To want the private school people to shut up noq

[Rescuereivers]

i am a parent with a private school
child in secondary school, and state primary child.

I mean I get it that your kids will suffer if you pull them out. But why did you not factor in a rise in costs and make damn sure you could afford it first? Cause state school is not THAT bad, and if it is in your area, there are places you can move to. if you could only just scrape by with the fees when you put them in, well that’s just reckless, and your fault not Labours.

And if your child has SEN then that’s awful, but it’s awful for parents in state schools with SEN kids too.

Please stop with the whining, cause state and private school parents alike are both heartily sick of hearing you moan.

(and you really sound like a Conservative HQ bot employed to put scare tactics on. You’ve gone over the top and it’s beginning to backfire).

Them and the so-called "gender critical" people clamouring to vote Tory because "they know what a woman is", too.

Are you a person who doesn't menstruate? I can't imagine anyone who does have periods believing that sanitary products are "unnecessary" 🙄

Are we supposed to use rags like women did years ago?

Idk, I'm starting to find some of it quite fun, actually. It's like watching one of those dramas full of rich people problems.

AGain, this MN thing of utterly sublime to ridiculous.

I agree with OP.

But there are very different types of people who send their kids to private or so ridiculously called 'Public Schools'. Some out of tradition and class, and that has been the way for generations. Some are 'nouveaux riches' who have made good and aspire to join those in first category. Both are very rich, and a 20% hike for VAT wiill be totally fine.

There are others too- not so rich, and with SEN children who are not getting the necessary support in state school. Others, and I know some, who have children who are not very bright or have behavioural difficulties, who decide to send them to private school so they can be helped in smaller classes, not influenced by even worse behaved peers, etc. And some who would never ever even have considered sending their children to private school if they had good schools in their area and could get places. And I know several of those. In the end chose private as it seemed the only way to get a decent place and not at the other end of town or even in another town. And often those 2 last categories have had to scrimp and save to do so- and would be strongly affected by a 20% hike at the same time as the cost of living crisis re food, energy, etc. etc, etc.

In countries where the school system is well funded, with good facilities and premises, well qualified staff and small classes- only category 1 and 2 will consider sending kids private. But most do not. That means the 'top' with very supportive parents are not creamed off, and those parents, with money but also often influence, will work hard to support the local schools- for their chidl, but also for all the children. Because they know that at the end of the day, it results in a better qualified workforce, and most of all, a much better and harmonious, supportive, more balance society, that works. And is best for all, rich, poor and everyone in between.

@MartinsSpareCalculator

Must be a troll to suggest sanitary products are unnecessary and wasteful. If you are suggesting women use mooncups as a less wasteful option, they do not work for many women without leakage problems, in my case they don’t work for internal physical reasons (which I don’t need to explain for the purposes of this thread).

I suppose we could all go back to rags.

What a silly post!

Apologies I was wrong about the sanitary products having VAT, it's been a while since I've bought some. They should be free altogether tho if you ask me and let's face it, if men needed them, they would be free. Idk how sanitary products are unnecessary tho 🤔 we could all just bleed everywhere instead?

I am really against imposing VAT on private school fees for the following reasons:

1. I disagree in principle with VAT on education, particularly given its contribution to the public good;

2. I think those who use the private system should be incentivised to do so because they are reducing the education burden of the state;

3. My family will be hit hard if we have to find another 20% per year for our two children who are nearing the end of state primary. We have been saving for private school because the two state catchment options perform significantly below the national average in terms of results and individual improvement. I don’t know where I will / can send them within the state sector in my local area that is at least performing at an average level;

4. I don’t believe Labour when they say it will help state schools, I think it will cause more harm than good to the next generation of state and private school kids heading for secondary school.

The more posts on this issue, the better, in my view because I want politicians to see the other point of view.

If you don’t like a post topic, then just don’t read it. I avoid many posts that don’t interest me.

Except I didn't say that. I said disposable sanitary products are unnecessary, because they are. Reusable and rewearable absolutely should be tax exempt but anything goes to clog up landfill, no.

I'd suggest you do some research into what's actually available. I have reusable pads that I've been using for a fair while without issue.

Yes fair enough, you did say disposable. I honestly applaud your environmentally friendly iintegrity.

However, I think expecting women to wash out their sanitary products or face a financial penalty is a green leap too far. There are far juicier low hanging eco fruits ripe for the picking, which are women-friendly too.

The vat rate was 5% so if the average pack of tampons or pads is £2.50, about 12p of that was VAT. I understand as a point of principle, but as a financial penalty I couldn't really get that excited.

Are we allowed to be as vigorous in attacking the courses of those other cost increase, as we are VAT?

Yes. Our school fees have only ever increased by around inflation each year though. This year, many schools are having to increase their fees by a fair bit to cover the changes made by the government to the TPS.

So we should attack the government of Liz Truss for causing that inflation, and also Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson for the changes now and previously to TPS.

Why then do we only see threads about VAT and not these other matters that have had as much impact?

I think people can moan about whatever they like. I personally prefer to complain about people with range rovers who park in two parking spaces or so far near the edge of a space you can’t use the one next to it

Yes, that seems to be the general gist! As always I am astonished at the number of people who apparently can ‘scrape’ together £20,£25k or more PER child but always live in awful areas with the ‘worst’ failing, standby schools…

Inflation was a worldwide problem. Our inflation /interest rates were on a par with the US/Eurozone. I’m absolutely not defending the Conservatives, but to blame inflation solely on someone in their position for a matter of months is ridiculous.

I don’t like the idea of VAT because I don’t want to pay more’ is all you needed to say …

I mean - we already pay for the state school, we’re just going to have to pay more that’s all I guess. It’s all a bit silly though - just making private schools more elitist in my opinion. There are so many ways round it as well - people might just pay the whole lump sum up front. Or the schools will absorb the cost. It feels more like a punishment on people who can afford it. Very strange. We have two in private - we can afford it so aren’t worried. It’s the SEN kids that I think will be impacted the most if they have to leave - but it’s fine right, as long as we get taxed more.

If you are told you have to pay more for the same thing just because of political ideology then naturally you will get annoyed. Fundamentally we will find a way of reducing the tax we pay in another area or just pay the school fees up front before the VAT comes in but I don’t think the 7% of private school parents will shut up just because 93% of the other parents want them to. They aren’t looking for the other 93% to agree with their views

Agree.
also by the same argument NO-ONE should be complaining or pleading poverty about higher mortgage payments.

Everyone should have factored in the possibility of interest rates going much higher when you got your mortgage.

Spot on.

To the “we are subsidising your kids” moaners….what about all the kids-free people who subsidise your kids VAT-free clothing?

Why I am subsidising your kids vat-free clothes?

I thought it was people with children at private schools subsidising children in state schools. They pay taxes to pay for schools that they don't use. Average cost of state education about £7500 a year per child so every child in private education saves the government that amount already.