If you’re charged VAT will you remove your child from their private school? I’m v stressed!

[Liikklu]

We won’t be able to pay the increase. Only hope is asking grandparents for the shortfall which we don’t want to do. Anyone else in a similar boat? Do you think it will literally be a 20% increase on fees or will schools absorb some of it? Our school has said they will address the matter ‘if and when’ it applies.

If this happens then yeh massive own goal for education. Good for votes though. That’s it.

I don’t believe that private schools - many many with huge endowment funds - really have to pass this increase to parents by the way. They could totally afford to, eg by not spending on the latest facilities, or by slightly increasing class sizes, but they are choosing not to. Because they are a business, not a charity. So they want to continue chasing more money including from overseas students.
and given they are a business and not a charity… they shouldn’t be enjoying charitable status

I do not have a child at private school and could never afford it, even if I could probably wouldn’t my child. I can however objectively reason that VAT on the private school sector is unfair. I imagine that most of the parents/grandparents have likely contributed way in excess to income tax/ national insurance than the average person. I disagree with the extra taxation on private schools. So thanks because without your contributions everyone else would have worse services in every aspect of life.

Is it good for votes really? When people consider the impact on their own schools.

You seem to be agreeing and disagreeing with me all at once?

Exactly. Everyone deserves small class sizes and good resources, and schools which meet their needs. Everybody, every child matters and it is absolutely vital for society to get this right.

No one seems able to comprehend that what is being outlined will compound all the problems with the state system, not make it better. I’m getting severe Brexit vibes surrounding the whole conversation, with few actually entertaining the true gravity and size of the issue being caused. It feels that many on these threads won’t understand what is being said until little Alice and Timmy don’t get their grammar school places.

@kirbykirby

Anyone having the choice to send their child to private school is privileged.

Saying state school parents should be grateful to these parents is breathtaking tone deaf.

Huge endowment funds? This is literally fantasy land. Most are barely staying above water.

You are contributing to the general confusion on this by conflating the two topics.

Labour already considered it and realised it was neigh impossible to strip these institutions of their charitable status.

Someone saying they work hard, specifically in a field that generates a higher salary, is not the same thing as saying that others don’t.

and again, not every conversation has to revolve around those with less. Ironically, it’s self centred to come into someone else’s thread and make it about you.

So there’s no real difference then.

Independent schools round here are prettt much all selective
Age makes little difference as some state grammars are centuries old and comps may be successor schools to previous schools
And perception they are associated with upper classes is just to do with the fact they are expensive.

I’m not sure people can take that step. Aiming at ‘the rich’ is catnip.

This is red meat territory, as @80smonster said too. It’s emotive rather than rational or sensible

Justifying privilege by saying 'I work hard' is ridiculous.

Lol. They did:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-private-school-fees-tax-status-b2419785.html#

Well that's the nature of starting a thread on AIBU.

Less kids in private schools also means more well off and educated parents concerned with the state of state education (and not opting out of it altogether so being able to
ignore whats going on there). And hence voting/making decisions on bettering school system as a whole.

many countries do not have this division. Eg in Switzerland (despite their private schools aimed at foreigners) state education is excellent and both rich and poor kids go to the same school together.

thats the key of the policy

Funny, I’ve always taken it as an explanation, given that it doesn’t require justification.

Exactly. Great post.

Your rather assuming Alice and Timmy will lose out to privately educated children. There are heaps of very bright children in the state sector and plenty of not remotely intelligent ones in the private sector

Red meat is one thing I guess, too bad if it backfires. Of course Starmer is legendary for his U turns, so perhaps it will never happen. He will cook up some reason and pass it off as being ‘flexible’

It's also not true of the majority of parents in my kids school. Most are old money or senior professionals. Very few of the mothers work the school's afternoon tea funder raisers for the new boat for the 8's just wouldn't work otherwise. .

There are likely even private users fine with the extra elitism they’ll gain. There are a few posts on here along those lines

Inequality won’t go down, it’s just lobbing a tax in and parents rearranging using funds for best state or the very top ending up with more elite schools

Abolish them all and make education fair for all. Finland do it, so can we. Private vs state is inequality to children, whether you like it or not.

I'm sorry they have backed away from it for now. I can't imagine any other party doing anything about it.