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?

@Thewholeplaceglitters that post was in response to a pretty grotesque comment about people paying for private and being embarrassed they are not rich.

Absolutely this! Well said 👏👏👏

I’ve been scrimping and saving to go on a month-long luxury trip to Bali, and they have just increased the price of first class tickets! AIBU to think this is a stretch?

Is that because you are a communist? Or hard left socialist?

@Readmorebooks40 rather than aspire to make all schools as good as private, just abolish the private ones. What a bizarre attitude.

So write the legislation so that it doesn't include those things?
Plus I don't see them as equivalent. If you could get university education, swimming lessons etc for free, and choose a fee paying version, then of course VAT should be added.But you can't, so it's not the same.

@DadJoke it would be unfortunate wouldn’t it? A holiday isn’t the same an an education. Perhaps you can’t grasp that.

🥱

the playing field is becoming more equal and you all can’t stand it! Absolutely hilarious!

nothing will change.

Or aspire to both?

State schools generally offer a great education that is available to all.
Sanitary products are apparently a 'luxury' and we have to pay VAT on them, private education is an absolute choice.

@bananamum13 if state is great then leave the mugs paying for it to do so without making it harder for them?

You're a very privileged woman with a privileged family to have a,spare salary equivalent to pay for private school for your kids.

Stop moaning and be grateful for what youve got.

People with much less are more grateful and don't moan on forums about shizz like this.

🤣 lol

@Drinas yes, because sadly the state sector does not have invested parents in the way the private sector does.

The policy is going ahead on the original agreed date according to the Independent:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/private-schools-vat-bridget-phillipson-b2624650.html

This.

So it's too expensive....? Meh, send your DC to a state school like most people do.

I disagree with private eduction in general. Why do the people who make all the decisions about funding etc for state schools get to opt out of the system for their own children. Get rid of private schools and if parents want to donate £15,000 a year to their kids state school they can.

It doesn’t matter anyway. It was a populist policy to attract the welfare state votes. Over half of the country are now net dependants. They are now finding out there aren’t enough mugs willing to pay for it all whilst everyone else keeps claiming and staying in part time, poorly paid jobs. It’s these people labour are coming for anyway. Them and pensioners. They need people working and paying tax. The old politics of envy backfiring. So many gullible people fell for it.

Amen... no point arguing with such privileged people whi claim to be hard done by.

Imagine having so much spare cash for multiple holidays and private school then crying about it.

Madness.

It comes across on some social media sites and here that private schools are taking away from state schools. The fact that a kid at private school gets to sit in a small class in a safe building has not taken anything away from my state school educated dc. In fact his parents have helped by paying into a system they will never use. How is it fair to get even more money from them? Everybody with half a brain cell knows that schools need more money. A lot more money. But I do believe this is an unfair way of raising the money and it isn’t even going to raise as much as they thought. FWIW - I’m a state school teacher with state school educated dc.

I mean, I could have a go at correcting the legislation. But I'm not Education Secretary in charge of the policy. Brigette P is, shes messed up and she's on a pretty tight deadline if she's going to sort everything out by the new year. Her incompetence is messing about with children's lives. If you are going to add VAT (unlike any other European country) at least make sure you've worked out how.

@ThisTimeNextWeekDavid yes and statistically it’s very infrequent compared to the state school.

But you know that.

“At point of need” is the key phrase.

That is why many countries give income tax relief to parents who use private schools as they recognise the financial benefit the state receives when parents don’t use state assets at the point of need.

Some countries give parents the full annual state education cost and allow them to spend it as they wish. Most choose a state school and therefore have a zero bill. Some put it towards private school fees.

And yet thousands of children are receiving an excellent education without going near a private school.

I went to a private school. I can say with confidence that the education there certainly was not the best possible. It was really only rescued when I went to a state maintained sixth form college.