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!

www.newscientist.com/article/2263746-test-caught-just-3-per-cent-of-students-with-covid-19-at-uk-university/

The lateral flow tests are a stupid idea that should never be used to replace self isolation.

My son's school is an independent specialist provision, all the students have EHCPs and can't cope in mainstream.
They're getting no funding for testing.

Cynical, but perhaps it's because the government doesn't actually believe in the lateral flow tests.

The way their use is being proposed in state secondaries will make things less safe, not more.

I think this it is disgusting that ALL children in education are not being given access to free testing. And yes my DC are at private school so I would say that.

All children do have access though. If it’s really important to you that your children’s tests are funded, you have the option to send them to a state school.

I agree ALL children should benefit from free testing. It's incredibly naïve to think private schools have bottomless pits of money and only 'rich' parents. The vast majority operate at a virtual break even basis, same on the majority of parents.

The bigger point is that schools are a place where transmission occurs. There are roughly 600,000 kids in private schools in the UK with 1.2 million parents and possibly even more siblings. All of which dotted across this country, most of which have paid for a state education but for some reason opted out of this (or could not take up the place, a fact often overlooked when the private vs state debate rages on MN). Numerous children at these schools come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are not funded by their parents (again often overlooked...).

I don't understand why this sub-section of the population won't spread Covid19 if not managed in the same way as other schools. Why the teachers who work there don't matter again isn't clear to me.
Just remember that when more of these schools collapse due to the financial impact of Covid19, these children will be stuffed into already over crowded state school classrooms.

The bitterness towards children is truly sad.

If posters are keen to fund public health measures that prevent spread of the virus, offering proper pay for those who should be isolating but can’t will make far more of a difference than giving extra funding to private schools.

Seems fair to me.

@CovidPostingName

Good. If you opt out of state education then you opt out of the benefits such as they are.

People who have had private treatment in the past should also presumably personally pay?!

Does this uncharitable attitude extend to not testing privately educated students currently at university or are they allowed to be privvy to public health measures?

I don't have a problem with it at all.

@SansaSnark

Cynical, but perhaps it's because the government doesn't actually believe in the lateral flow tests.

The way their use is being proposed in state secondaries will make things less safe, not more.

It's almost that they bought millions, turns out it's crap and now they are trying to salvage it by making it into a PR stunt hoping that people are blinded by the smokescreen. And it's working :(

You mentioned charitable!! Ha ha, now that's another private school topic.

*So if you opt out of state you opt out of any benefits? So if people have private healthcare the NHS should turn them away for treatment for Covid too?

Forgetting the fact they are paying in still.*

That's not really an accurate analogy though. You could withdraw your child and send them to a state school, just as you could abandon your private health care and go to the NHS, whenever you choose.

The closer analogy would be a private hospital expecting govt funding to cover existing private cases.

I know where I sit with it OP. Private schools have opted out of the system, they get enough tax breaks as it is. Not sure why the tax payer should fund them.

I agree with you. Children are children and it doesn’t matter where they are educated. They still have a right to protection from their government.

See what happened in Ireland. Totally wrong. www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/education/private-schools-receive-100m-in-public-funding-1.4446051%3fmode=amp

I'm sorry but if private school parents are getting by financially they do actually have the option of sending their DC to state school.

@Candycane2020

Private schools were able to furlough staff but state schools were not. Private schools have smaller classes. It’s not been an even playing field all through the pandemic.

The furlough point is irrelevant because state schools still received all their funding.

This is a health issue, not an educational setting issue.
Covid testing shouldn't be 'means tested'

@CovidPostingName

Good. If you opt out of state education then you opt out of the benefits such as they are.

This does make sense. Private should pay.

Mainstreams schools have to struggle with so little money to go around anyway.

Wow so much bitterness and jealously. All children should be tested and funding should be given to all schools regardless of whether they are private or not.

If you pay for private education you are paying at least 40% tax plus not using the services which helps the broader society.

Should this same attitude apply to care homes?

People in local authority care homes get free testing and vaccinations but those who have chosen to be in a private care home should have to pay for it?

I can’t see the logic in withholding testing from a significant % of the population

Surely an effective test and trace system requires nationwide testing and tracing, and that is a state-backed service, just as the vaccination program will be

'They still have a right to protection from their government.'

Of course they do, tests are available just not funded. Surely a private school would understand that?

@onyourway

Totally agree.

Where do we stop ? Should we means test getting a test or a vaccine because some can afford it? As this is basically what you are doing with charging private school children

I personally want mainstream schools to be given much more money to close the attainment gap.

Private schools could ask the parents to pay more - I mean if you can afford the usual thousands of pounds per term anyway then a little more wouldn't be such a stretch.
The ones getting bursaries pay less anyway and would continue to do so.