Would you be prepared to pay more tax to get better state education for all?

[happygardening]

Any other suggestions welcome to ensure that all where ever they live and whatever their background have access to education of the highest quality.

Problem is, businesses are only really interested in profit - that's why nobody would vote for Amazon.co.uk as Prime Minister. Yet we are increasingly governed by the requirements of big business - if we can't provide the people the businesses need at the price they are willing to pay, and don't provide a stable country and economy, then they won't stick around, but they want to contribute as little as possible to the education of the right people, the stability of the country and the infrastructure required to support their businesses. All those details are the responsibility of the little people who have to pay taxes (eg their employees). They can just move on and move on from one country to another until they've pissed in every pond.

Tasmania - yes I am (not intimately) aware of Switzerland's tax laws but they are one of the western nations I was talking about - it wouldn't work without everyone on board - hence very unlikely.

The bottom line, as I see it, is you either agree with the levels of inequality in the UK, (perhaps because you are benefitting or have overcome disadvantage to do well and believe others should do the same) or you see it as grossly unfair, (and a ticking time bomb to be honest) and want to see change. If you are in the first camp you will look for all possible reasons to support the status quo and if you are in the second, (rabbitstew discussed this in relation to tax law) you will see the lack of change more down to a lack of will than real obstacles. While those who are benefitting most from the inequality hold the power, there will always be a million reasons to prevent change - I just don't buy into all of them.

Sorry meant Russians not rabbitstew.

No Emphatic I am not benefiting at all from the status quo. I do contribute a lot via taxes, do not see my children until 5pm everyday (yet they are very well behaved). I really struggle to see how more taxes will help. It will only serve to increase dependency on the state.

In reality, we are all dependent on each other - it's not a question of those who are self sufficient and those who are dependent on the state. If we think we can go it alone, without colossal amounts of infrastructure and mutual support, we are deluded idiots. There isn't enough space in the world for little communities of self-sufficient people.

@Emphatic oh, there are real obstacles. Many of them come in human form.

"I am not benefiting at all from the status quo" my eye. Trying living in a country where there is no "state."

I have lived in a country where there is no state and the issues are different to what you get here.

@emphaticmaybe

Switzerland won't agree to something like that. They are benefiting highly from their situation... and only reluctantly bowed down to the mighty US when it came to disclosing information about US citizens with offshore accounts in Switzerland.

Neither will you get the US to come to that sort of agreement as taxes there are relatively low - and you see the problems Obama has when just introducing national healthcare. What many don't seem to understand is that the Republicans over there are so far to the right that the Democrats are actually more like the modern version of the Tories (with the Lib Dems). Sweden charges a lot of tax, and loses a lot of high-flyers to London.

Germany gets away with it as they have their own big companies that have a loyal obligation to their country - Mercedes, BMW and Audi wouldn't be the same without the German taglines - and frankly, the country is economically the King of Europe.

The thing about the UK is, it doesn't reallyhave its own industry. Most of the major companies here are global institutions that have no viable interest in the well-being of the UK.

Very true words, Russians (ref: 'human form')

socareless - by referring to having lived in a country where there is no state, do you mean somewhere like Scotland ? Or somewhere like Somalia? In other words, somewhere that is not entirely self-governing, but is relatively stable and well governed, or somewhere which has been without any effective central government at all, like Somalia???...

There is nothing to stop anyone making a donation to their local school if you feel so strongly. I am sure they would welcome it....

Somewhere like Somalia. And besides the op was will you support higher taxes rather than should we abolish the welfare state.

Exactly Tas. Maybe we should start another op asking if people will be prepared to give directly to their state schools to improve education. If yes, are they doing so now?

Dh is a 50% tax payer and our local comp can't be raked any lower than it is. I don't think either is us want him to Pay any more tax!

As a previous poster wrote, our children are educated privately, (we don't have the option of a Grammer school) and for secondary health care we go private, rather than continually be disappointed!

I would remove the disinterested to stop them spoiling the learning of others. Give them options but dont let them ruin the education of anyone else.

I am a great believer in special schools where they can really focus on how to teach them. Likewise I agree with the grammars where they can focus on the academically inclined. The one thing we are missing is the technical colleges where a trade is valued.

Only if ofsted were abolished and everyone involved in depth for education (or whatever name change they hsce recently chosen) were sacked.

Only if compulsory education started at 7.

Only if school dinners were free and locally sourced and seasonal.

Only if all schools were called schools and lost the academy title which I think is a farce.

Only if schools were required to teach to a high standard and have outdoor lessons as standard.

Only if the taxes actually reached the schools.

Finally, only if a major reform took place.

Yes, though unlike some others, I'd want that extra money to go on making sure there were places suitable for the truly square pegs.

Maisie - where exactly are you going to put these 'disinterested'? Do you fancy rabbitstews's tongue in cheek suggestion of dumping them on some remote island?
You know the alternative provision is actually way more expensive after all.

@emphaticmaybe

A long time ago they sent them to Australia. Though I guess they have a better life over there now than here

@ouryve Yes. That would be good.Increasingly, education is becoming the playground of the soulless minions of orthodoxy.

Once you have kicked out the disinterested (sic) what are you going to do with them?

Ha ha - some people really would have no problem with something similar - I despair

Seeker I know. I thought that too. But apparently so very many people are a bit thick that they have now added a secondary definition. Which, to be honest, says more about the state of education than anything, really.

Seeker - perhaps we could teach them to be biased, hmmmm?