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

[tootyflooty]

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.

there are other options though my dd goes to a state school during the week and we take her to stage school on saturdays during term time we pay for the stage school seperately.

we dont have alot of money but we know that this is something dd wants to do and we work really hard to be able to provide that for her as there are a) no specialist performing arts full time schools in our area and b) we wouldnt be able to afford the fees anyway

so for us it's a happy medium and within budget. Could op not do something like this instead?

Crazyloon - thats a really really good point. Shame Op's postings don't relly dwell on that as that seems fairly reasonable in certain a light.

Think the idea that her dc isn't getting help travelling is because the travellers, poor people etc are taking it all may have put op's arguments on the back foot!!

Mean

I don't have any problem with people choosing private schools - my DCs are the only ones out of all their cousins on both who go to state schools, and that's because we've been very fortunate to have excellent ones nearby. Otherwise we would have probably made sacrifices and gone down the private route too. BUT I would not have expected financial help from the state to do so.

I have no idea where that mean came from at the end of my posting!?? What's that about?

I don't think the OP is a troll. I think her views about travellers are that uncommon actually (but very sadly). Having worked a fair bit with travellers here and in Ireland I can say that it is unlikley that the majority pay much in the way of income tax or council tax (unless they have become very assimilated into settled society). However, getting their children into mainstream schools can make a massive difference to their prospects and day to day lives.

The OP just can't get her head around the simple fact that "going private" on anything just doesn't qualify you from a rebate from the public sector. In may ways, it's strange that she has focused on the travel costs as I assume they will be minor compared with the fees, the shoes, the costumes, the books, the trips etc etc. And wait til she she's the extra childcare she incurs due to their extra long holidays....

I do think we should be allowed to set private school fees against our tax bills as we save the state so much by paying plus we turn out better citizens who are better educated and give more to the country than state educated children so the country benefits twice over. I will have paid about £700,000 - 5 children 13 years about £10k a year each out of taxed income and saved the state at least £400,000 over the years. Gordon Brown should give me a medal may be or a certificate of contribution to the state.

Well I guess so.

But if the school has scholarships, but OP doesn;t quite qualify, I would think it is gonna be a hard slog getting the child there at all and OP is worried she might be risking losing her place if the travel is too much, which would be a shame. I think weekend stage school a great idea but surely a place at a dedicated one is way better if you can get it?

I repeat - bursaries might be available - worth asking.

"better citizens who are better educated and give more to the country than state educated children"

i corss posted with xenia and didn't eman to agree with her! Better citizens? Wtfriggingf, xenia?

You may have chosen to spend your money like that Xenia - but it doesn't therefore follow that your children will be 'better citizens'. Sounds like you've been taken in by glossy private school advertising!

OK, Xenia, What about tax relief on private health care, too?

LOL I agree the "better citizen" bit did make me raise an eyebrow.

Without us poor state lot there wouldn't be anyone to be better than, though. Then you would be in a right pickel.

in reply to clam, I am alleging nothing, my dd has had a rough time at school.a mediator was called in by the school and the upshot was, we can't change the other childs behaviour so my dd just has to deal with it. So, sorry very dissilusioned by the state system. And not expecting "your" taxes to pay for my dd travelling. My dh and I also pay taxes, An annual train pass just didn't seem a very unreasonable request.

Aren't most private schools registered as charities anyway? So they can claim back the tax on the fees. The schools get tax relief, the parents don't.

Better citizens? Right.

LOL at Crazyloon's 14:47 post.

Shame you can't buy respect isn't it Xenia

She could buyy her own medal though, and get it engraved 'luv Gordy boy xx'

Oh Xenia Xenia Xenia...

It's not the most unreasonable request in the world at all, we need to nurture kids who have talents in my view that will make this country a better place.

The argument for any help you get cannot be that others are less deserving because of their families lifestyle or choices or income or whatever i.e travellers, families on benefits etc. That cannot be in a country that aims to ensure every child matters.

It also also very possible to be bullied to hell and back in public schools.

Lol RR I agree completely.

Clarks shoes
Joules wellies
proper leather satchels

my children would be transformed into icons of civil anthropology

philanthropy I mean