Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

VAT on school fees anybody else worried?

89 replies

helmethead · 19/06/2010 15:49

20% increase on school fees could happen on Tuesday - I presume failing independent schools could then become free schools? Only raise £100m though a drop in the ocean of debt.

OP posts:
BingumyAndThob · 19/06/2010 20:10

Those of you who think parents would send their children to the local sink school should they be forced financially to remove their children from fee paying school are mistaken.

They would band together, open their own free school, and have their children educated entirely at tax payers' cost, thus reducing money within the state sector.

How is this a better thing?

Reallytired · 19/06/2010 20:17

"firstly, not everyone who sends their child to private school is loaded. Lots of people who send their children to private school make other financial sacrifices in order to be able to afford to give their children a better education."

lol... if I sent my son to private school we would not be able to eat and have to live in a cardboard box.

Why is private education necessarily better? do those of us who are lumbered with state schools not care about our kids?

I like the idea of the governant free schools. It gives choice. I have no objections to steiner schools having state funding. Steiner parents might have weird ideas, but they aren't snobs. Or at least the ones I know aren't.

Quattrocento · 19/06/2010 20:22

I would never band together to open a free school. Just wouldn't happen. Would require too much effort and time. Nope.

Rollmops · 19/06/2010 20:53

Oh, but it's so simple you see:
People who send their children to state schools are satisfied with the level and quality of education provided by their local state schools.
People who send their children to private schools are not satisfied with the level and quality of education provided by their local state schools.
No need to whinge about it
Unless of course, you think all private schools are evil. In that case, carry on, it will make not even an iota of difference. Nada. But you'll feel better. Until the next time.
[rolls-eyes]

Rollmops · 19/06/2010 20:56

Well, of course, there' the funding but private schools do offer bursaries etc.

Rollmops · 19/06/2010 21:01

My post should have read (what I meant to say) that people who can afford to send children to private but chose not to are satisfied...etc.
Sorry for messing out my post like this....

BingumyAndThob · 19/06/2010 21:09

So glad you clarified... I was getting a bit

Rollmops · 19/06/2010 21:20

Such 'foot-in-mouth' moment I'm still cringing....

UnquietDad · 19/06/2010 22:46

LOL at "ranting opportunities". One person's impassioned sense is another's rant.

iCooed · 20/06/2010 09:47

wipe the wanky little boaters off their heads

QualityTime · 20/06/2010 15:41

I'm finding it really hard not to write
Boo fucking hoo.

So I shan't.

hf128219 · 20/06/2010 15:48

As has already been said Education is an Exempt Supply.

Along with Land, Insurance, Postal Services, Finance etc etc.

Without an over-ruling by the EC there will be no VAT charged on school fees - or indeed any other form of Education.

wubblybubbly · 20/06/2010 15:58

How many terms would a kidney get me? That's about all I've got left to sacrifice.

ReneRusso · 20/06/2010 19:02

ICooed and QualityTime, I will ask again, what difference does it make to you if there is Vat on school fees? Any chance of a contribution to the debate? Cos you are sounding just a tad bitter and twisted.

QualityTime · 20/06/2010 19:38

Oh sorry, I missed your first question.
Yup, bitter and twisted, that's me.

Plus it's a bit of an overreaction to overreact to something that hasn't happened yet, always amusing.

It's money, either you have it or not, but if they up school fees or add VAT and you can't afford it then you can't afford it (unless you sell a kidney) no point whining about it.

drosophila · 20/06/2010 19:56

I guess it would deal with the accusation that VAT is regressive and hits the poorest hardest. Lib Dems would be able to say that 'hey look the rich (relative) are being hammered too'

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 20/06/2010 20:43

Don't get how VAT hits the poorest harder - not so hard to stop buying stuff that has VAT on?

Pendulum · 20/06/2010 21:06

Sorry, I realise this is slightly off the VAT topic but I hve just typed it so am going to post it anyway!

I almost agree with RollaCoasta about the positive effect of pupils who are currently independently educated going instead to the local state school.

But I don't think it's about them being more able necessarily: instead, they are more likely to have parents with high expectations of the school and who know how to achieve change.

If there were no independent sector and everyone went to their local school, in many parts you would see an improvement in standards because the demand for those improvements would rise (no way to "opt-out" by paying or moving house). In some areas there would still be catchment-related problems, and these could be addressed on the "supply side" of the equation by incentivising high-performing teachers to work there.

IMO social problems stemming from inequality of life chances cannot be properly tackled by people examining the issue from outside. Make it everyone's problem, and see what could be achieved.

Unfortunately for me, I doubt this will ever progress beyond a thought experiment

hf128219 · 20/06/2010 21:07

Rich person earns 50K per annum
Poor person earns 10K per annum

Both buy a car costing 5K

VAT is £755

Rich person pays 1.5% of their income
Poor person pays 7.5% of their income

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 20/06/2010 21:10

Whi would buy a car that costs half their annual income? Just don't buy the car.

hf128219 · 20/06/2010 21:18

Mrs Guy - How can you stop buying 'stuff that has VAT on?'

wubblybubbly · 20/06/2010 21:36

It's an example Mrs.

Petrol.

Mr A drives 20 miles to work each day and earns £50k

Mr B drives 20 miles to work each day and earns £10k.

Make more sense now?

drosophila · 21/06/2010 00:38

or get this example - delivery charges attract VAT - VAT increases so delivery charges increase - Grocery shop that gets delivery now has to pay more so passes on increase to customer. Even though food is zero rated VAT increases can still have knock on effect.

VivienScott · 23/06/2010 12:23

Goodness there are some vicious bitter people on here regarding private school! Why do you hate people who send their children to private schools, these days only the elitist of private schools are snobby or have an 'old boys' network that gives them any kind of advantage. Most are full of normal people who have looked at their local state school and thought that with a bit of financial sacrifice can give their kids a bit more. No-one at my childs private school is rolling in it, they are all middle class, there are no toffs, no landed gentry, the poshest we get is the odd soap actor!

Seriously the bitterness against private schools just makes you sound jealous, narrow minded and with a huge dose of inverted snobbery, suggest you all grow up and stop being so pathetic!

AgathaMystery · 06/04/2017 23:43

God. I'm really worried.

We pay school fees and it is a struggle. Truly. We really scrimp and save. Like you wouldn't believe.

I can't believe this could happen. We've factored in i increases but not VAT.

There are 14 children in my parents class. 1 has 'wealthy' parents. The rest of us skulk about muttering about how to afford the fees.