I’ll be paying my 20 percent

[Froginpot]

I’ll be changing my car to a much more economical one and paying the 20 percent vat on private school fees when it comes to pass.

The reality is in general the trend in the UK has been for lower and lower academic attainment and the UK educational system ( including a respectable segment of the university system ) is now sadly mediocre at best. And this is directly going to have a significant influence on the long term trajectory of post brexit Britain.

Sadly we are so mired in short term politicking and yes the politics of envy and entitlement that we seem not to notice this ominous decline.
A British education 80 years ago and A British education today are two very different concepts.
There have been some progressive improvements primarily around inclusion and pastoral care but the actual quality of academic progress..we have been left behind.

The recent riots were a very stark demonstration of how our educational systems are failing our children especially in world where misinformation and lies travel around the globe in minutes.

The number of children with Autism and other neurodiverse conditions is increasing rapidly (not limited to the UK) and the funding required to properly support these children is going to be astronomical. Let’s not even contemplate the burgeoning mental health crisis in our society and the its implications.

A truly progressive government would be looking to improve the education of all children (our future) anyway they can and would be looking to encourage and incentivise a greater uptake of children in the private sector and grammar school system as well as create more education streams such that children regardless of their abilities will receive an education that adds value to their lives and in so doing adds value to Team GB.

I wonder how it is not hypocritical that they are happy for the private hospital sector to undertake so many NHS operations to reduce waiting lists yet think it is somehow not okay to look at an education sector that is doing better and not look to collaborate similarly?

It is shamefully okay to levy a tax on the education of a sector of British citizens while actively importing academics, doctors, nurses, radiologists, radiographers, engineers etc from abroad?
If these privately educated kids finally enter the workforce, one wonders if they will work in vacuums benefitting only themselves and their loaded parents or might they work in jobs that are also useful to society..teachers, social workers, doctors,dentists, academics, estate agents, actors on corrie and all the other jobs in between?

https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/vat-private-school-fees-damage-nhs-pro-bono-lawyers-work-edinburgh-4818066

Just read this article and I wonder if all the unintended consequences of this policy have even been properly considered?

For those who choose to keep their children in the independent sector, it is naive to assume that all these people have tons of money sitting in their accounts ( some no doubt will but that’s no different to the general population) but as they have their individual reasons for their choice of education, I wonder how many of us will indirectly end up contributing to their 20% ?

According to the optimistic IFS figures, this tax would probably equate to 0.4 extra teachers per school if fully realised so I think I’ll much rather drive an old car and give my kids the education that I choose and the rest of my wider GB family the 20 percent. We will need all that and much more..of that much I am certain .

It's actually not off topic. 20% VAT imposition on school fees pales in comparison to what's coming from the heir apparent on the other side. Well?

Nah, it really is.

Your lot are in power.

If you can’t answer the Q, just say so.

Its indefensible, I realise.

When people can’t come up with a sensible answer they try to change the topic. Clearly said poster has rhetoric but no real depth of understanding.

No, when people raise points that don't suit the collective narrative, the same posters get quite peeved and group together. That poster suggested changing tack so I did and asked a direct question. There is all this talk about how Labour are harming children and for context and perspective I was interested to know what she thought about Kemi's latest position on children with ASD. Perfectly valid question.

The point is no-one knows how the figures will pan out and how many DC will end up staying put or moving to state. Anyone who says they know is deluded. Okay, your turn.

Bless your heart, I have no idea what point you are trying to make with this interjection let alone the rest of it.

@Rockalittle78 was actually trying to circle us back to the op’s points on the utter pointlessness of vat on private school fees. I understand the confusion on your part, though - we have drifted significantly off topic.

believe it or not, many of us don’t fall neatly on two sides of the political aisle so ‘what about the tories’ in response to frustration at Labour isn’t quite the rejoinder you think it is.

Seemingly off topic but not: anyone following this?
P&O Ferries owner pulls £1bn UK port investment following row with ministers (cityam.com)
The issue is sorted after Starmer gave bollocking to his transport minister, but it shows how easy it is to alienate people and make them take their money away.

Then this:
Britain relies on just 1M top earners for £124bn in income tax (bmmagazine.co.uk)
Widespread MN wisdom says that most of PS parents will be in this 1M top earners group.

Then Bridget Phillipson shouting at every corner that she's (and Labour) only interested in state school children and doesn't care about PS ones.

How do you think PS parents feel about it? even those who can stretch to cover VAT? Don't you think that this group of high taxpayers are "disengaged" big time? do you believe they won't adjust their behavior in response to direct attack on their children?

