Whitehall “braced for private schools collapse” 5

[ICouldBeVioletSky]

Starting a continuation thread in anticipation of the fourth one filling up…

www.mumsnet.com/talk/education/5301690-whitehall-braced-for-private-schools-collapse-4?page=39

@SabrinaThwaiteif VAT closes schools are you ok with that?

It was from this MSC news item:

www.medschools.ac.uk/news/is-medical-school-really-out-of-reach-for-working-class-students

(So yes, excludes dentistry and pharmacy).

There’ll be a consolidation in the sector, like there is when any industry is affected by a change in market conditions.

Well yes it will damage the sector like it would any.

You sound ok with that. Would you be ok if a 20% tax did the same to your sector?

Nope, not feeling bad about myself at all.

This is the wider and more disturbing issue for me. When a Government uses rhetoric to other 7% of children because their parents don’t vote for them it is effectively normalising spite towards children, they’re not ‘ours’ after all. Is it really normal for a Government to be manipulating people to cheer on closing schools and losing access to tax free education? Brexit was depressing, turning on ‘other’ people’s children is a sign of mental illness in my opinion.

Hard agree. Champagne socialist virtue signalling seems to be missing the basic understanding that the majority of the country doesn't have the same access to amazing state schools, no one knows anyone trans and want women to be able to keep their rights. They don't want to see the liberal elite on telly wringing their hands about whether some men are or are not going to rape their wives and kids because they all "identify" as a woman don't you understand? They want to know why the steel works have been bought off at great cost instead of paying for SEN in schools, why we are taking more from PIP when they derided Tories for introducing it. Consistently missing the point because of the elite bubble where great things are simply free to the right sort of wealthy because they live in the capital.

My sector was hit with large taxes, increased costs and a drop in market rates. It contracted, companies consolidated, and it was painful for a while. It’s still a strong sector.

I've been politically homeless for such a long time that sometimes I hardly know what the point is of staying on the electoral register (hyperbole, dear readers).

Hate what the Tories have done since 2010, particularly in their Brexit guise but goes back to their austerity measures which together have totally wrecked all the public services. The LibDems turned out to be pointless in mitigating the worst of Brexit and then went bonkers in the culture wars. The Greens are totally insane. Reform seems to be where the angry uninformed xenophobes, not satisfied with their dear Nigel's spearheading of the hard Brexit nightmare and casting around to blame, well, everybody but them, are flocking.

I was glad the Tories got booted out last year, but Labour have screwed the economy, cut public services and are also engaging in their own version of populist blame-these-people rhetoric.

Just shit all round.

Sounds great 👍

Where the people impacted in your sector children?

Which taxes do you mean?

And why do you see that contraction as good?

It’s just amazing to me how people have been persuaded to give up their right to a tax free education for half a breakfast muffin and bowl of Frosties. Are we really this dumb?

Actually this has really pissed me off.
We aren't talking about adults here, we are talking about children!
You are reducing children + their education down to nought. Just brushing them off as "well my sector went through challenges" so it's OK to purposely impose that on children.

Contraction was useful - the sector was previously bloated.

And yes, lots of people affected - including children.

Children were directly impacted and their education disrupted as a result of your example?

I don't think you can look at the private education sector and apply normal economic arguments to it. Yes, business sectors do consolidate, weaker players go bust, you end up with a more efficient market, fewer players and it is all better for stakeholders in the long run. But private education is much more fragmented and localised and what looks like it doesn't work on paper, could actually be working very well for a group of children. Also, the pain of the sector becoming 'more efficient' carries a very heavy price tag, with a direct and very negative impact on children's lives, to the extent of SEN DC actually having no alternative viable provision. What is the point of that?

Also, there is economic gain overall when business sectors consolidate, i.e. value creation within the sector. Where is the value generation in this policy. It seems to be building overall education sector inefficiency more than anything else.

‘Bloated’ I take it you kept your job?

It’s also quite vague, what was the tax increase exactly?

Oh my god @KendricksGin !!! Well said. You’re back in my good books. I’m going to have a Hendricks G&T in your honour

Are we celebrating contraction now? No wonder people like Labour.

This assumes that many support the policy. I strongly believe that they didn't and don't and certainly weren't voting on that niche policy.

It was a direct reply to a PP asking Would you be ok if a 20% tax did the same to your sector?.

Yes, it did happen. Yes, the sector contracted. Yes, it affected a lot of people. Yes that included children.

I’m not reducing children + their education down to nought, I answered a question.

HTH

No I didn’t keep my job. It was a good opportunity to change track.

Putting all emotion and morality aside, this consolidation presumably built economic efficiency into your sector . Where is the economic value in this policy?

Why can’t you say which sector and taxes? since you’re not in it anymore

I can’t recall 20%