To be glad that the VAT on school fees

[Shaketherombooga]

Is now going to be happening in January? what’s the point in stalling it? I think it’s one of many decisions that we just need to get in with.

YABU - it’s SO unfair. Labour hates ‘strivers’ etc etc

YANBU - Yup, Labour said they are taking away tax breaks for private schools, so let’s get on with it.

I agrée in principle and can't afford private education for my own family but I think September would have been more sensible

Of all the things to obsess about. Lots of children are in private schools for lots of different reasons. Some need a more sheltered environment, some need more access to SEND, some are EAL, some need boarding facilities. Just leave people alone.

Whenever I read these types of threads, the types of comments that get my back up are those that insunuate that only people who send their kids are hard working.

I also think it's unpleasant to assume that those of us who do not send our kids to private schools are not aspirational.

Also, it's insulting to assume that if you are not in favour of private schools, you are "jealous". You can want a fairer society and want to reduce elitism without being "jealous".

This post is full of comments like this.

Here’s some more ‘bingo’

1.All Etonians are thick.

2.My boss’s children were privately educated and they’d come into the office and behave in an arrogant and entitled fashion, ordering us around and insisting we call them ‘sir’.

3.When I went to a top university other students kept asking me where I went to school. What weirdos.

4.Dh and I are among the top 1% of earners but we send our children to state school because we have morals and are decent people.

5.Our dc went to an underperforming comp and now they are reading physics and maths at Oxford.

6 If our children went to private school we might meet Tory voting parents and posh people. We couldn’t have our children mixing with them.

7.Private school children are spoon fed

8.Teachers are unqualified.

9 Those who send their children private have a vested interest in state schools doing badly so they get their moneys worth.

ok but you do realise the vast majority of people who send their children private only have 1 or 2 children? I went private and I had no idea if was even possible to have more than 1 sibling until I was a teenager. I stopped at 2 children so I could afford it at secondary level. My sibling has only got 1 for the same reason. If you had only had 1 you could has afforded it. Everyone has a choice. I don’t judge anyone for the choice they make on how they spend their money but it always seems the judgement comes the other way. Having an extra child = ok but spending the exact same amount of money (£200k to raise a child to adulthood) on private school fees = privilege. I don’t get it

I would never say most of those as I don’t have kids at private school, I vote Labour and I don’t see it as a ‘punishment’ per se. I work in the NHS with some of the hardest working and lowest paid workers I have seen. They are amazing.

But spite is spite and I will always call it out, even if I agree with the point being made. Some of the comments made by the gleeful supporters of the VAT are quite nasty. Esp when aimed at children.

I had twins the second time around. Not much I could have done about having 3 children.
I can afford 3 children, I just can't afford to pay for private school for 3 children. There's the difference.
My comment wasn't about what I can/can't afford, it was about assuming people who don't send their kids to private school are not hard working. It's incredibly insulting.

Yes. And those comments should be called out. But the spiteful dig at someone saying they were ostracised as kids by neighbours for going private is just pathetic and lacking in emotional intelligence. In the same way that saying someone doesn’t care enough about their kids’ education to send them private etc is also astoundingly idiotic.

True. But you didn’t mention poor Jocasta or Hugo ;-)

You see spite from those in favour of introducing vat, I see spite from those against it.

Interesting to me too, as, apparently, this policy is very popular nationally, but you wouldn't think it if you read Mumsnet. So many private school parents aggressively defending their schools.

But it is incredibly insulting to describe those who can afford it and so send their children private ‘privileged’ when it is simply just a choice about how they spend their money. I could just have easily have sent my children state and handed my children £250k each at age 18 and then people would be complaining that they are privileged for being given the money . You can’t win. I don’t apologise for earning a decent salary, I put the time in, I have multiple post uni qualifications. But suddenly you can’t move for being privileged. I often wonder what the point of sending kids to school at all as as soon as they achieve (whether in state or private) they are vilified for making money off it.

I feel this represents most private school parents right now 🤣

I believe that Labour will scrap the two child benefit cap. As they are unsure of how to fund it, any revenue from this policy could potentially help foot the bill for that. Although it won’t be enough to pay all of the £3 billion cost of doing so.
There are no guarantees that education will see any of it, and they can justify this as long as it goes towards helping alleviate child poverty.

the spiteful dig is not something I see here all the time though.
I admit, I do see people referring to private sch children as "hugo" etc though.

I have repeatedly said that I have seen unpleasantness from both sides. Have you?

The OP set up the thread to gloat about a done and dusted policy. Maybe have a think about her motivations?

🤣🤣🤣 I agree - there’s just some random people up in arms over this. But not really the parents of private school children who it potentially will effect . Probably because they are working and aren’t on MN all day and couldn’t really care less about some angry bitter keyboard warriors!

How is it insulting to call private school children privileged? This is what they are. This is what parents are paying for.

You see spite from those in favour of introducing vat, I see spite from those against it.

Mugboat can you give some examples of spite from those against VAT?

Actually no. Not in all cases. If you’ve read my post on page 25, you’ll know what we’re paying for.
Yes, we’re in a privileged position of choice, absolutely no doubt about it. But I don’t see my DD as being privileged, it’s a bit different for us.

and I don't think anyone is saying anyone should apologise for being a high earner.

Well I wouldn't say that anyway.

I too have mutliple post uni qualifications and do a job I love. I have a decent salary too, just not private school wages.

I think I am privileged in many ways. It would be disingenous to pretend otherwise. I am lucky to have been born a country during peacetime, to have received an education, to have grown up in a clean, dry home and had food in my belly... to not be in an abusive relationship, to have my full health, to be able to afford clubs for my children etc etc the list goes on. I am privileged. I am lucky.

I am also hard working and I can't afford private education. I think everyone should receive a high quality education regardless of what their parents earn, what their religion is and what their postcode is.

@mugboat oh gosh stop showing off… no one likes a show off 🤣

🙄

, to have grown up in a clean, dry home and had food in my belly... to not be in an abusive relationship, to have my full health,”
Glad you agree with my above post @mugboat because my DD didn’t have any of this.

Thankfully she does now 😊

You're allowed an opinion, obviously, but that reply just sounds like you enjoying behaving like a total a c*nt.

Either that or you're a troll.