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.

Well do that then?

What you forget is they parents are already saving the state loads of money by not sending their kids to state school!!! Adding a 20% tax is not the way forward but I guess its one of the several taxes labour will impose on aspirations!!

I'm thinking the same. My kids are settled now, and that's worth a lot to me. But is it good value for money? Nope. Not any more. If I was just starting out I'd be looking to get into a good state school.

No. I had no choice.

Without this private school place, my 5 year old daughter will have had no school place.

She went the entirety of 2023 without an education at all.

What aren't you getting?

There was no choice!

Was about to say YANBU to objecting to a vaginal birth

I'm sorry @SpudleyLass it sounds like you are breaking and I hate hearing that - I don't really know what to say as we are on opposing sides view wise but I hear how much you love your child and I am 100% sure they know that so don't stop - I wish you the very best whatever the election result and I totally understand your frustration. I'm sorry

Plenty of parents who send their kids to state schools have aspirations. It's bollocks to assume only private school parents have aspirations for their children. Not only bollocks but bloody insulting.

Yeah well I have a masters, 2 of my kids are at university - one at a RG Uni-3rd is yr10

I went to a state school, so did they - oh fuck sorry we should stop all this ambition and go and walk T'whippet

Sp sick of these threads. YABU and entitled.

I support this policy and can't get behind you OP. Private schools aren't going away for good, people will just have to get a bit wealthier to afford them now.

Your language choice of 'parents who choose' suggests that the rest of us are simply 'choosing' not to work hard or earn enough money to send children to private schools and reveals your snobbery.

Of all the issues we face in this country (700k children living in poverty), is this really the most pressing one?

So you'd like them to just be for the true elite? That will be ok? Just not the middle class?

🥱 yawn yawn

Every parent with a child privately educated child now needs to contact their local authority and enquire about a place in a state school and the availability. Whether they intend to move them or not.

Could start to get a little bit tricky...

Well like many huge privileges - pent houses in London, private jets, designer clothes they are a CHOICE if you can't afford that then yeah - suck it up with us state school plebs

You make it sound so appealing 😂

I know - you might actually have to see kids too poor to afford winter coats or food - how awful for you

Or you might just meat lots of people from different walks of life, develop friendships and empathy and understanding?

MEET obviously - before anyone decided my slightly drunk typing is the product of a northern state school

Whilst I'm sure Labour will be devastated not to get your vote they can comfort themselves with the prospect of the predicted landslide victory they are going to get regardless. In the meantime many thanks for drawing attention to an issue rarely discussed on Mumsnet.

Even if VAT on fees is a good thing (personally i disagree with it), i think as adults we can be sensitive & understand that it'll cause a lot of disruption to the children that have to move (who mostly have had no say in their schooling) and it should be managed as well as possible.

I think I'd have more time for Labour's policy if they were suggesting 5% this year, rising by 5% a year until it's at the full 20%, for example. Give parents time to plan & move their children at a suitable time (eg end of year 6, end of year 11). It could help local authorities plan for influx of children, too. I also think there could be exemptions for children on ECHP & so forth.

I think there are ways to manage this where it's less devastating for families. I don't think it's selfish for parents to worry about their children & how they'll cope.

Also, many parents started planning for private school before their kids were born. They chose careers they might not have otherwise, lived a certain lifestyle, bought in certain areas etc. it's ok to be sensitive to the disappointment they're feeling realising all that won't be enough, even if you agree with the VAT.

I just hate how polarised & nasty this is. The state sector is failing & needs investment, whether this is the right way or not. Equally, parents & children who are used to a certain kind of school being forced to go to any school with a space is a big adjustment.

Why people can't recognise the pros and the cons of this is beyond me. Whether you think it's right or wrong, it's ALL children's education & wellbeing (state + private) that should be at the forefront of our minds, not bickering between adults x

Plenty of state school availability. Just maybe not at your first, second or third choice of school. And when you move to the state school, that school gets £4000 (or thereabouts depending on area and phase) to educate your child. The argument about the state sector being unable to cope if private school pupils switch in September doesn't hold up.

I hope so, really hope they win

It couldn’t be done while we were in the EU, as it’s an EU principle not to charge VAT on education.

So if you’re a Brexiter, it’s a bonus for you that you now get to punish children whose parents are only just slightly better off than you or on bursaries - woo! Result! 👍

Of course children's education matters but while they had no say - their parents made a choice and honestly, if they made a choice that can't cope with a rise in costs that's not good planning - my fuel bills went from £140 a month to £285 this winter - I had to suck it up and find the rest - or chose not to have heat and light.

Private schools also have a choice - to make cuts themselves and suck up the cost rather then passing on to parents - they also have a responsibility to their kids - so maybe start there?

You were very foolish to attempt the private schooling route if it was that much of a stretch. Hindsight can be unfortunate.

Please don’t insult intelligent people by claiming you are not well off, even if it takes two jobs to afford an excess of multiple thousand pounds a term. If you can afford this, plus housing, bills and food, you are well off.