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 ..

It's not hypocritical. It was his parents decision where to send his kids. He sends his kids to state.

I'm sorry your kids experienced racism at their state school. Thats clearly unacceptable. However it isn't really anything to do with VAT on private school fees.

It's not a ban on private education or a ban on scholarships.

@Bursarysadness "My children experienced racism in their primary state school. This is sadly my experience of the state sector. The school did next to nothing about it"

My godson experienced anti semitic bullying in both his prep and public schools. I have the intelligence and understanding not to judge all private schools by his experience.

Starmer went to state school. So do his children.

Im a little disheartened by the discourse on these threads recently re private schools. I know it's been done a lot but posters are still creating threads clearly because its a huge worry for them and rather than any engagement they just get mocked. If you don't want to engage that's grand, I rarely do so I don't post.

I'm absolutely for VAT on private schools and pleased it's coming in, but Ive been moved by the obvious, genuine fear many posters have and the legitimate concerns they are raising. Rather than 'who cares, shut up you lost', I think we can go 'ok, we both want the same thing, great education for our children, support for SEN and parental choice, I just don't want access to those things to be whether or not you can afford it and clearly you don't either as you are rightly angry when it may become unaffordable for you, we're already in that position (private school is unaffordable) so we are allies.'

Let's get transparency on where the money will be spent, let's push for more money in general to support our teachers, let's get involved in the school to raise money and be involved, let's keep an eye on our schools and ensure we are pushing for accessible trips and classrooms, let's hold ourselves to a higher standard when dealing with other children in our kids class.

It's not a me vs you, we all want the same things.

We've worked incredibly hard to cover the remaining 50% but it has been worth it, seeing how my children blossomed

There is always this moralistic angle! We work hard & make sacrifices to afford it, others just don’t prioritise it. By that logic can you work a little bit harder?

I'm in the exact situation. I chose to send my dc to a started school even though I could have afforded to send them to a private school.

One of my first teaching jobs was at a private cathedral school and after that I chose to teach in the state system.

💤💤💤💤💤💤

Ah yes, because the sort out people who can afford to send their kids to private school are famously never racist are

Obviously some are but there is generally less racism in private schools who take children from diverse backgrounds and race does not enter into it when the child is selected. The children work together, become friends, as do many of their parents, and never give it a thought because they are used to being with people from different ethnicities. There's no 'them and us', which you do see in some state schools iin which kids form posses, opposing each other.

However, it does happen - and is definitely not nice! Usually the parents (or one of them), are racist and show it.

In Keir Starmer's case, he went to a grammar school which became private a year or so after he started there. His parents wanted him to stay there which is understandable and, with three other children and a stable but not very big income, it's obvious they would have applied for a bursary. In Keir Starmer's case it paid off, he did very well. Bursaries do not cover the entire fees, they vary. A full bursary will be a bigger help than a half but parents will still have to fork out quite a bit, and there are always extras.

I don’t think you sound “entitled” and I’m sorry to hear of the racist abuse at your children’s primary, no wonder you wanted to move schools. Is grammar school an option in your area or another private school with a generous academic bursary? Some of the schools near us offer 60-80%

I’m completely agree! Finally a private school parent talking sense. Private schools should just be for the people paying the fees and no one else. Pure capitalism.
Now we’ve agreed that, let’s remove their charitable status. What a con that always was!

You aren’t being disadvantaged, you are merely not being unfairly advantaged any more.
State school is where the vast majority of children are educated. It’s the standard, it’s not a problem. Welcome to the real world. There are many more things to be concerned about - children with no food, no heating, no stable parenting, no safe home life.

It's not mine experience. You can't say that there should be no VAT on private schools because of racism.

My point exactly @Seashor. Our friend says that most of his classes are unmanageable. He says the main change needs to come from parents so the teachers can teach and have respect. Parents not participating and parents can be abusive. Absenteeism is shocking. So it's not just underfunding but lack of any respect for the teachers or hard work among the society. He says the kids who want to learn can't as there is usually a group of several kids totally disrupting each class

What about all the children at state schools? Should they not have the opportunity to 'blossom'?

There's nothing hypocritical about a Labour PM focusing on opportunities for the many instead of the privileged few.

If you can’t afford the fees you are are in the same position as the vast majority.

They haven’t abolished private schools. It’s still an option IF you can afford it as it’s always been.

It isn't, they have children who drop out, aren't interested, disillusioned, and all that, the same as anywhere else. However they do generally get a very good education which stands them in good stead whatever they eventually decide to do.

It's utterly pathetic trying to paint Keir Starmer as 'privileged' and out of touch when you remember Boris and Rishi - both of whom are MASSIVELY unaware of how ordinary people live.

Keir's father was a toolmaker, his mother a nurse, His wife works for the NHS as an OH worker. He's an ordinary person who was bright enough to pass the 11+ and attend a grammar school, which eventually went private. His parents didn't have huge amounts of money and he didn't go to Eton or Winchester - unlike previous PMs.

I'm so sick of privileged people who send their kids to private schools whining it's going to cost them more. Most people don't have the option. Suck it up.

I think people were responding more to the question about keir's hypocrisy.

On second reading, I can see she is concerned about her children's welfare, which does warrant sympathy. It is a sad situation for her family personally and I hope they all adjust well.

I do think the policy is crap but not that kier is a hypocrite.

We've worked incredibly hard to cover the remaining 50% but it has been worth it, seeing how my children blossomed.

You can't afford it. Lots of people can't afford lots of things. Perhaps someone else's child would blossom if they could get them ballet lessons or a horse but if you can't afford those things then that's the way it is.

Well if the worst happens (insert irony emoji) and your kids have to go to a state school you will have the 50% you are currently paying out on fees to pay for enrichment activities, tutors,therapy, to ensure that they take their rightful place in society.

Christ on a bike.

Go strip naked and roll down a grassy hill. He’s not trying to destroy private schools and we absolutely don’t need your level of hysterical twisting of motives and policies in politics.

My understanding was the school didn't charge until 16. He received a bursary for sixth form.

At 16, he was young socialist. He was old enough to make his own decision on where to do his A levels. (I certainly did, as did many of my friends.) He could have gone to a state sixth form college.

Im a little disheartened by the discourse on these threads recently re private schools. I know it's been done a lot but posters are still creating threads clearly because its a huge worry for them and rather than any engagement they just get mocked. If you don't want to engage that's grand, I rarely do so I don't post.

I have sympathy for dc that have to move but so many of these threads have been ridiculous, look how many on this thread don’t understand what a hypocrite is! It seems that many people had no issue with the elitism etc of private schools until they were on the wrong side of the fence but want other people to now care.

Another one! Honestly. Move on.

Yet the last government consisted primarily of privately educated politicians and it was the most racist this country has seen in modern times.