Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect my local cancel to pay for transport to a private school

458 replies

tootyflooty · 13/12/2008 12:23

My dd has been offered a place at a theatre school, it is fee paying but not local and they do not have scholerships. I asked the council if they would provide the cost of a train pass, but were told no, because it is not our local state school.My argument is that by funding my dd education for the next 5 years (not easily affordable for us)I am saving the local education authority vast sums of money as they will not be paying for her place at the local state school, it seems unfair that we are penalised for our decision, She would get a free pass if our local school was over 3 miles away.Sorry to ramble but we have never had handouts from anyone and this seems grossly unfair.

OP posts:
needmorecoffee · 14/12/2008 17:43

you're right Pag. DH went to some posh London school and he's a decent human being. He gave his career up to be a carer for dd. Money and status isn't important to him (tis for his parents though who are gutted he wastes his time with a disabled child. but then they are snobs)

JollyPirate · 14/12/2008 17:43

Xenia's posts make me laugh though. I know plenty of nice normal people who were privately educated and some who hated it (especially if they boarded) although I believe (courtesy of my niece) that boarding schools are good fun now.

Saturn74 · 14/12/2008 17:45

My children don't get nuffin from the state education system, and we still pay tax towards them there schools.
I want a fiver off each and every one of ya!
CAT me for bank details.

SparklyGothKat · 14/12/2008 17:47

HC, reading your poor english post makes me think you should go back to school (private maybe) lol

80sMum · 14/12/2008 17:47

I have a certain amount of sympathy with the OP's sentiment here.

I've long thought that private education should be at the very least tax-deductible. It does seem rather unfair that someone who chooses to pay for private education receives no compensation for having relieved the council of its obligation to educate their their child in the state-funded system.

Wouldn't it be a more equitable system if a child's education costs were set at a particular level and that the funding followed the child? In other words, you get free education if you choose to use the local authority school but if you choose private education, your child's funding goes with them and can be used towards the private school's fees.

crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 17:49

erm...someone explain to 80smum. I am feeling too poorly!

bronze · 14/12/2008 17:50

Agree Pag though I'm not sure I would call my DH normal even though hes nice enough

Saturn74 · 14/12/2008 17:50

Why Sparkly, how very dare you!
I'd ask you to step outside if it weren't so bloomin' cold.

pagwatch · 14/12/2008 17:51

crazyloon
it would take wwaaayyyy too long

pagwatch · 14/12/2008 17:53

actually Bronze DH has his moments too.

Although in fairness we are not especially keen on normal. Tis boring as shite.

crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 17:55

The thing is, 80smum, not everyone has enough money to go private. This creates a whole vicious circle - private schools can afford to headhunt the best teachers (well some of them - some are unpliable with big salaries as they believe poorer children need their knowledge too)

so the best (arguable point) education is therefore generally available only to those with higher incomes.

You could send your children to state schools if you wanted to support the state system, ie a fair education for all of our children, not just the privileged.

But you don't. So you are in effect taking from the state system by paying a premium not everyone can afford to poach their best teachers and the kind of resources not many of us can expect. By creating this 'overclass' you are also enabling an 'underclass'. Don't you see that - not everyone can be getting 'the best' by definition.

If someone is having the 'best' then someone else has to put up with the less good stuff.

It's the basis of left and right wing politics.

crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 17:55

Lol paggy thankyou

ahhhhhh

pagwatch · 14/12/2008 17:57
crazyloon1 · 14/12/2008 18:00

That's better thankyou

I am sure my post back there was a bit skew whiff
but am jsut going to give up for the time being

80sMum · 14/12/2008 18:11

That was very well put, crazyloon. I do see your point. But the fact is that some people will always have more money than others and money enables people to buy things. People with more money will be able to afford more/nicer/better things than people with less money. That's never going to change. You seem to be saying that some people being better off than others is intrinsically wrong. Should everyone be the same, educated in the same way, given the same opportunities, paid the same?

Judy1234 · 14/12/2008 18:11

The point I made was that not only do those of us who pay to go private save the state money but also educate children very well and those children arguably give more back in terms of future taxes, future income and ability to lead the nation etc. It isn't often a point you see made but it's true if you look at who does lead this nation in just about all institutions. Even the poster above whose children might be doctors - yes doctors not so likely to be unemployed or working in a call centre and that's partly because she or her husband pay fees.

