You can't change the rules during a game

[GodAtum]

A lot of talk about VAT on private school fees. My view is that it's unfair to change the rules while a child in in school.

Imagine if you where taking a flight and during the flight the pilot can on the speaker saying the price has increased and you need to pay 20% more before we land otherwise you'll won't be able to enter the country.

This VAT change should only be done to new school entrants, not existing children.

Well they changed the rules on final salary pensions whilst staff still working.

But private schools can put up their prices year on year by whatever they like. They treat each year as a different flight, to use your example.

If you were locked in to attend for the full number of years and couldn't leave (like a flight), then they should tell you the price upfront and not change it. But that's not how it works.

The flight analogy doesn't really work unless you choose an airline where they collect money off you every 100 miles and there's an opportunity to get off and go on a free plane instead?

But private schools increase their fees every year? You knew the terms would change year on year when you signed up to it…

It’s not the same at all

Things change and there are other options, such as state school

Policies change all the time

If they changed halfway through the school year it would be unfair, but fees change year on year.

Especially when it is still illegal to add tax on to education. Labour know this

www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/brexit/retained-eu-law

but everyone knows that prices change all the time, and everyone knows that tax changes all the time.

Don't be ridiculous

They've not changed the rules in regards to choosing or using a private school.

But when the price goes up (whether because of inflation, new overheads, or different taxation) you have to pay. Whether it's your DS's school fees or your DD's Brownie subs.

Does this mean rents won't go up until a new tenant moves in?

I agree with you.

Must try this argument on my children's nursery and save myself hundreds a month.

I feel bad for kids who will have to move school, but people have known for a long time that this was likely to happen so could have made different choices at the start.

This is brilliant, I had no idea it should work like this. They try to up my car insurance every year. I’m going to tell them it’s too late, I am a customer!

There’s been lots of warning about this policy.

I think that an exception should be made for year 11 and 13 as they can’t move schools mid exam courses but as the others said, private school fees rise annually so the idea of rules is moot.

You could save yourself 100% of the fees by sending your dc to state schools.

Lots of people change schools during their kids education, it is absolutely not the same as being ' you get out now you die' like your plane example...

Some kids have their school close down on them completely. Price changes are surely always a possibility when you signed up for a fee paying school, tax or no tax. It's like knowing my mortgage payments might go up.

DD started Uni not knowing what the cost of her fees for Y3 would be as the price cap on fees ends for 2024-5 academic year. Y3 is now totally at the mercy of political whim. I appreciate the loan will cover whatever it ends up being but that could mean an even higher debt. The Stident loan interest rate can also change. For those who have saved so as not to take out a loan, they can’t know if the savings will cover it.

Most tyoes of fees change yesr on year, if not month on month.

But generally school prices only go up a few % each year, not 20%

I was a mum that put my children in private school you do that knowing circumstances change. I may have lost my job etc. Im fully in favour of taxing private schools

So if your DC were still in private school and you had to pay 30% extra next year you would be perfectly happy with that?

On a personal level it would be a blow but I think it's the right thing to do. Public services need the money.

Not by 20% + fee rise each year so potentially an extra £4.6K on a fee of 18K.

I think it is a great shame that there hasn't been an opportunity for people to express an opinion as to whether they support this policy or not at the ballot box in an election.

You can argue against the policy for several reasons. But I just don't think this is one of them. A private school could put their fees up by 20% if they wanted to. And everyone who sends their child to a private school knows they have no way of knowing or controlling future price rises.