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

You’ve countered more posts against VAT than for it giving an impression you are pro VAT.

@strawberrybubblegum - the Government policies are driving everyone out of London with the tax thresholds and then they complain about having to close primary schools in London! To afford a house in London and 2 children, you need 2x high dual income. The politicians actually want successful middle class people to have 3 DC for the future, but they are doing everything they possibly can to stop this demographic having more children. It is complete madness all round. It is not just the private school thing.
Tip for 2025 young parents - whatever you do, know your tax thresholds, move out of London, work from home, move in catchment, do not consume, DIY what you can, hand me downs etc, holiday swap houses abroad with your friends, minimise your expenditure, maximise your contacts and knowledge. Use your friends for free services/barter economy it is.

@CurlewKateif you are aware of your privilege why don’t you post about reducing that in some way?

For example more taxes for you in your posts rather than others?

And I will add to that - live within commuting distance of good universities and job prospects for your children. Middle class tips 2025!

Reeves and Starmer are going to make us a Chinese colony - all because of their hatred of the Tories. Eton et all will in due course become 50% Chinese and Indian and Middle Eastern elite - our rulers. That is what they seem to want.
Rather than get us back in the EU and celebrate our diverse and Euro centric value system, whilst at the same time, keeping our ties to Asia and US in a nice balance, which is actually primarily based on choice for all and democracy and not dictating to parents how they educate their children. The whole point of being British is being open minded (not embarrassed, but open minded and liberal and free). Someone needs to remind them about who we are.

“It seems clear that having painted themselves into a corner by promising no rises in income tax pre-GE, labour can't fix the things that need fixed, and are instead trying cheap, populist parlour tricks - things that will generate some media attention and buy them a few votes but don't cost that much, are poorly targeted, and do little to address structural inequalities.”

@Lebr1 completely nails it.

This @curlewkate
Thought this was what you were referring to as a 'looking glass world'.

Certainly seems like one to me.

I think the point about breakfast clubs is a distraction, most kids I know will not use it because we are in a largely middle class area.

Either our “9 til 5” working parents will continue to use the breakfastclub provider that starts at 7.30 or have breakfast at home, and just use the school club to permit a slightly earlier drop off . In fact that would be really useful as starting school at 8.40am is a total pain.

A breakfast club that starts at 8.20am and serves toast and marg or cheap cornflakes will not attract parents needing to commute to work regularly where I live.

No. Nobody has said anything about ALL state school parents, apart from you.
Most people don’t think everyone else is the same as they are.

I am more than happy to pay more tax. I have harangued my MP and the local and national Labour Party on the subject. I think Labour should definitely have gone for a wealth tax. But they didn’t. Not sure what you expect me to do about it!

It's strange how posters like @CurlewKate create their own straw man argument to argue against. Nobody has even come to close to suggesting that all private school parents are far richer and more privileged than all state school pupils. The world is complex and that's what people are posting about.

Of course, generally the poorest students will attend state schools and they will disproportionately be at poorly performing state schools too. It doesn't follow though that 6% if kids that attend private schools are from the top 6% of high earning households. The data shared on the thread shows that the distribution is far wider than this. It therefore follows that some wealthy households are using state schools and some less wealthy households are using private schools. Blanket policies that seek to enrich state schools or penalise the use of private schools will therefore lead to wealthier people being subsidised by less wealthy people. It is just basic logic!

It is also a privilege in this country to have access to a state school that isn't inadequate and meets the need of your child. Lots of parents simply don't have this option and therefore feel pushed into paying fees that they really would rather not pay. Believe it or not @CurlewKate but not everyone is desperate to part with £15k plus just to have their child educated to a reasonable standard in a setting that meets their needs.

I will mention this again as it highlights how ridiculous the system is. I am paying fees and VAT for one child whilst being offered a free breakfast for my other child. Make it make sense

Pay a voluntary payment to the HMRC. Put your money where your mouth is.

@EHCPerhapsI was generalising in the way that is standard for people talking about state schools. I apologise. Although to be fair, one poster did say that all the richest people she knows use state schools

You have absolutely no idea what I spend my money on and I am not prepared to tell you!

What makes you think I care? You implied that you wanted to pay more tax and I simply pointed out that you always have this option. You don't need to get your local MP onboard to do this.

If you genuinely were desperate to pay more tax then you would do this.

Quite. All we do know is that it isn't your kids education.
Your choice. We are happy to let you have it. We have chosen a different path for multiple and varied reasons but our kids education has been pilloried at every turn by people who haven't made the same choices.

Good idea. HMRC make it easy @CurlewKate

You could offload some of that privilege until there’s equity.

I do not agree. @CurlewKate has said they voluntarily give loads of their time as a governor etc, may volunteer further locally and probably give to charity as well. I think that is far better than donating extra tax to be wasted on all sorts of vanity projects. I prefer giving locally and to charities of my choosing (and claiming the tax back!)

Anyone that spends time arguing for a ludicrous and damaging VAT policy and spending other people’s money could spend their own instead on more tax.

Always someone else to pay.

“I will mention this again as it highlights how ridiculous the system is. I am paying fees and VAT for one child whilst being offered a free breakfast for my other child. Make it make sense”

@Bumpitybumper - I think that is just another aspect the IFS did not consider at all. It is the in and out club, those using state and private education for different children, at different times, according to need and family circumstances. Completely standard where I live.
Yet politicians have boxed families into rich/private school vs standard/state school. It is so far from the truth.

Not supporting vat and applying some common sense around the subject are not mutually exclusive. You could even try it sometimes.

But @CurlewKate said she thought she should pay more tax and so should everyone else. She clearly doesn't agree with you that the money paid in extra tax will be wasted so why wouldn't she pay voluntarily?

Lol at the attempted insult. No point going on the attack. It’s your posts that give the impression you are pro VAT.

I wonder if I could claim retrospective cornflakes for the years that my son should have been in state education but none was provided for him? @EHCPerhaps you might qualify too! 😐

However, having had a look at your website, you are charging a membership fee whilst claiming to support families. I also don't see a robust plan on how members will benefit from this. Unfortunately I'm now not so convinced by the motive behind this.