Private schools will not have testing funded

[DrizzleandDamp]

Not sure where I sit on this one, state schools are obviously having the lateral flow tests funded by government.

Private schools have been told no funding, no help with extra staffing, ultimately a cost of around 12 extra members of staff who can’t teach (depending on size of school), and £20-30,000 a month on tests. That won’t encourage take up.

Not all private school parents are rich, some are just managing, some are on hardship bursaries and an awful lot right now are getting free schooling:help because their businesses have died from Covid or jobs lost and they can no longer afford fees. So the schools are at the moment subbing them, but it won’t last and they’ll be removed.

Around 6.5% of U.K. (c.600k+) pupils are in independents. Will the government provide those school places when parents have to pull them or private schools go under?

I’m just not sure it’s ethical when parents are paying into the NHS, and into schooling (twice) that they aren’t providing these tests.

Just wanted to have the debate!

Etonianmother I've asked Mumsnet hq to take down my post, I don't have particularly deep resources and I don't want to expose my source.

Sounds sensible, Lilly. And I know from 30 years of speaking to 'sources' that there is always more to things than any one person can tell. One source can him/herself always have an axe to grind.

The system they belong to is and is a major contributer to continuing social inequality.

I think you are mistaking a symptom for a cause.

So many lemon faces on this thread.
So many people with a chip on the shoulder about independent schools.
So many parents who, simply due to a left leaning ideology, would be ok with independently educated kids and the wider community suffering from a potentially fatal disease.

You want the parents to pay, including those with children on bursaries or other assisted schemes?
Take it out of the portion of state school taxes which they don't use and refund them the balance.

@notevenat20

Private schools were able to furlough staff but state schools were not.

Doesn't that mean that state school teachers were on 100% pay throughout but furloughed private school teachers were on only 80%?

Let me spell it out.

Private schools could furlough some staff. They weren't working. They got 80%. They didn't furlough the staff, presumably teachers still working.

State schools couldn't furlough anyone. They we're still working.

Everyone working was paid.

I think you are mistaking a symptom for a cause.

I respectfully disagree.

I don't think private schools should exist and that is a hill I will die on.

If you can afford private school .. you can afford a private test.

And BTW I think it is a very lazy argument to accuse everyone who feels the way I do about independent schools of having a chip on their shoulder, and that we are all jealous and just wish we could afford it.

I assure you it isn't the case.

It depends. If the testing is mandatory and private schools are expected to stick to the same rules as state schools then testing should be covered by the state. If private schools are allowed to make their own rules then no.

Saylethewayles, I didn't accuse everyone with having a chip on the shoulder. I said that there were "so many" on this thread.
But, if the cap fits... 😉🙂

In any case, people will just say their children have symptoms and have them tested through the normal channels.

MartiniDry

You can 😉 as much as you like, but the argument is lazy and doesn't hold water.

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet as U can’t be bothered to read the whole thread. But this lateral flow test malarkey will do more harm than good IMO

Testing isn't mandatory so it shouldn't be free for private school kids who can still get free pcr test at a test centre shoulf they develop symptoms.

The LF tests are only 50% accurate when performed by a volunteer. I suspect that people with money would rather pay privately or use a test centre,

@HamishDent it’s mandatory to provide testing, but pupils can obviously exercise their right not to be tested.

Which makes the entire thing a bit of a farce really, particularly as I can imagine they won’t be driving them very hard to test if it costs!

@TicTacTwo schools are obliged to roll out mass testing to be allowed to open.

A tiny amount of private school teachers were furloughed. A massive amount of state school teachers still got paid 100% for posting a couple of worksheets online every day and not even marking/giving any feedback for the work done by their pupils. One of my siblings was one of the state school teachers.

Where do we stop paying for tests for businesses? Asymptotic employees in retail, food production, telecoms, post offices, couriers....

IMO we have to say businesses (including charities) have to pay for their own testing for asymptotic individuals. Or else we roll out testing centres for all (with or without symptoms). And private schools shouldn’t be an exception. In just the same way that if you went to a private hospital they’d charge you for the Covid test....

Some people are at private schools on academic scholarships. I believe that's quite a lot of children at Eton for example who pay nothing.

@cameocat yes, good point. That link I shared upthread also contains a ready reckoner for schools that gives them an estimate of what funding they will be reimbursed for. It is, as you suspected, nowhere near £20k a month!

Maybe private schools should stop pretending to be charities, and pay taxes like everyone else. Then the government would have enough money to fund their testing.. Just a thought.

Maybe private schools should stop pretending to be charities, and pay taxes like everyone else.

Yes. Disgraceful that this has been the case for so long.

Every child that takes up a private school place is easing pressure on the state system

No matter how unfair that might be

And yep they can pay for it out of their own pocket. My children are in a prep, most cash raised is for the school itself, not huge input into community projects and they can afford to foot the bill when they’re able to raise money for eg branded sports team stufffff

Private schools can, by and large, can take care of themselves

My understanding was that private schools will have the tests provided for free BUT won't be reimbursed for [some of] the additional costs [which state schools may be able to, retrospectively and probably after a lot of hoops have to be to jumped through, only revealed AFTER the money has been spent].

My DGC are privately educated and their parents are happy to pay for private tests. I brought them up to be generous, kind and philanthropic and would be very disappointed if they thought otherwise