will actually implement 20% vat on school fees?

[labpit]

We have two in Year 7 and year 10 and I am not sure what we will do if this happens. It is a certainty do you think?

We achieve far better results than the private schools nearby so why shouldn't they be charged a levy/VAT on their fees?

Malbecfan sorry, I don’t understand this. Why should the private school be charged extra tax because the state school where you work gets far better results?

Surely you were capable of understanding my simple question. Pedantic grammar insults must just be a way of weaselling out of responding to my question. Or do you want not to admit you believe comp kids aren’t up to professional jobs?

If addressing inequality is the aim, surely increasing income tax is the way forwards? All those better off would pay more. Not just those who choose to use their taxed funds in this way

I hope they do. I doubt they will though. It’s just more rhetoric.

And do you genuinely think they this policy will give you all that extra money?!

FWIW - many state heads will be rubbing their hands at the thought of an influx of high achieving middle class kids from private schools

izimbra - why? According to posters, private school children are entitled snobs - why should state heads be looking forward to having them at their schools?
Unless they’re looking forward to seeing them taken down a peg or two?

Only 7% of children even go to private school. And of that small number, there are families who will all be able to pay no matter how much the fees go up.

There are some schools that allow you to pay an agreed amount of fees upfront which will cover a number of years of fees for the child. There are some people I know who are doing this, now to avoid getting stung by the potential VAT.

You would, of course need to make sure that school is doing so well they are never likely to close. Independent schools are folding at an alarming rate near me.

If you can't afford the hike well you're just not as rich as some other people, soz.

Not nice being on the other side is it?

I am very much enjoying the 'why do you think people who go to private schools look down on the rest of you?' comments alongside the 'your grammar is shit' comments on this thread. Good work.

I'd love to know what your evidence is for that sweeping statement that "most can easily afford it". I can make one easily back saying most are like me who only just can. The fact is that no-one has actually collected that data so we don't know who can easily or just afford it.

For one thing we have a royal family.

State schools have barely coped. No one would pay to attend them in the state they're in now. A private school economising in the same way wouldn't be an attractive proposition for someone to spend thousands of pounds on.

And I went to a comp so please feel free to slate me for my initial misuse of 'you're' in that post.

For one thing we have a royal family.

MyopicBunny why would that prevent the abolition of private schools?

It wasn’t an insult, just an observation. Sorry you took it that way.

As for comp kids and professional jobs, I suppose some are up to professional jobs and some aren’t. How would I know?

"Good for you, you live in an area with what sounds like an excellent comprehensive. Not so where I live."

Do you know what makes comprehensives in my area good? Because they're actually 'comprehensive' - ie they have children from across the ability and income range. Schools are communities - how they are isn't just about the way the school is run, it's about the whole school community, children, parents, teachers, managers.

There are still schools in the borough which middle class parents won't touch with a barge pole. Do these schools have poor teaching and facilities? Nope, they just tend to serve the least affluent areas.

Yes, I think they will. It will cripple us financially but I would still rather vote them in than the bloody Tories.

A sensible way to alleviate it would be to make some of it tax deductible. That would protect the smaller specialist schools over the
£40k+ pa bracket.

They have to win the election first. Everyone seems to think that's a foregone conclusion, but they need to produce a significantly bigger swing than Tony Blair managed in 1997 in order to win. They might well do it, of course. But if they do, they might only get a tiny majority. And who knows - they might lose. I would love to vote Labour again (the only time I didn't was under Corbyn). But I will not vote for a government promoting this policy. It is pure and utter vote-winning ideology over actual facts and figures, and if Starmer is willing to bring this in just to please the voters, even when he knows (I suspect) that it may actually cause more problems than it solves (as well as breaking a fundamental principle that education should not be taxed), then he's not getting my vote.

I just came here to ask if anyone knows how the £350m per week extra for the NHS is going, since that money was DEFINITELY going there if you voted Brexit??? Oh, the NHS is still total shit and hasn't been funded more?? No way, the politicians lied?!

They definitely will definitely absolutely spend the VAT cash from private schools on state schools though. Yep, definitely definitely.

Shame noone's focusing on why state schools are in such a bad way that anyone feels the need to spend an entire person's salary on paying for something they've already paid for once. That would be enlightening, though labour also shares the blame for that one.....

Probably more likely they realised that they’d have to buy the real estate and facilities associated with the schools in order to reclaim them as schools for the state. That would cost the government 100s of millions of pounds.

@Malbecfan but you won’t be getting that by taxing private school fees? You’ll be getting a lot more students though.

"It wasn’t an insult, just an observation. Sorry you took it that way."

We can all see what you did. You were called out for it. Your passive aggressive non-apology just makes it worse.

Probably more likely they realised that they’d have to buy the real estate and facilities associated with the schools in order to reclaim them as schools for the state. That would cost the government 100s of millions of pounds.

Cavemum I hadn’t thought of that but yes, that sounds plausible.

Private schools won’t ‘go under’. Those that send their kids to private school are the wealthiest people in the world.

We did a few years private before a move and 80% of the parents were very wealthy. Eg drive top range cars, have several holidays abroad each year, lots of luxuries, buy watches that cost more than my car, cars that cost more than my house. Very Davy with money. Lots of investments and the means to make more money (e.g contacts, properties etc). They value their kids education so aren’t suddenly going to pull them out. They may need to make ‘cut backs’.

So some were doctors, lawyers etc that had good incomes but may be less ‘wealth’ and it might impact them more. Again, however, they don’t need to drive a fancy car, they don’t need to have holidays, they don’t need to buy the most expensive brands etc. Most could find the savings easily. Most would have investments or family that could help. Very few that I knew would be completely priced out. The vast majority could find the money.

The schools also have a choice as to whether to pay the VAT from profit or pass the cost on to parents. Like all businesses they will do what helps them to survive and thrive.

I think if anyone votes purely to avoid this policy then it’s bonkers. Social inequality is bad for everyone - even those who have the most.

Of course parents aren’t going to want to pay more. But no VAT is unfair. It is a luxury when there is state provision.

"You’ll be getting a lot more students though". As the money follows the child, more children = more money.

FWIW - school fees went up by 20% between 2010 and 2020. No decrease in student numbers. What evidence are you working from when you predict vast numbers of people will have to withdraw their children from private schools? Also I'm going to guess that you're starting with the view that private schools can't be expected to absorb the cost of VAT by doing what state schools did following austerity budget cuts - namely cutting costs.