Private School VAT solution?

[HappyCompromise]

I’m seeing a lot of these threads. The arguments getting very toxic.

An idea I had to make it fairer would be introduce the VAT on a rolling basis.

So from whichever date it’s Y7 which has to pay +VAT. The school is allowed to reclaim a 1/7th VAT spend (or whatever that is as a proportion of year groups they service).

Y2 - Years 7 & 8 are now paying. Schools reclaim 2/7ths of their VAT spend?
etc. etc.

So at least the current cohorts can finish their education unhindered.

Would both sides be happy with that?

Mine all went to grammar schools, no tutoring. Two of them started this century so nothing to do with the 60s for what kids can do.

Kids haven’t become less intelligent in the last 60 years. Scarily it’s exactly 60 years since I took and passed my 11+.

It's a completely different ball game now. The top 30 private schools, majority of which are in London have as good, if not better results than most grammar schools. Only the likes of QE, HBS and Wilsons are better tbh, but these are the 'super' selective grammar schools. The competition for london private schools at 11 plus are so high that a lot of parents try get in via the 4 plus or 7 plus route. These kids are at least 1-2 years of the local state schools....like I said, they just don't stand a chance!

The top 30 private schools, majority of which are in London have as good, if not better results than most grammar schools.

You’d hope they would. If you were paying the equivalent of a family car to educate your child every year, that’s exactly what you’d expect for your money or it would be pointless. Where do wealthy people send their dim children if the selection process for these schools is so rigorous? Don’t try and tell me wealthy people only have highly intelligent children.

The VAT on school fees is not about money. £1bn is chicken feet to the Treasury. The budget deficit is £121bn. Furlough itself cost £71bn (although Labour wanted it to be more). Don’t overthink it. It’s a war on the middle-classes. Say goodbye to the Big Society. I’m not feeling particularly civic minded now someone has declared war. Society will only become more divided because Labour is all about divide and rule.

Beyond the telling tone of your language, you are completely missing the point - stating that the results of the top private schools are in line with those of most grammars is not the same as saying that wealthy people only have highly intelligent children. And in response to your question (that I would not repeat as I find the language unnecessary and unhelpful), you may want to notice that the poster referred to the 'top 30' - which readily gives you the answer: plenty of wealthy people sending kids to private schools not in the top 30, to grammars or to non selective state schools (in the last two cases, saving money to invest in second properties / pension funds, for instance).

Interesting also that the you believe that there is a correlation between the fees paid and the results. I am afraid there isn't, and any semblance of it disappears above a minimum level of funding) - there are many quite expensive private schools with no stellar academic results; there are state schools (most notably selective ones) that have better results than some private ones. Selection at entry plays a bigger role than fees / money.

That’s not the point! It’s like saying oh I could buy a house on one salary in 1984 so you should be able to now.