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 ..

I'm a Northerner @CurlewKate ...

You know some of us Northerners are actually educated and value education?

Starmer didn't have a choice about his schooling, and where his wife went to school is irrelevant. In the end, however lovely fee-paying schools may be, they are businesses - they charge fees! - and there's no reason they shouldn't be subject to the same rules and taxes as other businesses. If they face financial pressures, they can find ways to cut costs (larger class sizes, fewer bursaries, reducing use of resources, selling land or buildings) or they can increase income (higher fees, more charges to 3rd parties). Fee-paying schools have had a very good run - they have been advantaged for a long, long time - and this rebalancing is long overdue.

@Claphambunny Isn't Rayner both deputy leader and secretary of state for housing and local government? That's hardly being "hidden".

She does have an education. She went to primary school, and junior school, and secondary school. She also went to college. But please don't let facts get in the way of your sneering. I personally don't think that everyone in government needs to have done PPE at Oxford so I'm willing to give her a bit more than a month in government before writing her off.

Noone wants have to have PPE but at least an A level...?

I grew up in a crappy area, as did my own DC.
We both went to state schools.
I came out with 9 'O' levels, a BTEC and 3 distinctions for secretarial qualifications.
My DC left school with 18 A & B grade GCSEs and a couple of BTECs, then went on to college and university.
We're nothing special, so if we could get decent grades at the local comp, there's no reason why others shouldn't be able to.
So, I see no reason for people sending their DC to private schools. Spend your money on things that they'll appreciate.

Like what? Nike trainers? You know some kids actually love and appreciate schools?

Are you suggesting that it is incomprehensible that any child could appreciate a state school? My DC love their secondary comp, work hard and do well. They are not unusual among their peers.

You choose to spend your money on part financing their private school education. That's your prerogative but you don't need to. The other options are really not so terrible.

If you are paying for private schooling you are purchasing a service and that should be taxed accordingly. It’s not hard to understand. We aren’t going to agree so it’s pointless to continue this argument.

I don’t send my DC to private school for the grades (in fact my other DC’s state school has higher results), I send them for their mental wellbeing and happiness. I know that they will appreciate it because the negative experiences that I had at school destroyed my mental health.

Not all goods or services are taxed though. So you argument fails there. Plus private schools reduce pressure on state schools and save the taxpayer money.

And if you post something on here, you have to expect someone to disagree with you. You can’t tell people not to respond!

I hear you OP.
Kier took the 11+ which we can only assume means his family, and Kier himself, did not want him to attend the local state school. Children do not have to sit this exam, it is a choice.
I read collectively the families petitioned the Council for the fees to be paid when its status changed, again a choice, to ensure they did not have to move into the local state. I personally have no issue with this, and would likely do the same, but the facts are he did not wish to be educated within the local non selective state school.
People get very mean around the issue of schooling and it’s not a great trait.
I’m sorry your children may no longer receive a bursary and thereby continue at their school of choice.
My husband managed to climb out of poverty and a failing, rough inner city School in part due to attending a fantastic school with a fully paid bursary. He had to study and pass exams to secure a place and so remains eternally grateful for this opportunity.
It is way too simplistic to say everything would be fantastic if only state schools existed.
The hard truth is teachers say they are leaving in large part due to the attitude and behaviours of students and their parents who often do not respect the teachers, or their own educational opportunities.
It is delusional to believe private schools are in any way to blame for the myriad of problems experienced within the state school system.
Just for clarity, I attended a failing (lowest 10%) comprehensive as although I passed my 11+ my parents decided I should stay within the local state system.
We should be punching up not down.

This

How do you know that the other options aren’t terrible. My friend teaches at my local state comp. She told me not to send my kids there. What would you do in those circumstances?

The quote you include was mine. I have already responded to it.

Keir is actually extremely popular. Right from the off, he presented and was received as a grown-up statesman in international events. You are living in dream land. Money needs to be clawed back to fund our public services that were decimated by 14-years of Tory Government. They are taking my husbands winter fuel allowance and despite not being rich pensioners (my mortgage will continue for another 10-years and we don’t have inheritances etc), we get it and we accept that loss. I have also sent a child to private school. I knew then that their charitable status was an establishment scam.

Kier took the 11+ which we can only assume means his family, and Kier himself, did not want him to attend the local state school. Children do not have to sit this exam, it is a choice.

Is that a fact? I'm a bit younger than he is and, to be fair, it was a very long time ago but I'm pretty sure the junior school I went to had everyone do the 11+.

No @HowardTJMoon , only selective grammars. There were other local options available to him. As someone said earlier... All pigs are equal but some are more equal

And this happened about 15 years ago, and Diane Abbot is not in favour with this Labour government so I don't see the relevance.

Well that’s great for you but my dad lives off £240 per week and the winter fuel allowance made a big difference to him.

Your experience of one private school does not mean that all private schools are failing to meet their charitable objects.

Let's imagine she got A levels in biology, art and spanish.

How are you envisaging that these would materially affect her political performance? Or would you just change the target of your sneers from her not having A levels to her not having the right A levels?

👍 The state system would quickly become the best in the world if we did that wouldn’t it. We couldn’t have rich people’s kids having inadequate education could we?

I'm not sure if everyone here has read the entire thread before posting. I did and find this post from yesterday very poignant. As one of the latest posters said, the problem is with parenting and attitudes, not simply funding.

I'm sorry to hear that your children experienced racism the state sector. Sadly, I am aware of it in private schools too - racists are quite frankly everywhere as this week has shown explicitly. I hope that their school acts with integrity and wish them the best in their education.

@Dibblydoodahdah well at the moment I would (in London at least which is where both the OP and I reside)
a) investigate it for myself and decide for myself
b) avail myself of the full ?six or five I can't remember preferences I would get on the application form

State schools in London are some of the best in the country thanks to the London Challenge. It baffles me that so many think they are a completely unacceptable choice for their DC.

It hasn’t fallen down because it will be taxed.

I’m happy with people to disagree with me, but you’ve made your point, I’ve made mine and now we are just going around in circles.

the argument about reducing pressure is a silly one really, if there is a mass influx into state education then the systems will just change to accommodate.