To have though of a fairer way to fund state education than VAT on private?

[wlakaaf]

State schools are in desperate need of funding.

Money needs raising.

Instead of sticking 20% onto private fees - when those people are already paying 100% of the costs for educating their child, how about this:

Parents of children currently in state schools ought to contribute to their education on a means tested basis. There would be no argument over means, it would be a simple reference to the council tax band of the house you live in. We have bands A-H. I would propose that people in band A-F pay nothing. People in band G pay a fixed charge per year and people in band H pay a higher fixed charge per year.

Keir Starmer has used money to buy a massively expensive house, worth in the region of £2m, in the very tight catchment of a lovely state primary. This is buying privilege, same as buying private education. So why does he get away without paying?

Of course not, I worked in education for a long time. However if someone has the privilege to be able to pay for private school, which the majority of people will never be able to do and have to make do with whichever state school they can get in a lot of cases, I couldn't take the suggestion that they avoid VAT by getting those in higher council tax bands to pay more into the system seriously.
As a pp said, it's the squeezed middle who will be pushed to the limit financially.

So because you do decide to buy privilege nobody else is allowed to go on holiday. 🤔We pay VAT on holidays already.

And who would pay for this increase in quality?

I think you are going to have to explain that one to me. So you don't add VAT to private schools - talk me through exactly how that will make state schools more equal.

Somebody who can pay £30k a year minimum for two kids in private education is not the squeezed middle. They’re rich.

Sorry accidentally hit 'post'

State school funding is based in the number of pupils on the roll. With falling birth rates. Some schools have had to shut classs or have small classes. Schools that are not full are less well resourced.

Sending private school kids to state schools would increase the funds of schools.

And yes, the amount of money per pupil should also be increased. I'd like an excellent education for all chiildren.

You already know what you the arguments for it are. Read the countless threads.

No, the ones who lose out will not be children in poor families. Only a miniscule proportion of poor children get bursaries to go to private school.

OP, you’re complaining your diamond shoes are too tight. All the people agreeing with you are people whose diamond shoes are also too tight. If it bothers you so much why not just buy a house near a good state school. You are choosing to spend what, around a quarter of a million pounds (excluding trips, equipment, events, uniform, etc.) on your child’s education over 14 years? That’s a decent down payment on a house near a good school.

I agree, sorry I think I worded it in a weird way!
I meant those who are in higher council tax bands would be squeezed to the limit going by OP's idea.

Well a holiday is a choice…!
we could slap on a £100 per person charge for crossing UK borders.
how bout that?
what’s the problem with it?
lots of private school parents have sacrificed holidays!

Surely a holiday is more of a luxury item that school fees though?

The people living in band G&H are already paying additional tax for the "luxury" / privilege of living in those homes - higher council tax.

The parents who choose the luxury of sending their DC to private school pay those fees, and any relevant increases.

State education is free to all, and that's the way it ought to stay.

"Parents of children currently in state schools ought to contribute to their education on a means tested basis"

They already do. It's called tax. People pay income tax and council tax according to their means. Everybody contributes to all public services via taxation. Expecting people to fund only those public services they actually use would be impossible to administer.

You are living in cloud-cuckoo-land if you think your proposed system would work.

OP I really can't see why anyone is going to sympathise with you.

How about you use those hundreds of thousands you have spare to help with the people who are actually suffering and poor.

No! It's a choice to send children to fee paying schools. Nobody needs to

im not sure where my spare hundreds of thousands are hiding. Actually I remember. They were used to pay private school fees. One kid is finished and other sixth form.

but I’d like KS to contribute some of his spare hundreds of thousands to schooling seeing as he gets it free.

You know loads of state school pupils aren't going on holidays? The kids of the people on zero hours contacts, universal credit, disability benefit? It's not either/or. I'm not being mean, I'm just curious - you realise this?

I think the point is that noone is proposing an additional tax on the expensive houses now because the government is running short of money to pay out on everything.

@CoralReader
"And who would pay for this increase in quality?"

It doesn't need paying for, it happens organically. If everyone plays the same game the bar is raised.

I think you’re being tone deaf. State education is not a luxury, private education is. Making all citizens now pay to educate their children at state school will just place innocent kids further into poverty. Your plan only benefits yourself and disadvantages those who actually need government assistance. There’s so many people from disadvantaged backgrounds who have been able to massively contribute to society through education - lots of medical professionals from working class backgrounds for example, some even being children of immigrants.

for what it’s worth, your logic doesn’t really work. I’m in band b for council tax as I live in an apartment, but am a high earner. I’m sure there’s lots of young people in my position as saving up to buying a house whilst renting will take longer and longer in current climate

lots of private school parents have sacrificed holidays!

lots of state school parents have no holidays to sacrifice!

Housing charity Shelter has found that in England, a record 145,800 children were recorded as being homeless in 2024 - that is the highest it's ever been. This has gone up by a record amount - a 15% increase since 2023.

In 2022/23, the number of children living in poverty increased by 100,000 from 4.2 million in 2021/22 to 4.3 million children. That's 30% of children in the UK.

Millions of people are goign on holiday. Who cares who they are? They can pay a border charge.

I live in a band G house and my local comp is inadequate. Do I get a rebate?? Can I offset the stamp duty we paid against it?

Surely holidays are a choice and a luxury too, perhaps we should doubly tax them...to raise money for the less well off, the NHS, and the state schools. Plus vat on private school fees.

Who can argue that funding our NHS and schools is less important than a week in the sun?