Allow a play date where mum unapologetically supports children’s education tax

[GigglyOrange]

Just this really, our local independent prep school closed due to the education tax earlier this year and has caused absolute chaos for lots of families, including my own. My dd (6) has been invited for a play date with a girl she seems very friendly with and who seems very sweet, but I’ve since found out from another parent that the mum is an ‘unapologetic education taxer’. My instinct is to cancel the play date, AIBU?

It's fascinating how somehow private schools are immune from the massive demographic change that is affecting state schools at all levels across the country.

We all pay tax on education. Private education is a lifestyle choice and, like everything else, is subject to VAT as it should be

Anything that puts money towards government spending so we can prop up a majority of the country is beneficial in the long term.

We all know public sectors are in the shit due to budget cuts.

Is it clear? What "type" of person supports VAT on luxury non-essentials, In your view?

Not sure how that would work. What I think is that people should be financially educated.

Why make your daughter's school life harder? You've already said she was having a hard time - and now your using a very odd metric to determined who's suitable and who's not - this will end up causing further issues as I can almost guarantee it's not just 1 parent that has those views.... What will you do if it ends up being most of the parents in her class?

Ye gods...

Oh ffs.

Like yourself you mean?

You stated people paying £12k in tax aren’t contributing?

Plenty of people have seen the impact of large/ low income families going to foodbanks, or chosing between heating and eating, and still let their children play with the children of right wing families who want to abolish the social safety net…

Well aren’t you a peach? How dare people not contribute as much as you do 🙄

Money doesn’t buy class.

It's a tax on an optional education expense, not a tax on education.

She’s not having a hard time now, did initially. It’s just her, everyone else are decent hard working families.

So, @GigglyOrange , please explain the assumptions behind this assertion.

Yes I would, and I'm against the tax/VAT. People can hold a different view to you, and still be nice, decent, honest hard working people.

And adults can be not great and still have lovely children. My best friend grew up with parents who smoke drank, never worked and had 11 children. She is a senior professional on a six figure salary who sends her children to private school and are completely against labour as she feels benefits 'enabled' her parents lifestyle. She is nothing like her parents.

When I look at my 2 daughters friends, I only consider whether that child is nice to my DD, whether they are honest, supportive, happy for their successes rather than jealous and trying to bring them down. Tbh some if their friends parents are pretty unpleasant, but their children (as far as I can see) are lovely, fun girls who care about my girls. Some of the parents I am friends with, some I communicate only to arrange parties and playdates.

Being different, and exploring those differences in a tolerant respectful way inquisitive way is something I find really interesting, thats why I enjoy debates on this site (as long as they don't get nasty). I have learnt things I never knew, adjusted my viewpoint where there has been a genuinely strong enough evidenced argument made.

😃 Love a laugh on a Saturday.

LOL the children’s optional education expense tax

OP what IS your family income? Could you have afforded a different private school? One that can afford to run, pay legal tax and still provide what you wanted? Because if not then regardless of what you earn you can't afford private school.

Same way that a few years ago a lot of people could afford to buy homes and now can't or could afford to have a SAHP into he family but now can't, or could afford to have a parent work part time but now can't, could afford organic food and now can't etc etc etc.

Families have been much more widely effected in much wore fundamental ways than the very small number who gave had to move to state schooling as they can no longer afford private school. I don't know how else to spell out to you that your woe is me attitude is ridiculous to almost everyone, not because you earn more than us (I think it's likely our household I comes are at least comparable) but because you cannot see beyond the end of your own nose

OP, are you a net contributor in tax?

Sending a child to private school is a choice…

I’m a state school teacher who paid for both of my children to go to private secondary schools, and I think they should be taxed like any other business. Send your children to school where you want, I have no opinion on that but be prepared to pay whatever the school deems to be the cost of that. The schools have put up the fees to cover what they now owe to hmrc, so just stop with the ‘children are being taxed’, they aren’t. If they were being sent the tax bill direct from hmrc then you would be correct, but they aren’t. It sounds like the other school mum has had a lucky escape by you turning down the invitation.

That's hilarious from someone who thinks they are being personally taxed because the school they choose to use has to pay business tax and tries to present it to their customers as a tax on them. Which you've fallen for.

I like how the school is off the hook so not absorbing the cost…

Quite the victim, aren’t you? 🤣

Think you're going to have to put a bit of work into your trolling approach, sweetie. Frankly, you're coming across as though you've been on the Pinot Grigio all day.

Still, what exciting plans do you and your imaginary child have for tomorrow?