Why do people think parents who pay for private education are enormously wealthy?

[SheineOn]

Is this just the stereotype?

I went to a school that cost 18k a year (15 years ago). It’s now 24k a year.

There were wealthy people there. But also many ‘normal’ people. At least 40% fell into that category. People who lived on estates, drove modest cars, skipped holidays and ate cheaply.

They made a choice to spend their money on private education. For context, two of my closest friends have dc in private. They live off 450 a month after paying fees. They are not high earners.

Not everyone has endless wealth. Some are just happy to make the sacrifice. I find it strange people don’t seem to get that and makes me wonder how lacking in knowledge you must be to have that view of the private sector.

We can afford private school, but the ones around us are crap and we couldn't be bothered to move. So we decided to throw DD in with the rabble to see if she comes out fighting. May the odds be in her favour.

'no? 150k can’t even buy a house so no I don’t consider that wealth. I guess wealthy would be no mortgage and upwards of 200k savings as well, with ongoing high income'

WOW!

And multitudes of families live that way every day and still end the month on zero.

Anyone who has £1500 to 'save' is wealthy! I barely take home more than that each month and that has to cover everything, I'm not poor, I earn a good wage and can pay for everything we need but £1500 spare is incomprehensible for most people.

I was a floating voter and hadn't paid much attention to the the VAT on schools thing but now I am definitely voting Labour! Honestly, the children of these oh so superior people need to break this toxic, entitled cycle and get a proper education about life in the UK instead of living with their heads up their arse. I pay higher tax and earn well above the median and have worked very hard to do so, including education to PhD level, but I am not so ignorant and tone deaf to think for a minute that being able to afford £24k on school fees or save 1.5k a month isn't wealthy. Good lord, some people. It's reminded me of what the Tories are actually like.

With nursery fees our outgoings are more than our income, we literally had to wait until our first child started school until we could afford to have a second 🙄

If you can afford private school you ARE wealthy, just because you’re not a millionaire doesn’t mean you’re not wealthy.

24k? So you need a minimum of 30k before tax just for the fees. So mortgage, living, food,heating, running a car (or 2) on top.

Thanks OP, you really made me laugh.

@Nosleepforthismum no because, for about the hundredth time, it’s not just about academics. We want dd to have an enjoyable education. It’s not about the exam results, that’s just one part. I want her to be happy and safe and with small classes and a range of extra curricular activities.

Will she be unsafe with the riff raff?

You haven't answered my question about where your deposit for your house came from OP

I have, and it doesn't. The 'that' you refer to is the society that your children will be exposed to as adults, as much as you want to keep them cosseted as kids. It's frankly stupid, and depriving them of the tools they need to survive with actual people, in the real world, from loads of different backgrounds. You need to take a step back and think in the long term for the best interests of your child. Rather than your own self image.

Obviously she just didn't buy jeans. Easy.

You see this on the private school threads. Surely if the schools in their area are like that, they must live in a really rough area. Wouldn't it make more sense to spend the money moving somewhere nicer?

Obviously she just didn't buy jeans. Easy.

Oh yes of course! Must stop buying jeans

Anyone who can save £150k and not think that makes them wealthy and privileged is obviously a fruit loop who can’t be reasoned this.
You’re saying this against a backdrop of a cost of living crisis, food banks, etc.

@SheineOn But you must have high incomes to afford to save 1.5k a month in the first place?

I think everyone has a different idea of what wealth looks like. If you have an extra 24K to put your DC through private school, when a lot of people make that in a whole year, then yes, I would see how a lot of people would assume that those parents were wealthy.

no? 150k can’t even buy a house so no I don’t consider that wealth. I guess wealthy would be no mortgage and upwards of 200k savings as well, with ongoing high income

@SheineOn

Yes you can. Loads of places in the North where you can buy for less than 150k.

Also, loads of good state schools. Just think, what you'd save on private schooling you could spend on Adult Education to ease your stupidity.

@DanielGault i assume you’ve never attended a private school or perhaps even been in one. The reason people pay for them is that they provide an education that isn’t just about exam results.

If this was about my self imagine I’d be ploughing money into nice cars, flashy hotels and a huge house.

We could avoid it and so far aren't because our children need to be able to function in society, to understand society in its fullness and to learn soft skills. Our local state schools aren't unsafe. And my husband and I came from state schools so to actively want to keep our children from the sort of people who go to them would be madness and ignorant.

Oh bollocks. This is where I went wrong. I bought a £12 pair of jeans from Tesco last week because my other pair (just the one mind!) split.

I’ve got it now, completely understand why I can’t afford to send my daughter to private school.

Would anyone mind if I just wore pants?

Yeah, mate. ‘That’ is your own ‘prejudice’ and nothing else. You are so out of touch it’s embarrassing.

And I assume you've never set foot in the real world yet OP?

24k x 2 for multiple kids plus uniforms/extra curricula activities/trips
If you have £50k SPARE per year after tax you are clearly wealthy