To be worried about what the Labour government will do next?

[Scenicgirl]

Let's be honest, Labour has been a massive disappointment for this country, pissing off the pensioners with taking away the WFA, the farmers, NI changes which impact employers, immigration etc and today refusing compensation to the WASPI women after they ridiculed the Conservatives when they didn't commit to a solution. Don't we deserve better than this constant shit show of lies and deceptions which were clearly spouted out purely to gain power?
For the 1st time in my life, I worry about where we are heading.

Well it was better prior to VAT coming in because schools were offering more + more generous fee assistance.
Or are you suggesting now restricting where people can buy houses so they can't game the admissions system?

You thought they were a permanent teacher at the school. Well you were wrong. They have also tutored my child so they know what particular needs they have.

So the answer is that I didn’t have to ask them the question, because I trust them to know what is right (and what isn’t) for my child, just like their judgment is trusted by the several local authorities that this teacher currently carries out work for. There was nothing panic buying about my decision and it is insulting of you to suggest otherwise.

Well I think it’s a good idea. I mean I’m not getting fanatical about it!

Inequality will not widen because of VAT on private school fees.
.

No, I suggest a different enrolment system. What? I don’t know, I’ve not given it thorough consideration. But I doubt it’s outside the realms of possibility.

In your opinion.

But, yes it ultimately will. It is already happening

What a shame when you come across negative and defeatist teachers. Probably better off switching entirely to tutoring.

Unlikely.

Increasing the cost is the surest possible way to increase inequality! The Marquis of Beaufort or whatever isn't going to think twice about the extra 20% fee to Eton. Its aspirational that get stung, those who can afford it, just, but are now just tipped over the edge. How dare we get ideas above our station?!?!

But that isn't being suggested so you force MC parents out of indy schools = they either buy houses in best catchment/they use private tutors up to A level. How does that reduce inequality?

What they don't do is go to the poorest performing school in the area and then help out on the PTA.

Starmer makes a deal out of his kids going to state yet he lives in catchment of £2million houses and uses a school whose cohort are London metropolitan elite so they will be getting the same peers and connections as if they had gone to Eton/Win Coll etc.

This is what happens when you push MC out of indy schools. Inequality stays exactly the same because money sticks with money.

It is literally happening 😆 the data shows it

It’s important to take emotion out of it. We can have decent state education tailored to all children but we won’t as long as people pay to opt out. People in power who send their children to private school have no incentive to give the state system the radical overhaul it deserves because their kids don’t need it. And cabinet ministers tend not to be the wealthiest plutocrats and aristocrats we have so that’s where your argument falls down.

Ideally private education should be banned altogether but I’m sure that idea will cause you to blow a gasket!

How?

The parents of children in the private sector have paid for their place in the state sector. They are not taking up that place meaning that overall the state sector (did) have to spend less in the olden days before The Budget...

The independent sector was educating thousands of UK children for free. The state does not pay for those children. The independent sector saved the country about £4billion.

VAT on school fees means that the state will now have to spend more money on education in order to educate the children of parents that can no longer afford private education; those in education now or making the choice in the next few years. The number of children seems to be a lot more than Rach anticipated. Who could have guessed!?

In fact it seems that the policy on adding VAT to education is actually going to cost the country and the tax payer rather a lot rather than raise money. Another expense to worry about for everyone.

That would be fine if the economy was booming. But are we a well-off rich country where everyone is doing well and the economy is thriving? I'd suggest not. So a rather expensive policy introduced for pathetic idealogical reasons seems to be a bit of a luxury that the country cannot afford. Rather like train drivers (not really needed so much these days due to automation but highly unionised so Labour are scared of them) being paid nearly £100,000 and coming for more.

But that's Rachel from customer services for you and her delightful sidekick Bridget Phillipson who seems to think that only private schools use headed notepaper rather than using scraps of paper and bits of chocolate wrappers to write letters home which presumably state schools use.

That's in whose hand Keir S has entrusted the reputation of the whole of the Labour Party. And the results will speak for themselves.

I am not disagreeing with the shit show Tories.
I am saying that Labour are just as bad. The lies, u turns and ‘hard decisions’ that have been made in 5 months is shocking.

If you don’t understand that the more people, and the more diverse range of people use state schools, the more incentive there will be to
improve those schools - across the board - I’m not sure I can help you any further.

ChallahPlaiter as pp have pointed out, there are plenty of rich people already using state schools so I’m not sure how a few more are going to make such a difference.
The very rich will continue to pay for private education.

Could you give some suggestions of how a few more rich parents will suddenly improve schools in a way that the present parents are unable to do?

It's also a bit of an insult to every state school parents! What have you been doing all this time guys?? Why don't you care about your own kids?? Why do you need private school parents to come in and sort you and your schools out??

I feel that's rather a strange approach by the PP but there you go.

What price equality?

As has been pointed out, we’re five months in.

Yes it would be strange, wouldn’t it, if I’d said that. Fortunately I didn’t.

No I can’t because I didn’t say rich parents would improve schools.

Equality doesn't exist. The country cannot be run for the lowest common denominator.

Anyway I'm sure everyone in the country is keen that while their lives are shafted, at least "equality" and we are all going to be equally stuffed.

As has been pointed out, we’re five months in.

Introducing policies that the BoE show are stagnating the economy and managing to disrupt growth from first half of the year isn't great

Not long but also not good

Absolutely not. If you think 5 months of any government, even one run by hamsters, can compare to the 14 years of damage, corruption and theft by the previous Tory administration, then you are making a massive misjudgement. Or never thought they were that bad. Either way, I couldn't disagree more. And the 'just as bad' argument is possibly the most pernicious and harmful thing that's been said about political choices in recent years. It's landed us and other nations in no end of trouble.

Gosh is that what equality means to you? How sad.

Are you actually agreeing that this policy is idealogical rather than for money raising reason like RR is claiming? Quite refreshing!