To think that people who agree with VAT on private school fees but not on university fees, are hypocrites?

[Blanket601]

If Labour add VAT to private school fees, they should also add VAT to university fees. Or no VAT on either. The principle and rule, should be the same.

Why is only private school education being platformed. I think we all know why.

OP they are obviously not comparable and tbh tertiary level education should be free (as it was) for multiple reasons anyway…
but fwiw, as a lifelong Labour supporter, of all the things for labour to be actually taking a position on this is low down on my list, it feels like ideological policy rather than particularly helpful.

There are two secondary schools in our vicinity that had to close because of lack of students.

Parents do not have the right to choose schools. We state a preference in the state sector, but we do not choose what school our child goes to.
And the amount of children is reducing so finding school places for the few leaving private schools is not an issue.

Sigh.

1. Universities are classified as charities.
2. Charitable status has fuck all to do with fees and VAT.

@asrarpolar not the same as subsidy at all

Would you add VAT to a tutor paid for by a family with severely dyslexic children who aren't served by the school properly? It is a privilege after all

No Buckingham uni has no cap on fees while state ones have a cap. It's a reasonable comparison for op to make.

If Labour really wanted to put an end to most private schools, they should have the courage of their convictions and pump money into state schools, raised by putting up taxes.

That's a really good idea. The wealthiest should pay more of those taxes to fund state schools. The easiest approach is to close tax loopholes and exceptions.

So we are looking to remove tax breaks that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and use that money to fund state schools....hmm, anyone got any suggestions?

They do not want to end private schools. Simply not to give them a tax break.

It’s not a tax break. Private schools save the State money. The £7k per child that it costs to educate a pupil in the State system is less than the VAT that would be payable on most school fees and that’s before you allow
for private schools reclaiming VAT.

It is a tax break. You can have a state school place if you want. If you reject that you need to pay the actual cost.

The fact that the VAT you would pay is more than a state child's spend just shows how ridiculously unfair this is.

I'm prepared to take the short term hit of losing the "savings", to create a more equal society, and that starts with the same high quality properly funded education available to all, rather than a VIP lane for the rich.

I am paying the actual cost of the school providing the private school place. And I am saving the taxpayer money at the same time by not taking up a state school place. Save your anger for the net beneficiaries who take more out of the system that they put in.

Sorry, I got that wrong. The VAT is much less than it costs to educate a state school pupil.

Unfortunately I can’t edit the above but I meant to say more rather than less.
The average prep school fees are £15k and £17500 for secondary. So the VAT would be £3000 and £3500 respectively. Much less than it costs the taxpayer to educate a child. And those figures are before VAT is reclaimed.

Gosh I'm blown away by all these people magnanimously saving the state money by sending their children to private schools. There was I thinking it was to buy advantage and to avoid mixing with riffraff. Silly me!

They just want the state to continue subsidising their private fees with tax breaks. Some of the justifications are laughable.

Maybe I should pay no buyer tax - stamp duty - on my house when I bought it as I was saving the government money by not claiming housing benefit for rent?
Makes as much sense as what is argued on this thread.

Those comments show you have no understanding of why people use private schools. There’s another thread discussing why people use private school. Maybe have a read of that and educate yourself.

To get back to Labour policies on education.

It was Labour who started cancelling grammar schools. Thus significantly harming mobility for the brightest pupils.

It was Labour who introduced tuition fees for university.

It is Labour who are going to introduce VAT on private school fees.

One might conclude that introducing VAT on university fees is really not beyond what Labour could do next.

On top of which, they can’t define what a woman is. Despite there being biological evidence to help them out. Whilst they deny the existence of 50% of the population. I’m not sure why any woman would vote for them.

(It’s actually this issue ^^ which influences my vote, more than anything else. Though the VAT issue is a worry as most people couldn’t do uni if fees were increased even more. Or they’d get into more debt, see previous point in this).

high quality properly funded education available to all

Yes, we all want that. The proposal to charge VAT on private school fees isn't going to achieve that, though, is it? Where's the enormous sum needed going to come from if Labour wins the election? More PFI contracts? Or will they actually put taxes up? It's not possible to have top quality public services and low taxes. About time politicians in this country had the backbone to spell this out.

I'd like to think they will try to persuade the super-rich that it's actually a badge of pride to pay all your taxes, following J. K. Rowling's example, but I bet they won't. There will be a lot of hot air and bluster at the the party conference, but it will be business as usual for fear of frightening them into leaving the country and taking their businesses with them.

Well I know why I use private schools 😂

The State is not subsidising anyone at private school. Plenty of private school parents are subsidising state school places (and the NHS, housing, pensions etc). That’s a fact. Are you a net contributor? If you are, save your anger for those that are paying less in than they are taking out. If you are a net beneficiary, you are being subsidised every day of your life.

@Dibblydoodahdah your own personal circumstances doesn't reflect statistics.

The rich are buying advantage and a VIP lane to all the top jobs, that is a fact.

www.gov.uk/government/news/elitism-in-britain-2019

7% attend private school.

Meanwhile..
65% judges
59% civil service permanent secretaries
57% House of Lords
52% diplomats
52% junior ministers
49% armed forces officers

Etc etc

Are the privately educated innately more intelligent, or could it be their parents bought them a VIP lane? At the expense of talented kids from less well off families.

Just pay the VAT and stop moaning.