Would Labour voters be upset if joining the EU meant they could no longer tax children’s education?

[Blarneyspoco]

Taxing children’s education is banned as part of EU membership. If the U.K. rejoined the EU, would Labour supporters be upset that they can no longer levy the tax or would it be seen as a necessary compromise.

Yes the behaviour control argument below means Labour knew no extra funds would go to state.

Yes, they lied to the private school parents, and to the state school parents.

That’s quite an accomplishment.

Yes, but there is always some space.

In my EU country we have no VAT on education at institutions registered at the official school registry. All schools registered there have to follow some rules - for example be part of the unified high-school entrance exam process using the results of standardised test as the main entry criterion.

There are some schools which operate outside of that system, the children are officially home-schooled (and therefore have to go for regular testing of progress against the minimal curriculum at some registered school). Afaik those schools pay VAT.

Similarly, commercial providers of extra-curriculars, even when operating at the school building pay VAT.

Registered faith schools don't pay VAT, but afaik they get lower grant per pupil, so it is a similar effect.

There’s no wriggle room on full time schools, Labour may have wriggle room on taxing adult education or online providers of children’s education. God only knows why they’re so obsessed with taxing education in the first place.

There are no grants for non government school pupils in the U.K. like for some EU countries, they get no public funding or tax breaks at all.

There absolutely is. In my country, if an organisation isn't registered in the school registry - which can happen if they don't plan to follow the standard basic curiculum and participate in standard high-school entrance exams, they don't count as a school.
When the standardisation of high-school entrance process was announced, some private schools decided to not continue as schools. So now we have a few "british schools" out of the system. They are schools in name, but legally they don't count. Their students are officially homeschooled, go to other "proper" school for exams twice a year and yes, pay VAT.

I thought that the faith schools get public funding in the UK, don't they? That's why I used them as an example. In my country the faith schools are co-funded, and in practice it means that no VAT kind of crosses itself out with lower grants.

Yes @FiveEightNine - most state faith schools are funded by the State. So voluntary aided in England was already 100% funded on operational costs (day to day running) and 90% on capex, but now the academy faith chains can get 100% on capex too many I think are converting to the academy faith groups to get 100% funding by the State.

There are faith schools in the UK that are still state schools and free to attend. They follow the national curriculum and are very very similar to non-faith state schools.

There are other faith schools in the UK that are private and are funded by fees, private donations, etc. They are subject to the VAT on private education just the same as all other private schools.

All non state schools are registered with the Government and subject to inspections in the UK or they’re not allowed to operate, no doubt there are some dodgy small ones unregistered but their pupils certainly won’t be getting taxed anyway.

There are state faith schools but these are publicly funded, non state faith schools receive no public funding.

Obviously the gains involved in rejoining the eu are more important than this tax

Oh no my privilege is being taxed. Wah wah wah

:shrug: you are focusing on the UK at this moment.
However, when you say there is no wriggle room at the general EU rules, it just isn't true and I'm giving you examples. Yes, doing something similar might require change of law, but that can be done.

In reaction to a change of law in my country, some schools decided to give up the "school" status - and now are legally something like clubs for home educated children. As such they can be inspected for safety and hygiene, but not for education (their pupils are inspected instead).

Or, maybe it would be possible to somehow legally separate the educational and the additional part of the private school offering (and tax just the second part).

The point is - if it becomes the biggest issue, there might be a way.

It sounds like the schools wanted this so opted out. It’s unlikely private schools will want to find a way to incur 20% VAT.

I read there’s actually fewer teachers now too. Not sure how accurate that is.

Yes there’s 1900 fewer teachers now.

The schools didn't want to join the unified entrance exams system, so they opted out from the whole package (and pay 22% VAT)

I'd expect that the more selective schools wouldn't like to hand over a big part of their selection process either. And those more community run private schools which serve SEN children would happily remain VAT free (which I'd consider a good thing), everyone happy.

It doesn't have to be the same thing, I'm just saying that some wriggle room is there.

Labour - telling us they're going to resolve the Brexit chaos of the last 10 years.. by.. er... oh.

And the soggy toast they give out isn't even expensive bread. What Are they spending the money on? Oh.. um..

Is that unified entrance system an EU thing or for your country specifically?

It’s very unlikely any schools in the UK would be interested in changing their legal status so that their pupils continue to pay 20% tax on their education

Not the rich people.

It’ll be gone at some point. Even the three masterminds of the policy have all been ousted within two years, tf.

Would Badenoch reverse it? Has she said?

Yes, it’s only Labour, Greens and SNP who wouldn’t.

Wasn’t the whole idea to upset a few parents and children? Surely you didn’t believe it was genuinely going to fund 6500 new teachers or any improvement in state education?

Country specific.

Anyway, it is just an example of the wriggle room.