To marvel at privately educated Keir Starmer's hypocrisy?

[Bursarysadness]

Both Kier Starmer and his wife are privately educated. Kier's senior school converted into a private school in the second year of his attendance and he has received a generous full bursary up until his A levels. He has built his life and his success on this education, supported to the end by the bursary funded by the same schools and parents he is now trying to destroy. It pains me as my children receive 50% bursaries from a brilliant local school. We've worked incredibly hard to cover the remaining 50% but it has been worth it, seeing how my children blossomed. We had a very different experience in their primary state schools, including bullying and racism. We don't live in a great area. We have just been told that the school will probably reduce all their bursaries to be able to lower the fees for the non bursary parents who are now struggling because of the VAT introduction. I don't know what the future for my children is now and they have so many close friends where they are. They are both academically brilliant and work very hard - hence the bursaries were granted. I feel so depressed that, from what is becoming obvious, they won't be able to benefit from the generosity of bursaries the same way Kier Starmer did when he was a child ..

So you’re annoyed at a decision that some parents made, 30ish years before their daughter married a man who ended up becoming PM?

You’re annoyed that your children potentially aren’t going to be heavily subsidised for a service you can’t afford?

These threads are SO BORING now. Yes, it’s so so sad that a few of the privileged 6% of the country are going to have to rethink their current schooling options. Zzzzzzzzzzz

Keir Starmer didn’t chose for his school to be some a private school, so no he’s not a hypocrite.

Racism can happen in any school. Private schools are not necessarily any better at dealing with it.

Yes I think Keir is a hypocrite but I do agree state education needs improving but not via a policy that won’t raise money and therefore won’t raise the education standards of the state sector. I’m a state school mum and I see this as limiting education choice for all. Top schools will be filled with those that have the means to either tutor for grammar, or move closer for catchment.

The money should come from outside the sector so the whole educational pie can get bigger. Retention of teacher is a huge problem in this sector, not recruitment.

I got a bursary to a private school. It was utterly shit- I was bullied for not being sufficiently posh, and it was a totally unsupportive environment.

I wouldn't have paid you fourpence for it.

I attended private school on an assisted place, bc, guess what, my parents chose for me to do so. I didn't have much clout aged 11. When I was 14 I chose to leave for a comp.
I wouldn't send my kids to private school. I think everyone should have a good education, not just the rich or privaleged.

I was privately educated, however, my children are state educated and I teach at a state school. I support the VAT implementation in private schools and do not think I am a hypocrite because I have differing views from my parents. Keir Starmer is the same.

@Nwchanger why do you think Sir Keir is a hypocrite?

My husband experienced racism, homophobia and sexual assault at private school, a lot was from staff, nothing was done.

This is getting tedious now.

Starmer went to a State school which was converted to a private school when he was there, after which he received a free education for two years. He didn't decide to stay at that school, that was his parents' choice.

93% of people send their kids to state school. Lots of kids swap schools.

Some options for you:
Send your kids to state school.
Remortgage your house.
Downsize.
Move to a different catchment area.
Cut down on take-away coffee, avocado toast and holidays.
Work some extra shifts.

Honestly, the entitled whining on this subject is genuinely pathetic.

OP, you will get very little to no support on Mumsnet. Despite this policy being an absolute dog's dinner unlikely to raise the funds needed to fix state education, not really addressing any of the inequalities that persist in state education which aren't caused by private schools and disrupting many children in private education thanks to Rachel Reeves backtracking on timings - everyone loves it!

Is it hypocrisy to want the same advantages for ALL children? Not just the academically gifted, not just those whose parents understand bursaries and application processes.

Ive had 3 children, with send, go through the state education system - as has almost everyone else. It’s a fucking shambles and we’re sick of the 7% bleating on about paying bloody vat.

Honestly if parent of kids with special needs moaned as much as this you’d all shut us up pdq.

Do you not think that other parents work incredibly hard to give their children good lives and no matter how hard they work they're not going to be able to buy into private education?

All students should have access to great education. Your DC are no less or more deserving than the next.

Also it is irrelevant where our elected politicians were educated. What is relevant is the effort they make to improve life chances for all

Some of the biggest bullies I've met have been at private school. My dd went to a specialist school (state funded bursary) and the private pay kids (all male) were "characters" to be polite I could be really derogatory because they conformed to stereotype of over privileged individuals. The majority were on state bursaries from a cross section of society, they fought for their bursaries unlike the private pay

No child chooses their school, their parents do. His school changed while he was there to being fee paying and he received a bursary. The bursary continued into sixth form based on his achievements at 16 and contribution to the school. So no I don't see any hypocrisy at all.

No, it's your experience of one school.

You really think just because people go to a fee paying school they're not racist?!

Bloody hell the private school parents have found a new angle.
Op you are so out of touch with ordinary peoples issues. If you can pay the 20% you will pay it. if not your kids will go to state school like the rest of our kids. It is not an issue.

Sorry, OP. Your children aren't deserving of a leg up more than any others.

We've worked incredibly hard to cover the remaining 50% but it has been worth it

So what? Parents who can't afford private fees work incredible hard too. You are not more deserving than them and VAT is not a punishment for a parent, it's a business decision on a organisation.

I worked with someone who was privately educated at a top public school, they were bullied. I was state educated, didn't go to university, and we did exactly the same job.It made no difference we are life long friends now.Their child went to the local comprehensive school and are now studying at a Russel Group university.Your children will be fine if they have the work ethic.

I'd also argue that any parent who finds it a challenge to pay existing fees is vulnerable to any increase of them and ought to be aware of that as an accepted risk when they send their children to private school.

OP, I feel very sorry for your children if they will have to move from a school they are settled and happy in - that is sad for any child and regardless of the situation. I would hope, however, that the school will be implementing changes to new bursaries, not existing ones, as most schools are doing now.

However, nothing you have said justifies calling KS a hypocrite for this. He had no choice over his schooling, it was his parents’ choice, and even they didn’t initially set out to send him to private school, it changed mid way through his education.

I am not unaffected by this and gloating about the impact like some on here. My DD attends private school. I will likely have to give up the job I currently do and love in a charity, in order to do the same role but for more money in a private company, in order to meet the increased costs. But it is my decision to send DC to private school, and that is on me. And if people judge my DC and call her a hypocrite for decisions I have taken for her, that would be wholly unfair. She has no involvement in this decision. Same with your kids. So it should be the same re: KS.

It's a half measure, certainly - removing their charitable status or banning them altogether will be much more effective. It will barely affect the number of kids in public school, and all the whiners will pay anyway.

It will raise £1.6bn, which is pretty good.

They won't all get a good education though, the shit schools will still be shit.

Is your assumption that no fee paying school educated adults support VAT on school fees? Thats NOT the case.