to suggest that every single parent with a child at private school apply for a state school place asap?

[sarjd]

let's see how that works.

The bottom. Where state school's are, filled with plebs. The bottom 🙄

Many state schools don’t offer some GCSEs which private schools do, so parents can appeal on the grounds that subjects they’ve studied are only offered at specific state schools. Other children have switched to private having been failed by some state schools, which again could form the basis of an appeal.

There are lots of places due to falling birth rates although you might not get the school of choice. But all state primary school s in this area are great. You just have to get flexible re where you go as some years are full and some aren't.

Well this policy has earned labour my vote 😃

I think it's a great first tiny step to redressing some of the worst inequality in society - in that the richest people not only have the most, but they enact laws and rules that enable them to keep as much money and privilege to themselves. All we are talking about is adding VAT to a luxury product. But because a private education is the sole preserve of the rich, we are all supposed to be running round crying "won't someone think of the children!"

It's about time that we started looking to the other end of the spectrum instead of the government's benefit bashing and plunging more children into poverty. Im looking forward to casting my vote for a party that cares about supporting poorer people instead of preserving tax breaks for the rich.

"It happens with a few subjects on here. I've a special interest in a health matter & whenever a negative story/dodgy research is under embargo there will be one or two threads here in the days prior to it lifting. Every, single, time."

Really? I'm fascinated by this!

Easy, scroll past and don't comment

This.

Suck it up and get over it, op.

Loads of spaces in state schools where I live OP, they would welcome you with open arms.

Except VAT isn't a luxury tax. Frozen yoghurt is VAT exempt but ice cream isn't. Gambling isn't taxed under VAT so is that a basic necessity?

We are one of the only countries to be considering taxing education. Hardly progressive is it?

So you expect the parents who send their kids to private school to not only pay tax to educate those in the state system, private fees to educate their own, more fees to same school to educate those on bursaries/scholarships, more fees to provide facilities for free to those who don’t pay, and VAT on top?!

They should just ban private schools if they’re that awful and unfair to society.

By the way, I went to a state school and don’t see the point in paying for private, but this policy is one of the most stupid things I’ve ever heard.

Same as the tenant tax levied on landlords who have a mortgage - look what has happened there. The people who can’t afford to buy are having the additional tax cost added onto their rent.

Other children have switched to private having been failed by some state schools, which again could form the basis of an appeal

Nope. It doesn't work like that.

From the government website regarding appeals :

“You should focus on what the school can offer that meets your child’s needs. This can include what the school can offer that other schools cannot and what the impact will be on your child in not attending the school of your choice.”

Yeah, go for it. I could do with a bit more overtime.

Appeals Clerks won't turn down the opportunity for some extra work, either.

Might be a bit of a shock to realise that your kids aren't so special that they can get offered places over and above everybody else, though. Might be good at reducing the stigma to see them all on the lists for fair access alongside the kids that have been permanently excluded, are involved in county lines, having extensive criminal records and are in need of fresh starts. No parental choice involved, though - it's whoever will take them, not where they want to go, which usually mean the most undersubscribed schools.

If the plan is to then ghost the schools, apart from it being a dickish thing to do, though, it's worth being aware that there will then be repeated contacts, home visits, social services welfare checks and permanent records with the Local Authority of them being a Child Missing from Education. Because schools and LAs actually give a shit about the safety and welfare of all children and there's no way of telling whether the child hasn't arrived because the parents are abusive or because they're a bit of a dick stomping their feet.

Only downside would be knowing you're deliberately impeding the essential safeguarding of children that are actually unsafe - but hey, it's worth it to let people know you're pissed off, they're only poor children, isn't it?

Yes, you can only say what is good about a school you want to go to, which is relevant to your particular child's needs. Slagging off the state schools you don't want to go to isn't entertained. You can't just whinge yourself into position. It doesn't work like that.

Our local secondary has loads of spaces (900 capacity but currently 650 students) it 'requires improvement' and has had that Ofsted rating for a while. Would be great to see it full again.

Correct. So if a child had experienced an education where they had not received enough mental health support, or enough learning support, they can appeal to the schools which offer more of that provision. They can appeal on the grounds of needing more support.

Nope. Well, maybe. Unlikely though.

I mean, you're not coming from another state school. You can't demonstrate that a school can't or won't meet your child's needs. You'd have to demonstrate that a school is so fucking ace in delivering good mental health provision that it would be remiss not to send your particular child.

I think of my saved bank balance when I see the sting of grade 9’s my kids got in a state school, for free. Two of the many plebs so many think are in these schools

Yawn.

It is so unbecoming to be so mad about the prospect of not being able to buy your child advantage over 95% of their peers. All these threads of anger that your child may have to put up with what all the other children have to put up with and shouts of 'you'll all regret this'.

We won't.

And all children, including yours, should be provided with a free and quality education.

Surely this depends on whether the parent/s can afford the increase?

Because education absolutely should be a race to the bottom

State school is not “the bottom” ffs

gambling as tax exempt

Gambling is exempt (for gamblers) for administrative, not moral reasons. Taxing the winnings of gambling would mean the cost of the losses are a deductible - which is a pita to deal with and stakes, as a whole, are larger than winnings, as a whole so would result people claiming losses on their tax returns. The gambling duty was abolished years ago when the internet and online gaming was coming in and gambling was moving offshore and the gaming levy at 15% was applied to all operators whether they are in the UK or offshore - so it is taxed, just not in the same way. If private education businesses had a “private education levy” applied, it wouldn’t be VAT, but it would be tax and parents wouldn’t be trying to claim it was untaxed. There is an argument that the gambling levy should be increased to 20%, and a bigger argument that VAT should be overhauled and the rate reduced. It is a tax that disproportionately affects low earners who spend a higher proportion of their income on “luxury” items like shoes and coats. 20% on almost every fucking thing you buy is obscene imo.

It redressess nothing of the sort. All that will happen is that it pushes up the prices of housing around already good state schools and will make private tutors busy.

I think it's a shit policy and I don't think it will raise any money for the treasury. Still though, I'll allow myself a little schadenfreude after these MN threads. Particular shout out to the race to the bottom posters.