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 ..

He obtained a place at the grammar school by merit not money as did my brother. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Starmer made the most of the opportunity probably encouraged by his parents. Unfortunately my brother ended up delivering bread. Life is what you make it

I agree with you op…they should have brought this in for new pupils only. I received a bursary for my DS who is autistic and very bright. I was desperate because he was so unhappy in his state school and putting him into an independent school changed our lives.

The head teacher always said that all children should receive the pastoral care that they received at his school. It’s rubbish that they don’t but I had to think about my own child. As does the op…of course she doesn’t want to have to move them!

You say your children are brilliant, and I know that shouldn’t make a difference but it really does. That and how many more years they have left at the school. Thing is, it wouldn’t be fair if all the kids with bursaries had to leave just so the other kids can stay.

Silly to ask on here though op….these threads never go well.

@TheSpoonyNavyReader
The difference is Sir Keir Stramer lives in a very affluent area, where everyone lives in large houses, he is not sending his children to the local comp in a deprived area."

He moved over 20 years ago to a house in an area where very many people of his age and professional status lived.

I don’t think that Keir Starmer is a hypocrite due to his or his wife’s educational background. However, from what I am aware, his children go to very good state schools, as do a lot of other Labour MPs’ children, and I do wonder if they would feel slightly differently if they had to send their children to the schools that some private parents are paying to escape. In an ideal world, all state schools would be good, and private or grammar schools wouldn’t be allowed to exist. Everyone should have a right to an equally good education, if we can even begin to make society fairer, but I do wonder if the VAT charge will unintentionally create an even greater divide between state and private schools.

The Education Secretary doesn't exactly come from a privileged background.

I've been a little disheartened by many of the threads from the private school parents.

The baseless attacks on the character of the prime minister that we see here. The insults levelled at those supporting the policy, that we are jealous, spiteful, far left. There's one going on now where there are accusations of hating migrants and being a Russian bot for supporting the policy. The entitlement, the complete lack of empathy for the many many people worse off, the self pity.

Then we have the gloating, the boo shucks Labour I've just snatched a place in a state school from a poor person, how do you like that then? posts. The scaremongering that rich people will leave the country, that other people's children will be pushed out of the best schools by the sharp elbows of their disgruntled betters...on and on it goes.

Most people will feel empathy for worried parents, but the approach has been so alienating its pretty hard to hang on to.

1. his name is spelled Keir
2. the topic of school fees has been done to death on here of late
3. the country has more pressing concerns just now

@GrannyRose15 "
Of course he is trying to destroy private schools. That is the aim of all socialists - to make sure there is a level playing field of the lowest possible standard."

Why would that be the aim of socialists?(Starmer isn't a socialist, by the way) How would it benefit anyone?

Your school have chosen to reduce bursaries rather than pass on the costs to the better off parents. That’s shit. But the VAT on fees is fair.

He had no choice in his school. He was a child. Ridiculous statement.

You've been incredibly lucky to get 50% of the school fees paid. Yet you're still moaning. Pay up or ship out. Sorry no sympathy.

I went to a private school and don't think they should be exempt from VAT, either. I can see that there might need to be support in place for children with special needs, though, so that they can be in a school that suits them.

Sigh. Yet another post.

Wouldn't it be amazing if people put this energy into making state education better - for the 93% of children.

And before you ask I did - I was a Chair of govs for over a decade and helped improve our school.

The thread is filling up so why would it not be wanted.

He’s not a socialist. He is left leaning/centric. Socialist is a very out dated term used to insult left leaning individuals. It’s lazy terminology.

@Corvidmango Yep. Glad you agree with me.

If your children are academically brilliant, they'll be just fine. They already have a great start in life with those gifts.

Think of the children who struggle with academic studies and be thankful yours don't have that barrier to overcome.

Racism is not just state schools. Wow!!

Envy is a green eyed monster- you are so lucky as many people will never have the chance even your kids have, why you you begrudge someone who had a chance in life depsite NOT being from a very priviledged background?

There are many, many state schools that are very hot on bullying and especially racism.

It's ridiculous to write off the whole state sector because of one awful school.

You’re children are in a system where money enables you to have privilege. Just earn more money i suppose. If you support private schools you must think that’s a fair system. Just earn more money

Even the most scare-mongery pessimistic predictions show that the vast majority of private school parents will keep their kids in private school.

If this really is an attempt by the Labour Party to "destroy" private schools isn't going to be an incredibly ineffective one. Or, maybe that's a claim that's completely made up to add to the scare-mongering. One of the two.

Your children are in a system where money enables you to have privilege. Just earn more money i suppose. If you support private schools you must think that’s a fair system. Just earn more money

Exactly. If you want something that's expensive, you have to work to get it.

Lots of hostility and envy on this thread. If state schools were funded adequately, people wouldn't feel the need to send their kids to private schools. OP, it would be unreasonable for the school to take bursaries away from existing pupils. Perhaps they will be reducing the number of new bursaries? Sad, all the same.

Anyone who thinks Keir Starmer is a socialist in 2024 either has no clue what that term means or is lying to rile up anger.

Or find a cheaper private school. It's not like they all charge the same.