All Private School Parents Should Get State School Places to Fight Back VAT

[LondonSam]

All Private School Parents Should Get State School Places to Fight Back VAT

It’s really cunty to impose the charge mid-year. They initially signalled it would be from September 2025.

It also doesn’t touch the super wealthy, who won’t blink at paying 20pc more. They’re still laughing at the little people. But kids on bursaries are going to be hit hardest.

Sounds like an excellent plan. All private schools will fold within months, allowing government to buy up buildings cheaply and set up new state schools to cover the rise in pupil numbers.

Yes, go to a state school like everybody else. Nobody cares.

Do it!

Society might be the better for it.

Absolutely! I think it would be great for state schools if there were more parents with high expectations and interest in their children’s learning sending their kids there (I am of course assuming that parents who pay for private schools have high expectations and take an interest in their children’s learning).

Because parents of children at state schools don't?

FFS

Many don’t, in my experience. I think it’s safe to assume many more than those who pay for it.

Paying money doesn't make a parent involved.

By all means, send your children to state schools if you wish.

If you need a state school place for your child apply for one. Enough of moaning, just get on with it.

Yes, apply for one. And feel really clever about yourself. 🙄

Too right - I’ve worked in a private school - you would be amazed how many parents throw money at the school and then just leave the school to it and basically don’t give a damn. For many it’s just standard practice for kids to go private - they’ve got money and children in the family have always been educated privately so tradition continues,

Plenty of parents I’ve dealt with rarely read with their child, I could retire if I had a pound for every time a parent has come to parent’s evening and said “Oh I haven’t read the report….”.

@LondonSam Aren't you coming back to tell us .... ?

I can tell you that there is a place at state school for your child. I can also tell you that some clever accountant for the government has already factored in a % that will move from private to state school with the introduction of VAT.

If all parents apply for a state school place, maybe our schools will get the funding that they need, while some private schools simply cease to exist.

Another one? FFS.🙄

"I can also tell you that some clever accountant for the government has already factored in a % that will move from private to state school with the introduction of VAT"

If only. Actually, the 1.6 billion figure they've been throwing around makes no adjustment for any % moving from private to state. It was based on hopelessly naive figures from the Fabian society and Corbyn's wing of the party.
There have been at least 4 reports (including those by EDSK and the Adam Smith institute) that have made allowance for a % moving from private and show that it will substantially reduce and possibly entirely eliminate that 1.6 billion that they hope to raise. If the % switching goes above 15% it will result in a loss to the exchequer.
There are presumably a few clever accountants working for the government, but they have had absolutely no input into this economically illiterate policy.

Well any child of school age in entitled to a school place. So yes they can apply.
In reality if you are applying now, the chances of you getting a place in a good state school may be slim.
Where I am, in East Sussex there are excess places but not in the first choice schools.

All Posters Should Write All Posts In Uppercase Format

I welcome every threat on this divisive policy and whoever do not want to read them can hide them. 😊

Plenty spaces in Manchester. No idea what your point is

Absolutely. 👍

I welcome these threads too. They are really driving support for the VAT policy by exposing the lack of self awareness and terrible sense of entitlement amongst the small but very vocal minority of posters opposing it.

I do feel sorry for the many very decent private school families who recognise their own privilege and aren't whining about this, though. It must be excruciating to think that people might associate you with the entitled crew.

I've avoided posting on any of these threads but I'll bite....

I don't believe in a two tier education system.

I believe all children deserve a good education.

As such I genuinely don't care if this policy brings in more money to state education or not.

I welcome public school educated children to enter the state sector.

In truth, it's not even about education for some people. It's about networking and connections.

These threads for the most part just make me cringe with hyperbole of privileged people claiming some sort of discrimination when in fact the reverse is true.

DH and could have afforded public education but chose not to. Not for money but because we wanted them not to experience a rarified educational experience that meant they lacked the societal awareness that is so prevalent on these threads.

I think it's a big problem especially when you see so many pivotal roles that inform public policy steered by people whose life experience begins and ends between the triangle of Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

I'd ban public education entirely and adopt means tested tax on education per child.

Go Flame me....

I won’t flame you, but I wonder how you feel about the best state schools being surrounded by expensive housing and rich people. Do you feel it’s ok to buy your way into a great catchment or tutor your way into a great grammar? Even if private schools were abolished, the inequality would be monumental. The most privileged can easily buy themselves a great state school place by buying an expensive house by it. And this sort of thing will happen more and more, now that it’s ok to openly hate private school kids.

Absolutely no problem with this, bring it on OP.

State school education is in such a terrible state that increasing class sizes will make little difference.

Or, maybe there won't be enough places to go round. I'm sure they will cobble something together and quite frankly it won't make things any worse than they already are.

The state of our education system is shameful. State education is full of wonderful, gifted, capable teachers battling a broken system, woeful curriculum, and pitiful levels of investment. They are frustrated and powerless to effect change. This would not have happened if we had a single tier system.

Private education is a luxury. It should be taxed as such. Or even better, we should have a single tier system.