To think taxing private schools...

[maddening]

I have no skin in the game, my dc is at a secondary state school. I have no strong views on private schools - although I think state should offer the same level for all dc.

However, looking at the maths I am not convinced the cost and benefits of this proposal works out - apparently vat will bring in 1.3 billion - however if the 554,000 children in private schools had to be schooled in state schools that would cost 4 billion - aibu to think this is not the win that many are led to believe? It is more divisive imo and driven by ideology.

If the private school parents are saving the state 4 billion a year then I don't have an issue with the vat personally.

I think that there could be more requirements placed on private schools in order to retain the vat free status, such as sharing facilities with local state schools and more subsidised places perhaps, or means tested vat relief for parents?

I’m saying extra money.

Don't move extra students to state, keep the education budget and there will be extra money per pupil

That won’t help the inequalities private education causes.

It’ll help more than this by bringing state up overall. Smaller class sizes and more money pp

This policy won’t go near inequality

It will bump up house prices though and competition in the best state schools

Well it won’t because in most places people
get their first choice,very few will
leave private and in London where people squabble over places most of rest of the country are already priced out.

It will squeeze the squeezed middle more. It is a stupid policy. Starmer should be sorting out the state problems by increasing taxation overall but that won't get Labour elected.

The squeezed middle don’t use private education only the wealthy do.

Private school parents are obsessed by smaller class sizes. State schools don’t need smaller class sizes. They need proper SEN funding and TAs in each class, the ability to get ECHPs for the pupils who need them, their pupils to have enough to eat before they come to school.

If Labour wants to charge VAT on independent school fees to mitigate some of the inequality in state schools it’s fine with me.

Wrong!

No not wrong

Are they?

I thought you were a private school parent?

I’m speaking from the perspective of using state. If you don’t use state how can you know about 30 odd classes.

@LittleBearPad

Your last post smacks of entitlement.

It is the responsibility of parents to feed their children before they come into school....not 3rd party private school parents...who are already providing an additional state funded place and paying proportionately more in tax for those on lower income to receive as credits/benefits.

How about these people take responsibility for their own children's education and wellbeing, saying that this "inequality" is the responsibility of others reeks of everything which is wrong with society.

It's always about what you don't have & what you are entitled to. Jesus Christ.

Ok so what salary do you consider to be the squeezed middle?

What do you?

It is you who is saying that middle earners can't pay for private school not me. I know what I earn and it is under 45K

No what isn’t ok is privately educated kids being over represented in the best unis and jobs when they have the same grades as state pupils. That’s the responsibility of the state to sort out and should have happened a long time ago.

i don’t really care what you earn.

But it is relevant your comment that only wealthy can afford private schools. We are definitely not wealthy but we just prioritise education. We can't afford VAT precisely because we aren't wealthy.

It’s household income not just one salary and housing is a big factor. You may have next to no mortgage or rent to pay. Your average middle class family on a joint income of 45k with a big mortgage for not a lot will not be paying private fees.

A joint salary of 45K isn't middle earnings. The median salary is circa 35K so x 2 would be household income of 70K+
A joint income of 45K would be low earners

I'm so glad you've started this thread. Not only has this not been discussed enough on MN this is such a vulnerable under privileged group that needs all our thoughts and prayers.

You know you can scroll past without commenting

@LanternL1ght5

That's not what the poster said though. They were talking about kids being fed before school as an example of inequality!

As to your point, pupils from many state postcode schools are given additional UCAS points towards uni.

It is down to the parent and child ultimately (state or private) to achieve academically and get into uni. University has become so expensive the commercial aspect has a sinister undertone, and in fact they are selling Uni course places for courses which have significantly less job spaces than course applicants.

I know plenty of kids at private school, who will never get into a respected uni regardless of how much money their parents may have. The opposite is true for state.

Point is you don't raise the profile of state education by bringing down the profile of private, it's a flawed model fiscally and will not deliver the gain being touted in this thread.

The Government do need to invest in state resource, a better answer would be to utilise private for funded spaces similar to Grammar where the pupil would benefit.

This is a typical left wing socialist sound bite.
If it wasn't so pathetically obvious it would be funny.

https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/20/uk-middle-classes-jobs-housing-costs-abrdn-financial-fairness-trust

No it’s up to £60 and they’re struggling. In no position to be paying school fees as a demographic group.

That would be two people on minimum wage. I wouldn’t call that middle income. There’s a very wide range of incomes at my DC’s private school. I wasn’t a higher rate tax payer myself for the first five years that my DC went there and neither was my DH.