Doubts grow over Labour’s VAT plan for private schools

[Blanketyre]

Article in the Observer here:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/oct/05/doubts-grow-over-labours-vat-plan-for-private-schools

I must say they've gone very quiet on it.

Oooh, interesting. I’m a state school teacher and I didn’t realise we all sounded the same. :-)

Of course it isn't! A simple Google - what us the biggest cause of inequality in the UK - should clear that up for you.

That post has actually made me finally twig that you just want a fight. Go out for a walk maybe?

No, they are about wealthy parents buying houses in catchment of the best state schools, of using tutors to get their kids into grammar schools, about the existence of faith schools etc.
It is about the virtue signalling of wealthy state school parents funding internships with their contacts for their DC yet crowing about using state schools.
Inequalities run through the whole of society and indy schools aren't the be all and end all of these.

No it's not! A simple Google shows you the biggest causes of inequality in the UK.

@Applebutt3r seems to think if they say it enough times it will come true.

One of the biggest causes of inequality is the school catchment system where people can buy themselves a good education by buying a house near a good school.

It should be a lottery so that it is fair for everyone.

Yes, ok. So you are buying advantage for your children and you are in a privileged position. I'm not poor by any means, but I can't afford to "scrape" together enough to send 3 children to private school. My parents don't have that kind of money and I can't afford to borrow £45k per year for fees plus goodness knows how much for sundries.

No but then you likely send your kids to a school that was until recently rated outstanding, has less than half the national average of children on FSM and is set in 22 acres.

I am genuinely interested to hear from parents who don't have an ehcp, and have a SEN child in private education. If I'm understanding you correctly, it's because the standard of private SEN provision is so good that their needs are met without an ehcp?

Do you therefore object to your VAT being used to address the wider inequalities in state SEN provision, which you've freely acknowledged? You've said you want your child to have the best chance in life and you want everyone's children to have the best chance in life - and you would be happy to pay more taxes for this to happen.

Money from VAT isn't going to be used to improve SEN provision in state schools though. It is going towards teeth brushing etc

More taxes should come from income tax so that it is distributed fairly.

It was stupid of Labour to promise not to do this.

The Labour Party have voted to abolish private schools in the past. Their hatred is clear. They are now taxing parents to punish them and to harm the sector (it’s got absolutely nothing to do with funding public services - the IFS have said that). Phillipson posts a ridiculous, vindictive post on Facebook on a Saturday evening specifically mentioning astros. You don’t think that there’s a slightest bit of hypocrisy with them then benefitting from using the facilities of independent schools? They are entitled to their opinion. However, if you believe in something so strongly, at least have some backbone and stand by your principles. Don’t just toss your beliefs aside when it suits you.

I agree, grammars and faith schools, private tutors (in my area, it's only the catholic schools that ppl are clamouring to get into. The worst school in the area is a C of E secondary) are part of the problem.

Private schools are a big part of the picture too though, let's not pretend otherwise.

I'd argue against catchments for the best schools being in the most expensive areas though. In some cases, yes. In my area, no. I don't live in an expensive house in an expensive area and my child got into a lovely secondary school, it's very sought after. Birth rates in my area are decreasing. Last year she wouldn't have got a place. This year she got a place and there are 2 spare places in her form!

huh?

How can 2500 indy schools out of 32,000 schools be a big part of the problem? The bigger problem is inequality in society in general and the state education sector

Maybe that was another poster who was virtue signalling about using state schooling.

Education unions have gone further than that. They have questioned the policy in itself, not just the timing of it.

From the TES:

“Both NASUWT and ASCL, who represent teachers and school leaders across state and independent schools, expressed concerns about the potential negative impact the tax policy could have on state schools.
ASCL warned that VAT on independent school fees could create “unhelpful division across the education sector”, and questioned the government’s choice over how it will raise money for the state sector from “elsewhere in the education system”.
It also warned that potential pupil movement from independent to state schools because of these policies could both “reduce VAT revenue” and “increase costs to the state of educating more pupils”.”

Do you understand the wealth gap at all?

Yes thanks but that's society at large indy schools aren't the main source of inequality in the UK

Says who?

Take away indy schools and you still have the wealth gap and wealth inequality

That is why any inequality issues are best addressed through income or wealth taxes rather than VAT.

Google it

YABU

I hate this policy because it is a distraction technique to hide the fact that Labour are doing nothing for state education at all.

Free breakfast for children is not an education policy it is a welfare policy.

Recruit 6500 STEM teachers. Recruiting STEM teachers is not a new idea or policy. That was gov policy when I was training many, many years ago. It is what schools have been trying to do for years. How will Labour actually recruit and retain teachers? They have had years in opposition to think about it.