AIBU to reconsider a long friendship over support for education tax?

[CoconutRumcake]

A close friend of over 15 years last night unashamedly said she supported the children’s education tax. To put this in context, she is godmother to my ds and has seen first hand what damage this has done to children and families as well as her own sister losing her job when the school closed. She had maybe drank too much and has apologised over text this morning, but I really can’t shake the feeling that I don’t want to be around her.
AIBU -try and move past it
YANBU -it’s run it’s time

Are your school taking more than one international student?

Everyone who works, buys goods, pays Income Tax and VAT contributes to the economy.
You don't get a greater say or influence on democratic and social policies just because of your income bracket.
Your whole tone on this thread shouts out how pissed off you are that you are having to pay extra for your childrens private education.
As said previously you have a choice send them to state school or suck it up and pay the tax. You can afford it.

You're right on some level, but as a society it’s generally accepted, since monasteries started schooling children, that children’s education is a good thing for an all and should be encouraged. The same as we agree smoking is a bad thing and should be discouraged.

I have read the whole incredulous thread. The word you keep missing is private. It has been pointed out over and over that the “tax” you keep talking about is not on state schools. But you keep conveniently missing the point. Yes you are paying tax for state schools education, which we all do, and then you are paying for a private school education now with 20% added. So a bit of double billing but your choice. The fact your friend supports this has got lost in the wash here. I would suggest the fact you are so bloody minded and set in your position she may be dodging a bullet. You sound exhausting.

but in an ideal world, really every child should have the same access to a good level of education, regardless of how rich their parents were.

And I work in a private school at the moment! Theres unfairness everywhere. Education is one of them

Caviar may be a luxury item, but it still meets the definition of a basic foodstuff according to the current VAT rules. It's mainly down to the level of processing that foodstuffs have before the consumer buys them.

No they wouldn’t. If you seriously think that someone previously paying £20k+ pa for schooling would simply use their local catchment state option you are deluded. They’d move house to a better catchment area as huge numbers already do.

It is interesting those who pay £100,000’s extra to live in a house that ,in your words, prevents the “low-life’s” from having access to their school aren’t similarly castigated.

I'm not sure a priority of the UK government should be subsidising education for people from other countries.

I don't think the OP has scrolled down and read the link she keeps posting. The title is misleading.

She doesn't have the social awareness to realise how much egg she has on her face.

👏👏👏👏👏👏

You must be so happy that we do have education for all in the UK that nobody has to pay for at point of use.

It is not all about money or even respective schools. The quality of parenting is crucial.

Something as simple as reading to your child every day is very closely correlated with socio economic status of the parents despite books being available free to all via libraries if you can’t afford to buy them.

This doesn’t really look like it’s about your friend at all but rather the debate you want to have. Fine to have that debate but somewhat dishonest to frame it as about your friendship.

These wealthy international students that go to private school in the U.K, then go on to University in the U.K.

The Universities charge international students - huge international fees.

Adding VAT to private schools in my area, means less international students are now coming to the area, this means that local Universities have also been affected, as they are getting less international students.

The University nearest to me told me that lots of staff redundancies are happening there, as they need the international student fees to keep going.

Not just looking at if private schools are right or wrong for the moment,

I think it's also necessary to look at the financial impact this has had on the wider Education sector

The thread is really about if I should remain in contact with someone who thinks a children’s education tax is a good thing. I think says a lot about someone’s character whether they want to tax children’s education or even their intelligence.

Going independent is no longer a viable option for us now the school as closed and to be honest the tax seems to have changed the schools from what I’m hearing plus really I don’t think it’s worth the cost now. I still do t want to take the option away from other parents though, just because it’s not for us . Being the only developed to nation to tax children’s education really says quite a lot about us.

Most of the private schools I am aware of have not closed due to VAT. Schools also closed regularly before the tax changes.

@CoconutRumcake as a fee-paying school parent , who disagreed with the removal of the tax break, I must say you sound absolutely unhinged.

It's a tax on a business.

I think you need to give your head a wobble quite honestly. You are both OK to have differing opinions on what is after all a luxury. If we were talking about something that was damaging to societies most vulnerable, that might be different. But your topic is essentially about a tax enforced choice between fee paying and state school. Over 93% of UK children attend state school. And yes, many of them have quite specific needs.

I'm not suggesting for a moment you have to agree with her. But you'd be nuts to end a friendship over a luxury like that.

Yes, just wish there was more options. You do get a bit of choice in London, drama schools, grammar, academies etc but for most it’s local comp or impoverishing yourselves at ever decreasing snd more expensive independent options.

there's also homeschool

It’s not about that at all. As you’ve just continually posted about how your position is the right one. Nothing else to do what what your friend has been to you over 15 years.

“be honest the tax seems to have changed the schools from what I’m hearing plus really I don’t think it’s worth the cost now”

🤣🤣🤣

Your thorough and evidence based review of the independent schools of the UK is noted.

You know many people go on to have happy, successful lives “even though” they had the (god forbid) terrible misfortune/affliction of having to attend their local comp right?

The tax is on LUXURY education. Not education. State education is available to every child in the UK funded from taxes. It's not a choice between no education and fee paying education. Consider the reason that Finland has what is arguably the best state education in the world: a ban on private education.