Nope to labour

[Mrsdeehoang]

I was considering voting for Labour, but their manifesto proposal to change the VAT on private education has made me reconsider. I'm not financially well-off, just about managing, and I took on two jobs to afford the fees for my son’s private grammar school. Despite our efforts, he couldn’t get a place in any of the five local state schools due to oversubscription, and our appeal was unsuccessful. We were instead assigned a school outside our area with a poor Ofsted report. Faced with this choice, I opted to work harder to provide him with a better education privately. The proposed VAT changes would make it even harder for families like mine to manage.

For me, Labour doesn’t seem to understand that not everyone who sends their children to private school is wealthy. I don’t like the Tories either, but I would rather vote for them than for Labour.

If you can afford school fees, you are not 'just about managing'.

Report the thread then - ask MNHQ to investigate this poster

Why do you think everyone who doesn't worship labour is tory HQ?

So they refused on the ground they couldn't meet need - and when challenged ? So what was the next option - does the EHCP fund the private education? Trust me I completely understand that the SEND process is broken but there is still a process - I guess it depends on the ground for refusal. It's frustrating I have many NEET kids who can't get into college due to 'meeting need' and then funding for specialist post 16 is like trying to get blood out of a stone BUT it's still a fight that needs to happen.

I am sorry the system let your child down - but the money from vat can improve the lives of children without the choice - including children like your child who need a TA and additional support.

Oh hello @Mrsdeehoang

Why not make your way over to all the myriad threads of posters wringing their hands about the unfairness of imposing VAT on private schools. I'm sure you'll find lots of sympathy over there

Can you lot please at least put that it's another private school rant in the title so we can avoid you?

TIA.

If I choose to save to buy a BMW and the price of BMW's goes up ? I have to find more money - tis the way when you choose education that's market led.

Why do you need to move to a 'top state school' are all our kids schools to shit for you?

It still has that teeny tiny tinge of snobbery

It's got nothing to do with being charities. They're not taking away charitable status, as doing so only raises £300 per child.
Adding VAT is totally separate and is dangerous, nowhere in Europe or the US taxes education. Doing this opens the door to taxing universities and private nurseries (which actually are businesses,) as opposed to private schools who do not have owners making money, but are non profit.

I didn't have the option of challenging.

Challenge both school and LA on everything, whilst combating dwindling finances and poor mental health?

Agreed - or at the very least got someone behind you whether that's the Gov or family that can and that's always subject to change....

And sorry, but no.

Labour has stated it isn't going to raise taxes anywhere else.

That is not enough money to fund state education, never mind SEN provision.

Again, I'm not a Tory voter. I don't want either of them in power.

But Labour are representing another chance of me having to give up on job searching and being a full time carer again. I will fight to avoid that.

I sent my children to private school but even I cannot see how anyone can justify giving private school parents a tax break on their fees. There are other choices if you can't afford it.

You are correct, it is a crime under Labour to have done well and achieved a good salary.

I mean they could tax oil & gas, or online gambling, or corporations, all of which would raise 10X the funds.

But this isn't about raising funds, it's about punishing people for achieving something.

OP, it's been done to death on here. More that 7% of MN threads are now on the subject of VAT on private education.

To save you scanning all the threads I can sum them up for you
Hard working parent disenchanted by loss of VAT discount.
Someone sensibly points out that parents of state school children work hard too.
Unsurprisingly various people post that the state of the NHS, roads, the economy etc are factors worth working into your voting choices too.
The vast majority of people don't care about the VAT.
A fair number of people think the VAT is a good thing.
Someone plays the world's smallest violin.
Then Tory HQ put up another thread and another thread and ........

Wish mn would set up a separate topic for this. Surely we are into the hundreds now on this exact same topic.

Good summary but you forgot WON'T SOMEONE THINK ABOUT THE only privately educated SEN KIDS???????

Well someone has to.

it's not a tax break
up until we left the EU, charging VAT on education would have been illegal!

Ah yes. I also forgot ....

Someone always posts "But this isn't about raising funds, it's about punishing people for achieving something."

But @jjgage kindly reminded me.

Yes and she's paying a lot of income tax that funds state schools without benefitting from them!

It won't raise enough money to do anything though, it's c.2% of the education budget.

What transformation can happen on 2%? Nothing.

It's purely Raynors spite.

State schools need proper funding, but I'd be more in agreement with a raise in income tax, which will raise proper funds. What about well off parents who are lucky enough to live in lovely areas with fabulous state schools, so they earn more money, and have more disposable income, but aren't hit by this tax that other less well off parents are who are scraping by to pay the monthly fee?

I think there are much better ways to fund the state schools better, but they don't actually care about funding the schools, it's just trump politics.

If I buy a BMW, I understand that I’ll pay tax on it. When I eat out or buy groceries, I pay VAT. But taxing children’s education? What's next, taxing sanitary towels and nappies?

We work hard and pay taxes on almost everything: when we sell our home, when we buy, and even when we die, our estates are taxed. As a society, we already pay a lot of taxes. It’s unethical to charge tax on a child's education.

Yeah all us shitty crappy unambitious state educating shitheels - who, you know, don't earn above £36k because we might actually work supporting children in the state system - I mean even if you tripled my wages I still wouldn't go private, but that's not going to happen. I am a lowly public sector serf working within education improving the outcomes for our most disadvantaged kids - damn me!

So am I and I am childfree. I don't mind, that's what society is all about.

Also, I had state education and am happy to pay so that others can have it too.