Anyway so many old fundamental issues of the left/Labour are going by the way side at the moment, which is brilliant (work for dole, work fare and the like - unless they're just going through the motions again) that it was Labour that introduced the vouchers you can spend at private schools for age 4 year olds so the precedent is set. As for private health care being tax deductible - another labour idea I think or was that the tories -for old people. None of these things are new or radical. So a £5k a year voucher to all parents to spend at any school they like and be able to top us might not be beyond the bounds of possibility.

A few private schools have also opted back into state control recently but they tend to be failing ones so I don't see that a precedent of state funding private or whatever. Anyway it will be interesting to see what happens but I think it unlikely that I'll get tax relief on school fees so I'd better get back to work (I've been working most of the day today, Sunday and will next week, stop on 24th however and we're going skiing which will be great)... to earn the money to pay the fees and the benefits of mumsnet posters.

TheFalconInThePearTree · 14/12/2008 18:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Jux · 14/12/2008 18:16

Been out interacting with RL. Actually Xenia, my cousin-by-marriage is thick. Not disaffected (not got the brains for it, you know), but THICK. Very nice, I like him but he's unmitigatingly dumb. He's still got his hugely paid job because at Eton he learnt to be charming which works with the clients - oiks from state schools do the actual work.

TheProvincialLady · 14/12/2008 18:17

Oh pagwatch I didn't mean to imply that everyone who went/goes to private school is a waste of space (my friends weren't either BTW). Sorry if I gave that impression. I would send my DS to privte school if we had the money and if my DH wasn't violently opposed to it with every fibre of his being

It just does get on one's wick to be told that private = good, state = bad all the time. And 'gifts to the nation' made me want to spew.

pagwatch · 14/12/2008 18:18

80s mum

I think you are missing her point.
Whether you believe all should be equal or not it does seem a bit much to suggest that those who can afford more should then be given additional support from the state.

If you can afford to go private then fine. But why should my taxes pay for your transport. Why should anyone elses taxes pay for mine?

Jux · 14/12/2008 18:19

Oh and Xenia, I've had enough of my nation being led by ex-public school people like Blair, thank you. I wouldn't give tuppence for his principles.

JollyPirate · 14/12/2008 18:20

Thank you so much for my £40 a month tax credit Xenia. Or don't I count being a full time working mother? I have a Masters degree and a good job with a good salary (in comparison to many) but as a single parent could not possibly afford to educate DS privately - keeping a roof over our heads and all the bills paid comes first. Does this mean his contribution in future society will be worthless?
By the way - have you heard the saying "Jobs for the boys" (or girls)?

These days I don't have to work on a Sunday - but believe me I did my fair share of those too.

80sMum · 14/12/2008 18:25

It's not "additional support" I was suggesting pagwatch, only the same funding that the state would use to educate the child if it remained in state education.

What if every parent that currently educates their children privately were to take their children out of private education at the same time? Would the local councils/schools be able to cope? Where would the extra funding come from? The fact is, the parents paying for private education are paying twice, firstly to educate their own offspring and secondly to subsidise the cost to the local authority of educating other people's.

pagwatch · 14/12/2008 18:26

TheProvinicalLady

FWIW it would have made me want to spew too except that I am beyond bored with it.

It is like a bad Catherine Tate sketch that has been on too often. Eventually it just becomes lame.

pagwatch · 14/12/2008 18:33

80's mum

Your council will happily fund your child if you choose to use their services.
If your income and choices lead you to opt out then you opt out.
You don't get to cherry pick.
And if all the parents in private ed pulled their kids out then the system would be a mess but life would go on - as it seems to for those of us trying to navigate special schooling without enough SN schools to go around.

I am very happy with the choices I have made for all three of my childrens schools. I have chosen to pay for two of them and i made that choice with great gratitude in my heart that I was able to.
I generally would regard it as ill judged and unbecoming to then bitch about the fact that it is expensive
And frankly were my council to offer me a rebate i would prefer that they better spent that money on their job which is to try and provide the best education they can for all children

That is kind of what it says on the tin.