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.

@IVFmumoftwo yes I will be. Can only do this from secondary though as I work long shifts. Will probably reduce my hours too so will be providing less NHS care. If I'm getting free education now for my DD I don't need to work so hard.

What about the disparities re: Universities, the top ones have better facilities & some might argue teaching, sporting provision. Etc. No one mentions this.

Good. More will move and the costs will rise…meanwhile envious parents will be waiting for their kids free breakfasts

That’s because it isn’t as divisive as private schools versus state. Most of the people saying good make them pay would switch their kids to private if they could afford it.

Also no parent should be allowed to let their child have a quiet place to study for their GCSEs because it is not fair on the vast majority who don’t have that option!

@Another76543 communism doesn't actually work you know. It's pretty miserable. But I guess everyone is equal (well, in someone's ideology). Animal Farm anyone?

@Remaker why should children are private schools, in Australia or UK, be required to help state schools? One set of children isn't behest to the other

There was a recent post about Michaela school, which explained the students don’t fare well in further education due to being coached to pass the exams rather than being able to think critically.

@Mummyoflittledragon isn’t that what’s usually said re: private schools too?

Why do you think the state should do everything? The state has proven to not be particularly good at education. Is it just the mentality of bring everything down to the lowest common level? Also, paying for something doesn’t equate to luxury.

That isn’t what I said. What I don’t agree with is government policy/funding that props up the independent sector so that more parents can afford it. Because once you get past a certain level of private enrolment you will be taking the majority of interested and engaged families out of the state sector.

My belief is all the claims on mumsnet of hordes of private school students about to inundate state schools is mostly empty threats and hyperbole.

Actually that might be the case for parents of 1 child but parents of 2 and more will most definitely be looking at switching. Based on comments I have read and listened to parents of multiples in private

An extra 20% on 1 child is a hassle and unnecessary expense but doable with cutbacks. 2 or more kids will be a potential dealbreaker and most parents will rather move both and save a fortune. So the state will have to find 2 places. Most parents will not want to decide which child goes private or not and opt for both leaving.

people forget that the money those parents save by going state means they can afford to rent an apartment in a sought after area with a top state school due to the savings they make by going state.

if this policy goes through I hope the mumsnetters happy with this 20% increase don’t come wailing when their kids end up outside the catchment area of a top state school

Good I hope they do away with this policy. My DC are in state education and I’m
not a fan of a government pitting parents against each other.

It reeks of culture war populism and clearly wasn’t impact assessed. It was always going to end up costing more money than it gained. Labour showed their naivety, unseriousness and spite with this policy.

I have been appalled by the vindictiveness of some parents on here during debates on this. There are parents who send their kids to state who live in nicer areas, are very wealthy, and will ensure their kids get every leg up possible. Their kids will have more advantages than many private school kids. Stella Macartney went to state school, is she disadvantaged?

Labour should focus on measures which grow the economy. This will be the thing which increases cash to invest in schools as well as initiatives such as Sure Start, social services etc. Shaking down some parents will not sort out our issues.

Nice try.Did the op even read that article?

It’s happening, there are no doubts about that however there is quibbling over when. Jan or Sep

YABU to have posted something that isn't an AIBU in this topic. It's bloody irritating when people post things in the wrong place meaning those who have specific topics hidden in order to avoid them get stuck with it anyway.

The attempts at dragging up hysteria over this when the majority don’t give a shit is hysterical.

Numbers applying for grammars have actually fallen and the reduced birth rate means state schools won’t be swamped. It’s happening and quite rightly so- whether that will be Jan or Sep is the issue.

amp.theguardian.com/education/2024/oct/05/grammar-applications-drop-despite-claims-swamped-after-vat-private-school-fees

Exactly!!

Why do you think taxpayers, most being far worse off than you, should be paying for your kids' education? State education wasn't set up for rich people.

@Blanketyre

why did you post in AIBU??

chat is far more appropriate, or politics.

Idk. I wasn’t really looking into that when I was just wanting my dd to be able to access education. As is the school she chose at 13 (year 9) when she left state education is very much into a holistic approach and ensuring they mould a well-rounded student. This was never about hot housing my dd.

I wouldn’t bet my house on that. They are already backtracking on the manifesto pledge on non dom status.

It’s unlikely to happen. They won’t actively drop it but will delay pending legal challenges. And the reality is that labour are unlikely to serve more than one term if their start is anything to go on, and in 5 years time the tories will be back in power.

And before I’m accused of being a Tory bot, I didn’t vote for either of them. But it is a fact that a large number of people voted labour purely to get the tories out, and many didn’t vote at all because they wanted the tories out, but not in favour of labour.

If it isn’t the politics of envy, and people believe taxing education is the right thing, why not university fees as well? It would raise more money.

I will absolutely claim that. I'm not after "better" for my kids, just tolerable. In my town there are 4 secondaries. 1 is RC, no hope of admission there, 1 is allegedly, according to a decade old OFSTED outstanding and gets great results but is slammed by parents of kids not in top sets as having awful pastoral support and is in an unaffordable catchment, one is failing, and falling down and one is vast with a huge bullying and behaviour issue. The last one broke both my kids so I've scraped together enough to send them to a small, shabby private with help from my parents and 0% credit cards to live life on for the next few years. I get so tired of being told why I'm sending my kids private.