Private school tax ‘forces’ parents to put their children in state schools | Diarmid Mackenzie

Sending kids to private school is a lifestyle choice, not a human right. Has anyone else noticed that the media is obsessed by VAT on private schools? Could it be a massive class bias in the media (this is a Murdoch outlet), or that so many journalists send their kids to such schools? Remember only 7% of school students go to private school, even less in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Have these parents tried tightening their belts? Maybe no more avocado toast? Or maybe they could cut back on holidays and try to live within thier means.

I do not remember the times making such a fuss about the state of some areas of the state school system, the reason, they are not bothered in most cases about the situation. I have no issue with people sending children to private schools, as some of my own family went to public school. But for the life of me I cannot see why a certain minority of the education system should get what is effectively a tax breaks for institutions that only a limited number can attend. It is obvious that the Times has a vested interest, so the reporting is always going to be biased but that is nothing new.

If more people are made to use statute schools, then just maybe we will get a better state education system. Propaganda here by The Times from people with a vested interest.

Perhaps if they used the state schools they might actually have a vested interest in improving them.

Perhaps now they will care about how state education is funded….

A whole lot of bellyaching by a small minority of people that already gets way too much air time. Might the real reason actually be fairness and ideology, rather than the amount of money it raises?,

If you can't afford private-school children, you shouldn't have them.

Yawn Sands school have raises their fees by over 3k since 2019 and havent lost customers. A 30% rise on their own terms. Just give the public the VAT and dont raise your fees

We are talking about 7% of the population. Education in the UK should be a level playing field, a child’s life chances should not depend on how much their parents pay to give them an advantage in university application, job opportunities and entry to the professions

Well we'll see wont we? Rather than the vague threats and bullish promises of the sky falling in (similar to what we had when the minimum wage was introduced), maybe these people will find a way to muddle on through with their private education. I guess these schools will just have to find new ways to keep revenue lower for the parents, maybe car boot fairs, charity drives, restructuring staff, hard work from governors and staff to save money. Like literally every state school in the country with far less resources over the last 14 years.

So what? I am fed up with subsidising rich people to send their kids to posh schools. It's wrong in principles, charities my ar%e.

If parents of private school pupils were truly committed to this education system, they would surely be prepared to pay this tax to ensure their kids remained in it? To be able to pay this money every year, they are relatively rich and are able to pay the additional 20% on an amount that most families in the UK would consider an unaffordable extravagance.

I wonder why state schools aren't attractive to some parents...oh, I dunno, could it be 14 years of under investment from the previous govt added to huge tax breaks for private schools?

If private schools wish to pass on the cost of VAT to their customers, that is their decision. The idea that a private school should be VAT exempt is absurd. They are offering a service for money.

Same right wing rhetoric as always. Brought to you by the same people who argued the minimum wage would cost people's jobs - never happened. Or that cutting taxes for the rich would tricke down - never happened. The theme that runs through it all is that you have to be nice to the wealthy and cruel to the poor, its not based on anything its just pure dogma.

This is good news, a local primary school is closing so more children in the state school system will help.

Public school educated journalists and politicians constantly complaining about the private school tax, thinking it's a negative for Labour, so out of touch they don't realise its a huge plus for Labour with the general public.

Imagine taxing education!

This is a lost cause no one cares about the woes of those that send their kids to private schools. Tax payers should not be subsidising private schools they are not charities.