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?

I can’t believe this is real. I have never known the political views of the parents my children had okay dates with. I knew their names, phone numbers and address!

I don’t know one person IRL who speaks about private school and VAT - and I’m a teacher!

Seriously?

Nope.

Just them using the words “education tax” tell me all I need to know.

FWIW me and my friends all manage to socialise quite well. I’m a single parent with a disabled child and they are wealthy and have their kids in independent schools. I agree with the VAT. They don’t but choose to continue paying it and respect my opinion.

It’s amazing what being an adult can do for you!

Your poor kid. Only allowed to play with children that go to private schools then?? They’ll struggle in life if that’s the case, unless of course you’re so minted that they only ever hang out with rich people and never have to mix with the state educated population of the U.K. -

LOL no way, she is obviously quite unstable. I’ll go with hay fever or something

Eh?

Your prep didn’t close because of VAT. Schools that have closed are those that were massively in the red to start with.

There are more private schools now than before the tax.

Go back under your bridge.

Bet she's not asking questions on Mumsnet and throwing a tantrum when the answers disagree with her. Yet she's the unstable one. Uh huh.

It might help you calm down if you rephrase it as ‘VAT on an unnecessary expense’.

Is this a joke?

Here you go 😂

Oh, so lies come quite easily to you then. I can't say I'm surprised that you're not going to tell her why you're refusing to let your child associate with hers.

You mean VAT?? Don’t be ridiculous.

We have several very good friends who use private schools. I think private schools should be abolished. And yet we all get along absolutely great.
Mainly because we’re all grown ups and respect each other’s choices and viewpoints even when we disagree with them.
Luckily for us they do allow their children to play with our state educated ones.

Being a decent parent?

More like brain fever. I hear it’s common under bridges…

I think it's just rage bait. Except she's getting laughed at instead of making people angry.

Is modelling lying and cowardice being a decent parent then?

Yes. Definitely cancel the play date!

Your poor daughter!

Hahaha you sound batshit crazy 😂

Yes that was one school but I don’t like the concept

I feel it’s not a reflection on what life is really like whereas a comprehensive is a broad spectrum of people - like in real life

I know some people opt for this with the smaller class sizes, especially if kids are ND or have autism as it’s less overwhelming and I get that element too but on the whole I go with what my good friend who’s a teacher says “you can’t buy brain cells” they’re either academic or have strengths in other areas. You can’t “pay” to make them too of the class if they’re not and from speaking to people IRL I think some feel it’s superior and there’s some great state schools too.

public and private sector will have excellent, absolutely awful and everything in the middle but people choose what’s right for them and their kids - everyone is ok to have their own opinion.

This.
more closed in the comparable period under tories than under labour.

if the prep closed, it was already in trouble. Whilst I do feel for the children experiencing upheaval, the VAT wasn’t the reason the school closed.

Cancel the play date and tell her why. Give her a good laugh.
Can you not earn more money so you can afford to pay the tax?

This is like a Catherine Tate character 😂😂😂😂

It's not the kid's fault. I'm glad people didn't judge me as a child based on my mum. I'd have had no friends