Bless YOUR heart, don't you know that nobody really knows yet whether VAT will be pointless or not because we really don't know how many children will end up moving sectors? My own view is that most parents will smart and harrumph a bit and then the majority will pay up. There have been significant hikes in school fees over the years and everyone moans about them (we all have) and pays up. This is only different because it is political rather than schools pushing through the hikes. However, the truth is that very few people will put their political principles ahead of their DC's wellbeing and that will be a big driver of behaviour.

I don't fall neatly on one side of the political aisle so of course I believe others are similar. Not sure what that's all about.

When people are saying that Labour policy is deliberately attacking DC, why is it so off topic to raise Conservatives attacking DC? They are the Opposition party after all. Kemi Badenoch will be the new Conservative leader and I found her latest outburst regarding DC with ASD shocking. That takes attacking DC to a whole different level in my book. I was raising it for context and perspective but it looks like that doesn't fit in well with the anti-VAT evil Labour narrative so it is deemed to be off topic. In the wider debate I think it is important to acknowledge that Starmer & Co may not be perfect but to me it looks like the alternative could have been significantly scarier.

But anyway, enough, let the thread move on.

The Treasury do know the VAT won’t make money. That is why we are all so annoyed that they are still going ahead with it.

I view it as charity to the children in the State Sector. They could certainly use DS’ funded place + part of the 30k a year I will pay in tax this year + the 20% on his school fees. I just hope the government / schools don’t waste it all on teaching trans ideology, locking toilets, and helping to cover up criminal offences during school transfers.

I will sacrifice a lot to ensure DS never ends up in the state sector.

I am shocked by the lack of impact assessment- ideally something holistic that looks at impact on schools / students / family, but at a minimum would expect a proper analysis of revenue - I had thought they promised OBR review of all their policies, but not sure how that squares with a January implementation.

A little bit boring in the middle ( unless you are really into education like me) but gives a really decent review of the state of affairs. Something in it for all the major opinion groups in this thread.

And you think that Hail Marys make good policy?

Thats one of the issues with socialist ideologues - they have a habit of trying to make the economics work after they have decided which of their non-core voters to try to fuck over.

As to Kemi, I disagree with the reported comments surrounding ND, but also note the following:

A spokesman for Ms Badenoch said it would be “wrong to infer any prejudice” from the report. They added that she wrote the foreword for the report and that its authors “see the rising impact of mental health and its effect on productivity” as a critical issue facing society.

At least she didn’t refer to anyone as ‘scum’.

Oh, and another thing.

Before the Labour apologists start crowing about this mornings CPI print (predominantly fuel and air travel driven), you do understand that this places Reeves and the BOE under a fresh degree of pressure don’t you?

If inflation does a u-turn premised on her public sector settlements, the electorate will not respond kindly.

Don't let the facts to cloud your judgement.
Electorate is too thick to respond - they well and truly believed that the last spike of inflation was driven by government and global issues had nothing to do with it.

I know I am reviving an old thread here but I just found it.

I have found labour to be incredibly spiteful towards private school pupils (CHILDREN) and their families and I judge them on that. I would never vote for them based on that alone.

I have been plotting to move all mine to the local outstanding state school almost in counter spite - I can have all my fee money in my pocket (to spend abroad ahem) and the state has to find £8k for each of my kids per school year.

However. The policies on academies and the signalling send by the withdrawal of funding for Latin at state schools has recently made me shit my pants. The desire to dumb down (to level at lowest common denominator) is incredibly obvious.

They will be staying in private schools.

It's another political poster - I very much doubt that mumsnet are supporting this.

Supporting what?

Well you know how MN hates anything political 😆

Oh yes @Shambles123 the dropping of Latin is the last straw for me too.

Not just Latin, also computer hubs, language schemes and now maths.

www.ft.com/content/aca9722c-27f7-44f6-9c67-81a33629a481

This is really, truly shocking. To cut Maths program?!?!? it's total cost was £17m?

Having read this who in sane mind can argue that Labour's agenda is to dumb down the nation? at the end, poorer education leads to lower pay means expanding Labour's voters base? or hang on, it's Reform now?

Physics too. They're cutting the 'Stimulating Physics Network' program.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/labour-cost-cutting-spree-now-hits-stem/

"An impact report three years ago found A-level physics entries in SPN schools “was almost six percentage points above the national increase” after three years.

The proportion of girls taking the subject was also up 29 per cent over the period in these secondaries, compared to 13 per cent in other schools."

Anyone who tries to say that Labour believe in education are just blatantly lying or misinformed