To think that those private school parents banging on about their fees

[Thegreatergoodgerald]

Seriously have misjudged how little anyone else gives a stuff??? NHS, social care, state education, public transport, bloody potholes everywhere - that’s what matters to everyone I know.
Not whether or not VAT is added to a business.

YANBU - it’s hardly the end of the world if Clemmie or Charles end up going to a state school. We have bigger things to worry about in the U.K. right now

YABU - of course everyone cares private school parents might have to pay more

I do think that everyone should care about a policy like this whether it affects them or not. It’s a policy of envy not actual principles. If schools need more funding (which they clearly do!) then why not increase income tax to deal with it? That way everyone pays more, depending on their income, and we are more likely to get close to actually closing the gap between state schools and private schools because the amount raised would be substantially more. It also means that it’s not just those with enough to afford private school that need to pay but also those who have paid extortionate amounts on houses within catchment areas to send their kids to the best state schools and priced others out of the area and everyone else as well.

You do know that many parents choose to only have one child so they can afford better opportunities for that one? I've explained further up, 2 parents earning £25k each per year could afford private school, if that's where they chose to invest their money. That's not fabulously wealthy. It's below average salary, in fact.

Agreed - I don't give a stuff, particularly because so many of them seem to think that their child is magically brighter/better than state school children because they are at private school (many people I speak to assume my dcs are at private school and therefore spout all sorts of crazy shit about private school kids vs state school kids to me - latest was recommending a hall at a uni ds has applied to because 'there are mainly private school kids in it so it is definitely the one to chose', guess which one my ds said he is certainly not choosing?) and don't get me started on private school parents suggesting that ALL state school kids get given lower offers to uni than private school kids and are therefore less deserving of their place/are thicker than private school kids (this seems to be a view held by 95% of private school parents).

Do you actually know anyone who would make that choice? Thankfully I don't.

When Clemmie and Charles get to their state school, maybe their nice middle class parents will start giving a shit about the dire funding of education in this country, and regret voting Tory for the last few elections.

Do people feel bitter in the same way about parents who pay substantially more to be in a good catchment area, or who pay tutoring for grammar school, or just pay tutoring for a child who is struggling with maths etc.

Let's hope some thought has gone into it. I have two kids in exam years from September and we are in striking distance of a number of privates. Resources are stretched enough without having to operate around a cohort of dazed kids dumped into the deep end.

Definite bitterness about grammar schools.

In this country, it's fine to brag about a sporty or arty child's talents but if they're good at maths, best to keep your gob shut!

@TopBun it’s not only parents with children in private school who have voted Tory, there must be a fair few with children in state school too

There was no state provision worth having at secondary school for my SEN children so we sent them to independent schools. I worked every hour God sent to pay the fees, I drove a clapped out old banger, we had no holidays much beyond the Sun offer every year, were permanently broke and a good chunk of the fees got added to my mortgage one way and another. They were the first children in our families to go to university, got good degrees and have very good jobs. It was bloody tough but worth every penny. An extra 20% would have crippled us for sure

We did. We weren't on a high wage and we wanted to give DD as many opportunities as possible. There are more only children in her class than at her primary state school

The horror and shock when you realise nurseries and universities will also have to pay VAT. But who cares right? Let's fix those smug private school parents.
You sound so bitter - where did private school parents say your kids shouldn't get the university offers they deserve?

The reality is that higher earners pay majority of tax in this country so YOU will pay more taxes when they have left and moved abroad.

We chose to have one child, for economic and environmental reasons.

I know people who have children whose needs are not being met in mainstream education who are making huge sacrifices and only just making ends meet in order to send them to private school, despite only making an average income.

Some only send one child and not others because the others are thriving in mainstream.

Median household income is £35k so £50k is considerably higher.

It's hardly wealthy though is it?

There should be no gap ffs! There should just be schools!

I think it's more to do with parents who work INCREDIBLY hard to send their children to private school due to the shambles of state education at the moment, and how it's becoming even more challenging to do so.

Fees have gone up to widen the inequality gap even further, stretching middle England out of private education. I'm hoping to send my son to a private school on a scholarships, he's got his heart set on it and by golly he deserves a place! However, I'm unlikely to be able to afford even 10% of the fees now prices are on the rise again, and it looks even less likely to happen now that the charity status is going to be scrapped if Labour get in, meaning they will no longer offer scholarships. (Don't get me wrong here, I want to see change in this country and want Labour over anyone else... pick of a bad bunch admittedly).

@coupdetonnerre why are you scaremongering? You know that is not going to happen.

I would prefer that the next government concentrated on making the wealthiest organisations and individuals pay their taxes.

Close the loopholes, make the corporations, millionaires and billionaires pay their way, stop all the tax dodging by those who can perfectly afford to pay.

But that won't happen!

Let me put this in perspective. Not every parent sending their child to private school is loaded and i resent the accusationthat they are. Many (myself included) are sacrificing holidays, nights out, new clothes, next to no savings and working multiple jobs and sending their kids there with second hand equipment to give their children a shot at the type of opportunities these schools provide. Adding an extra 20% on top of fees (for me £3,000) per year is not pocket change. Further with the loss of charitable status, that means the schools have less money to run the establishment so that also means an increased level of fees to pay above the VAT charge. In addition, the high schools in the city I am in are fully subscribed for my children's ages. If I can't afford the fees, where do you propose my child has their education? Oh that's right, the council is under a duty to provide an education so that means having to build new schools and employ more teachers meaning cash strapped councils have to divert funds away from fixing pot holes, clearing bins, providing play spaces etc. And for the record, I don't think any parent with their kid at private school is asking the general public to clutch their perils over removal of charitable status and application of VAT but it will impact the children at state school when the class sizes rise with kids exiting schools because their parents are priced out of the education market.

Average salary is £34k but many families have one parent who can afford to work P/T or be a SAHP bringing down the household income, this rarely happens with private school kids, both parents have to work F/T.

I work in a mainstream school.

I actually had a friend who’s kid is in private ask me to read a letter before she sent it to a hear pleading special circumstances to bypass admissions policy. The special circumstances - a sob story about fee increases. DED.

They are.

We can’t afford private school on our joint income, let alone that, surely this is entirely contextual. Ultimately, we need to save for uni as that is more important in my mind and I really can’t get my head around renting a house and paying private school fees, that makes no financial sense in Britain. Besides, nurturing creativity, developing the child’s imagination, affords your child the biggest advantage when it comes to intelligence; Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

People will obviously care about things that affect them, that's normal. It would be more strange to not to be concerned about something that may directly impact you.

On the threads I've read almost all comments are responding to people who are gleefully rubbing their hands at the thought of young children needing to leave schools they are settled at.

Or ones pointing out that this may also affect private SEND and alternative provision schools/centres too.

And people trying to highlight the potential effects it may have on state education which is conveniently ignored.