If Labour make private schools charge VAT then they should allow new grammar schools to be created

[iPaddy]

I live in an area with zero grammars, no real choice in secondaries other than (often failing) local comprehensives or private.

I appreciate the arguments against private schools (creates unfair advantage) but what about areas with grammars? That's also an advantage. I'd love the option of a grammar school for the kids locally. The bright ones are being let down by the current situation. Has Labour said how they will address that?

I think you’re confused about how VAT works.

State schools, businesses etc have to pay VAT on good and services they buy. However, they can reclaim that input VAT.

Private schools also have to pay VAT on goods and services but they cannot currently reclaim that VAT.

So, we are currently in a position where private schools have to pay VAT on goods and services. State schools effectively do not.

Most kids don't get into grammar schools and the existence of grammars has a detrimental effect on the other schools in the area. Why would you want that for your area?

Yes, this! My friend moved house to send her child to grammar school... but then he didn't get in. The comprehensives in that area were far worse than the comprehensives in the area she moved from... because the grammar school had creamed off the highest achieving pupils. She hadn't realised the knock-on effect of the existence of grammar schools on the kids that DON'T get in, until her child was on the other side of it!

Look, if we really are so very concerned about “Oh no, poor children would be pushed out of the grammar schools!” then require grammar schools to let in a certain % of FSM or lower the required entry scores for the FSM kids. There are some grammar schools that do this already, so it’s not actually that hard a rule to bring in.

Your friend was either a bit dim or REALLY overconfident about her child’s ability! The effect of GSs in places like Bucks on the non-selective secondary options is well-known. I don’t think it matters much in areas where GSs are very very selective and have a large application district, so that they only take a tiny % of the kids in any given neighborhood.

In my view, children belong to their parents snd families, not the state. They are not a collective resource to do with what we like.

They are each human beings with a “divine soul” who should be treated as ends not means. They are their for their own education, not someone else’s.

We live in a free society, and a critical feature of that is freedom of association. Choice for parents is key.

Private education is a positive externality and should be subsidised to encourage its growth and allow more families access to it.

When you get away from these liberal ideas, you get this twisted, collectivist stuff that never works because it requires so much coercion.

We’ll lose a generation.

Private education is a positive externality and should be subsidised to encourage its growth and allow more families access to it.

No!!

STATE education is a right and should be adequately resourced and substantially funded to encourage its growth and allow more families access to high standard quality education free at point of use

More money for state education!!

One has nothing to do with the other.

They have everything to do with each other if you are asking for state funding for education to be diverted to private schools

Both can be true