Bursaries

[EverythingAllatOnceAllTheTime]

Merely as a footnote to the comprehensively-debated VAT on school fees, we donate several thousand per year to our children’s private school, in order to provide bursaries for less-fortunate children.

We have just cancelled these donations and are aware of other parents doing similarly. It’s genuinely sad for the kids who will lose out, but the Government need to realise there are consequences to their actions.

Just a comment - I have no plans to enter into another debate.

No one is doing it to 'save the government money' though. Some people pay for it to give their DC a 'better' school experience but most do it for advantage. So that their DC can get ahead of the pack. If that's not enough they add in more tutors and pull some middle class strings for work experience, internships etc.

To argue that you're doing the government a favour is just nonsense. The government has prioritised the 90% over the 10% (ish). Many of the 90% will have shit poverty stricken lives and education will be their way out.

Make your choice- stay in private or move to state but please stop the histrionics.

Where did you get those numbers. The primary one is far too high, can’t speak for the secondary one.

No one is sending their children private to save the government money.

State schools however do have all of this - a ra neg of social class and diversity, children going on camping holidays. Academic excellence.

Apologies for the delayed résponse.

Our rationale to cease donations in support of bursaries was in no way intended as a form of ‘punishment’ - for years we have been supportive of deserving families such as yours, and honestly I’m still torn but it would be perverse for us to continue when the government has applied VAT to fees. You are right re children’s charities.

If HMG know or care, I’m not sure - I have not seen any mention of bursaries versus VAT in the MSM.

I really do wish you and your family well.

@EverythingAllatOnceAllTheTime your logic is faulty. Donating money to pay for bursaries isn't linked to VAT

You are incorrect.

Happy to run through it again if you did not get it first time.

Do let me know.

Go on then as I continue to think you're simply having a strop.

If fees go up by 20%, that, for some, is equivalent to the donations they made for bursaries. As bursaries will become discretionary expenditure, parents may well not have enough to pay extra on top of higher fees for bursaries. Our school bursary income was via fees and donations. By taking bursaries out of fees, the 20% vat would be reduced because the fees would be reduced. Parents are not all very very rich where vat doesn’t matter.

Ok, you are evidently not very bright so I will try to make it easy for you.

HMG adds 20% VAT to fees which is approx 6k per annum in my case (or was before I learned that the school are not passing on all of it). That 6k is what we were gifting to the school to assist with bursaries for other children as it happens. With the VAT increase we cancelled it and will donate to another charity (we are veering towards the NSPCC).

Why did we stop funding bursaries? Can you see how perverse that would have been? HMG penalises us but is happy for us to subsidise the education of other children? No, that is not acceptable to us.

Period.

@EverythingAllatOnceAllTheTime be careful what you wish for as HMG might just remove charitable status from all these private schools if they are no longer offering bursaries… they already only play lip service to this anyway and having no bursaries available might just be the tipping point.. public opinion is not in your favour period!

I don’t wish for it - a reduction in bursaries is merely a function of the application of VAT.

As to your assertion re public opinion - I think there are more pressing issues in the UK right now, don’t you?

Unnecessarily rude…

You’re removing money from the school which to date you’ve donated for bursaries because you’re pissed off about the government charging you VAT.

You will donate an equivalent amount to another charity so it’s not a matter of not affording it.

It’s using your money to make a point about VAT to the school. The government won’t know or care, the school has no choice and a child who might have benefited no longer will.

Slow hand clap, well done!

Do bore off Bloater.

So I’m right.

I assume you were talking to me as you appear not to be able to spell.

People can choose how they spend their money. Period. If they would rather not support bursaries they aren’t obliged to. Have you got it now? Bloater.

Yes they can. But this is merely OP throwing her toys out of her pram rather than some meaningful political point.

Private school parents are already opposed to the VAT, and you think State school parents will be crying at the loss of bursary places??

Some will.

No, but you seem intent on telling me what I am thinking, as well as telling me what I can and cannot do with my money.

You are clearly the one with an agenda.

Yes which is exactly why no one apart from a few on MN care, and it will happen with the majority not even noticing the change…

We've also withdrawn our support for bursaries. We can no longer afford it and, even if we could, I don't think I would want to support it. It's not right to double tax one group of society (we pay normal tax plus now also Vat) and then expect them to help even more. This move destroys the fabric of British society and a sense of togetherness. We are now in the "us against them" scenario. I meet a lot of different people when I walk my dog and have a lot of acquaintances from many walks of life. It's always been lovely and we all respected our problems and challenges (some struggle with bills, finding money for holidays, I have two children with special needs which is also a great daily struggle, not a lesser struggle, just different) Private schools, since we moved them a couple of years ago, have helped massively although we've had to change our lifestyle and sacrifice foreign holidays etc. I was shocked, absolutely shocked when, after the announcement, a couple of people I know commented on it and actually laughed, laughed in my face saying "so what are you going to do now? I guess it's time to finally cough up. Hehe." One commented how "the rich bastards finally got it". It's nasty, pure nasty. I'm trying to do the best for my children. The best is different for everyone. I can't believe people laughing about it and enjoying other people's problems. Would they laugh in my children's faces too, if they met them? I'm not originally British although have been here for many years and I really don't want to be here anymore...

@Shadesofbllues ”This move destroys the fabric of British society and a sense of togetherness” I spat my tea when I read that 😂 😂 I really don’t want to be rude but honestly private schools have always fostered the sense of us and them and you’re slightly delusional if you think differently.

Many people are sympathetic to children with SEN needs who need to go to private schools but writing such comments makes people look silly.

Personally if I had thousands to spare I'd be making sure children could eat and had a bed to sleep in. But private schools bursaries just make you look so much nicer don't they OP.