Whitehall “braced for private schools collapse” 3

[ICouldBeVioletSky]

Starting a third thread to discuss impact of VAT on private school fees, as the topic looks likely to run (and run). Though probably best to finish off the second thread before posting here, thx.

I wish I knew the point

And something to do with the amazing contribution of their extended families who are invested in their children's education. Because suddenly 7% is of great significance.

Yes, despite the standard mumsnet view of private school children who are, apparently, entitled, thick, and worst of all ……posh.

It’s the fact that many of the elite
private schools have actually contributed massively during the Tory years to state education but Labour have ZERO respect of this and are entirely clueless.

Labour don’t care - any benefits private schools may have conferred on state schools or any help given to SEND children is irrelevant so long as private schools and their ghastly students and parents are punished.

Votes only I’m guessing. People think doing this stuff will help them.

Look at the carnage now though. Labour going for welfare cuts.

You only have to look at some of the threads on Mumsnet though.

There was one recently with a parent stressing they were letting their child down because if they went state they wouldn't make "contacts" that would help them in later careers.

While that might have been the case when my parent's generation were at school, it really isn't today. You're far more likely to make contacts at university, or through your family network and even then it doesn't generally land you with career opportunities.

But these myths of some secret system that gives people a leg up persist.

The reality is that behaviour tends to be better, classes tend to be smaller and the school can't shrug and say 'recruitment issues' when the Physics teacher turns out to be six months of cover teachers.

@OhCrumbsWhereNowagree re contacts not really being it.

On this policy if you’re wanting more support a policy that aims at the rich sounds pretty attractive. VAT is in that.

The reality is 7/8 months later Labour’s anti growth policies cut funding and wipe out £9bn.

Now welfare claimants are in the firing line, and a voter who thought they could be supported more sees a real cut in payments.

Granted if you’re on the bones of your arse you likely don’t have headspace for economics and abstract stuff, the reality still is you’ll have less to live on. Labour sold those people a lie.

Yet the die hards are still cheering for them 🙄

@VanCleefArpelsIf you’re talking about the school I think you are, it’s been on the skid for ages.

@BarbadossunsetCould you point to some posts saying that private school kids are entitled and thick? I assume you have evidence to support your statement….

My disabled son was let down by the Tories and now he’s being let down by Labour.

Welfare cuts? Labour are the party of work and workers, they are simply helping those with mental health issues back into work…

The real problem Labour have is immigration and the Muslim vote and sooner or later they are going to have to deal with that. The white British working classes have been let down by both Tory and Labour and many are easy targets for Reform. The Labour Party need to help create jobs and dignity for the white British working classes in areas where there are no jobs.

Sadly he won't be the only one!

inews.co.uk/news/politics/more-send-pupils-mainstream-schools-ehcp-shake-up-is-considered-3583685?ito=link_share_article-top

There have been plenty but the worst on here stuck in my mind. Reported for hate speech and deleted. Hopefully the pp has taken a nice break..

So you’re still for the VAT policy?

What’s your take on welfare cuts?

@CurlewKate Could you point to some posts saying that private school kids are entitled and thick? I assume you have evidence to support your statement.

Certainly. Here is a small selection:

That’s because around here child at private school=entitled twat

Just that whole private school entitlement arrogance, isn't it?'?

and just had (I can see in retrospect) that very private-school entitled attitude

And everyone I’ve met who went to private school is just awful and entitled

Everyone I’ve met who went to private school is an entitled d*ckhead

But he has a firm belief that private school will make his children stuck up and entitled?

Disagree as someone who works in a private school the entitlement is off the chart

We've seen that often with previously lovely children who go to private school and turn into horrible little entitled brats.

Prosperity,sense of entitlement,habit and habituation,all contribute to private school ethos

State Schools avoid that real entitled edge of some private schools but still achieve full potential.

My neighbours kid was privately educated but as thick as

luv at private school, yet she turned out to be thick as 2 short planks.

Private school is there to bring thick as mince but pleasant rich kids up to the standard of bright

famous, private school educated people in the public eye who are just thick as two short planks,

private schools are usually the rich thick ones

the son went to a private boarding school. Nothing do do with academia - he really was thick as

Goodness, when are you lot going to let this go? Of course some private schools are closing, lots of SMEs close all the time, people adapt and invest in growth areas and the cycle continues

I will "let this go" when Labour reverse the policy!
3 x 'average' number of schools have closed since 1st Jan and many more schools are making redundancies. This isn't just about parents not being able to afford to pay the tax, it's about the knock on effect on staff, communities and the impact on kids including over 110 000 SEN kids who are the most vulnerable to change!
It has no fiscal justification to wreak this much havoc on the lives of children.

FYI you the taxpayer are paying over 2.4K per hour for the 4 x KCs Labour have hired to defend the legal challenge. That's going to work out as minimum of 200k. You feel that's money well spent in order to receive approx £0-500k?

And you think policies that close SMEs and lower growth are good?

Why?

I can't stress enough to parents now. I am one of the only people it seems on these threads in their 20s, with recent experiene of these schools and the job market.

I have many "connected" friends.

The days of contacts, a nice handshake etc. are well and truly dead. From Finance to the Arts.

I know of MANY people who leave school with bbb for example and wanted to walk into JP Morgan - with a door firmly slammed shut on their face when they don't even get past the CV scanners. Sitting in boring careers they hate like recruiting WISHING they had worked harder and hand on heart admitting they could have turned that into AAA and a much better university with more hard work and focus. Also not picking up skills like coding, web design, learning how to use photoshops properly, whatever it is careers need hard skills now. MANY of them wouldn't send their children to the schools they went to. I won't name names.

The world is competitive now, and I have to stress, there are lots of people with connections with VERY good CVs supporting them too who fly into these jobs.

While "enjoying yourself" between 13-18 sounds fun. Get ready for a s**t 20s.

And you can enjoy yourself and work hard and make friends. They aren't mutually exclusive.

Have to agree, some poor financial management has persisted over the years with schools expecting full rolls and parents happy to pay sky high fees.

The generation coming through are MUCH more discerning I find when it comes to deciding on which schools.

They aren’t going to reverse this policy.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m never going to let Brexit go, but I’ve accepted that a vote to return to be back in the EU is very unlikely in the near future.

Can you put your fury into more positive, productive actions?

Ah you must know the outcome of the court case before it's happened? Hope you play the lottery too with such a gift.
Labour are sufficiently worried enough to chuck 4 x KCs at it. Surely if they were confident they wouldn't need to waste taxpayer money doing that?

I agree it's a waste of time thinking they will change this policy too.

But these threads do provide a good talking point around the side issues connected to this point too in many ways.

Clearly, in real life and on here, one I hear time and again, from people who can easily afford fees too mind you, is that fees are just ridiculously high now.

I agree, I keep coming back to these threads as I tend to get insight into all things education (state and private) and topics I would otherwise not have on my radar (SEND issues for example). I'm finding it fascinating, as are the invisible lines people hold with social accountability and how to spend the tax purse.