To think a lot of people who agree with VAT on school fees…

[geeenuoe]

Actually don’t truly understand that to most sending their kids to these schools, it is a massive, massive struggle already.

There seems to be a mentality that if you can afford 20k a year then you’re already comfortable so sod it, you should find more cash now for vat … but do people in general not understand that some families re mortgage their homes to pay these fees? Yes there’s mega wealthy people but there’s many, many more who are not.

On the one hand we hear a good education is a luxury so VAT must be applied, then on the other we are told a good education is a right for all. So… why are we taking away that good education from those who already have it? Why is the focus not on sorting out the state sector properly? We all know the vat won’t fix the state sector. It may help in a tiny way in ad hoc circumstances but there’s so so so much more that needs to be done to state schools to make them ever match what the private sector offers.

I simply don’t get this mentality that those making sacrifices must make more when it comes to bloody education. I say this as someone who can’t afford the fees but if I could I absolutely would… and I also acknowledge that I am unwilling to go to some lengths that others will to pay it. I respect the choice of others to make such sacrifices and have no desire to make it harder and more inaccessible for the masses to access it. Similarly, I know plenty of people driving fancy cars and spending loads on holidays… they’ve chosen that over school fees. And those who have spend loads getting into a postcode of a decent state school… should they be paying enhanced tax on their house purchase?

Why do most people think those who pay schools fees are doing so with great ease? Is it basically because they don’t personally know people paying this so accept the media narrative that it’s the mega rich only?

Education is not a luxury. We are not that dumbed down yet! Please!

There's lots of things I can't afford. Private health care for one. Should VAT go on that? Because that's going to impact the NHS massively.

I’m sure you’re right - for vast swathes of the UK, it’s a faraway problem for no one they know.

Hertfordshire CC have raised their hands up to the government that they’ve had more enquiries from private school parents about moving to state than they can cope with. So for some areas, it’s a real issue.

😂

£20k is half my take-home.

So you are saying that if someone's parenting of their children is not up to scratch and as a result they have a badly behaved child, it is our responsibility as part of "the human race" to step in and say "leave this to me. I will take over and sort this child's poor behaviour out myself"

Collectively that is in fact exactly what we do. If a child commits a serious crime, they will be taken at state expense to juvenile detention facilities.

If parents are not capable of raising their child, that child will be removed by the state into the care system.

PRIVATE! PRIVATE education is a luxury. Not education in general.

This all day long. Private schooling is a choice. Like cake (or is it biscuits...the jaffa cake thing confused me).

You have the choice of free education at state school. If you choose something else, you should be paying the VAT on it.

What has VAT got to do with luxury?

No, it wouldn't, because they could take the State-issued dryer if they didn't want to pay VAT.

I would have found another job and moved.
Luckily eldest was happy and settled, so that was not really on the cards.

I can after sacrifices afford his fees. Been saving for the last 2 years, to cover the 10% increase because it was obvious where it was going and the school had said they would split the VAT bill.

We don't VAT certain essentials, such as children's clothes. I already said this.

It is a horrendous thread to read. Most private school parents are just doing what they think is best for their kids. There are very valid, logical, counter arguments to the VAT policy but any such suggestion just results in vitriol.
There are better, fairer policies that would actually have a hope at moving the dial on education standards in state schools (like tax rises across all brackets). This policy is hugely divisive and pointless.

That's a cheap shot

Demonstrating 'benefit to the local community' was a requirement of charitable status for school trusts. At my DC's former school (thankfully they've now left so we're not caught up in this mess) that meant offering use of sports pitches/ swimming pool/ large halls/ music & performance facilities and hosting local events such as university/careers fairs for free to local schools and groups.

With the VAT increase the school can no longer suck up the cost of hosting these and also needs to raise funds to try to offset some of the VAT increase for parents. So there will now be the introduction of hire fees for facilities or entry charges for events.

My choir, which uses the school music room to rehearse in the evening, will now cost me £120 per term, as they now have to pay commercial room rates for the space and cover caretaker costs for locking up etc.

I think a lot of us are pissed off with this inaccurate view that only private schools offer a great education.

Why aren't the other 93% doing this? Are they all dumb, inarticulate, without connections, etc.? No? Then maybe there are better and more straight-forward methods to bring state schools up to a good standard.

Hertfordshire would a prime example of where a rampant private sector has permitted the state sector provision to be less than it should be. It will be a painful correction but needed. And the local authority has to provide the kids withdrawn from private school with an education. They don't have to pander to mum and daddy's feelings of being hard done by though.

And I'm sure many of them would say, fine, I'll take the state issued one and the taxpayer can foot the cost. Especially if they can't afford to pay 20% more for the tumble dryer they were going to buy. I'd call that an own goal.

Private school parents already pay the same amount as state school parents towards the state education system- why should they pay more because they don't use it?

We don’t add VAT to caviar.

The point is that VAT is not a luxury tax. It never has been. The last time we had a luxury tax was post war when the government wanted to discourage waste and unnecessary spending.

Education in and of itself, in whatever form, is not a luxury. We aren't philistines! (Yet....)

I completely agree. Private school parents are doing the best for their children - and that is the job of all parents. They are paying to buy advantage for their children - advantage over the children who go to state school. I don't blame them for that. But that surely is a luxury to be taxed? Buying advantage over their fellow tax payers....

"most people who pay these fees don’t own yachts and fleets of cars. They have a couple of holidays a year and watch their spending."

It's a hard knock life.

Why do you think that everyone who supports this policy is jealous?

Many people agree with redistributive policies as a matter of principle. I'm sure that there are many people who could afford to educate their children privately, but choose not to. There are many reasons why people would actively choose state education.

So what about other forms of education which give children an advantage? Are you happy to see after school sports, drama clubs, piano lessons, and tuition, all increase in cost by 20%?

People don't care!

Private education is a luxury.