V.A.T, in school fees

Of course now we have all these academies and free schools they can employ anyone whether they've got a teaching qualification or not.

There were people going into teacher training for primary schools in 1976 who did not know their tables, Scottie. Nothing to do with Blair.
Since teaching became an all graduate profession, teachers have had to have a C or above in maths to get on to a course. Again, nothing to do with Blair.

Thanks for that trisher, GD is year 6 and the tables have been a great problem. We have tried to help with flip charts and games but the poor child had a mental block. The sad thing is that GD has actually regressed, she used to be much more confident about her schoolwork.

I'm another who got private tuition in maths for our children at crucial exam time, strangely he was a science teacher but well qualified to teach maths. He did loads of private coaching for science and maths for many of the children at the school, he'd being doing it for years. When I rang him up to ask what he charged, he replied, "whatever it was per hour and a packet of chocolate digestives" my kids told me he bunged a couple their way but chomped through the rest, however I consider he was actually worth his weight in biscuits!

harrigran so sorry about this sadly when headteachers are on their last years things do sometimes slip in schools for lots of reasons. It isn't up to a teacher what she teaches any longer. She is required to follow the Primary strategy and in Year 3 this states your GD should
"Derive and recall multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 times-tables and the corresponding division facts; recognise multiples of 2, 5 or 10 up to 1000"

I would advise your Gds parents to write to the head and quote what they were told. It really isn't acceptable.

There are some very ill-educated teachers out there. They can't spell, add and dislike children! All a result of Blair's "high education for all" resulting in easy A levels, Mickey Mouse Degree Courses and people not being good enough for commerce or industry and going into teaching.

What I do deplore is the hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness from people who claim that people with "middle incomes" can afford private education
I don't think anyone has said that on here, have they?

Her parents are trying to get it sorted because GD has reached the point where she is saying she doesn't want to go to school and have reason to believe that her sibling may follow into this teacher's class.
When asked to explain why pupils were not learning their times tables she stated that she found them difficult and stressful when she was a child and didn't see the need to put other children through the same experience.
Headmaster has just retired and the new head is a woman and is doing the 'new broom' thing, we are hopeful she will investigate but probably not in time to prevent GD leaving in July on a sour note.

Labour are in such a bad place, they are trying to play the class card, hoping to drum up enough resentment to get people to vote for them in the May elections. All a bit tiresome, especially as two newspapers to-day are talking about Stateless funding; the Times has a story about NHS managers asking Hedge Fund Managers for a loan and Schools asking parents to make donations to top up funding. I can't see the free school meal idea having "legs".

Jen,when I said all who do private tutoring should be registered this was dismissed .

all should pay tax due but all do not, I think choosing one group is just an excuse to fire up class war

harrigran Where did I ever write that I deplore independent education?

I would rather it didn't exist, but it does and I'm not going to change that. People can do what they want with their money and I understand why some people would pay. What I do deplore is the hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness from people who claim that people with "middle incomes" can afford private education.

There's a line in Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera": 'Erst kommt das Fressen, dann die Moral' (First comes food, then morals)

I'm a professional and do a good job for a price, in the same way a doctor would treat a sick criminal, however repugnant the crime. I do the only thing I can to earn some money and pay for a roof over my head and food on my table.

harrigranhave you made your complaint to the head teacher and asked about this? Teachers are regularly assessed and if there is a problem this teacher should be receiving support. There is a removal system but it takes a long time. If your GD has had the same teacher for 2 years you are certainly entitled to know what is happening.

What a lot of assumptions are made on this thread about private schools. Firstly they do not always have high educational standards and cater for high achievers. I know people who have chosen private education for their child because they had special needs which were not being met in the state sector. The smaller classes helped. Many of the children are pushed to achieve but not all. Then there's the idea that private school children somehow don't eat junk. There are several private schools close to where I live and after school the children queue up at the newsagents just like the state school kids.
Possibly VAT should be charged on private tuition fees as well

gilly GD1 has a maths tutor and has come on in leaps and bounds, she has achieved what the primary school were unable to.
GD's class teacher is not able to make herself understood to the pupils and some of them are suffering as a result. Unfortunately it is not just in maths that this teacher lacks ability and GD has had her for two years. I really thought teachers were assessed and removed if not up to the job.

My daughter in law does that, gillybob, but she does not teach the same children in school. That's the difference. It's a different system run by the council.

It's a bit dodgy for a teacher to privately tutor a child they are already being paid to teach . Most schools don't allow it

Is it any different from a doctor seeing private patients whilst working in the NHS?

My son was very ill when he was 10 and lost more than 6 months worth of school. He was eventually assigned a home tutor for 8 hours a week and did very well indeed. She instilled in him a love of maths that he didn't have before.

At last, someone who is on the same wavelength @ Lillie.
daphne you seem to have no qualms in accepting money from people prepared to pay for tutoring but deplore independent education.

Of course it matters, Annie, whether he's in the 7% or not. Everyone should pay tax on money they earn above the tax threshold.
What a weird thing to suggest - and illegal.

If the choice were between a morally questionable money earning occupation and starvation what would you do?
It depends on how morally questionable the occupation was, but I would have to take the money especially if I had children to feed. However, I would think that most people have their limits and tutoring the DC of the wealthy is definitely within those limits.

Not mixed up Jen, vat is a tax. I have no idea if the maths tutor declared his earnings from private tutoring, no one does, perhaps he did, perhaps it was cash in hand, but he isn't one of your 7% so doesn't matter does it.

It's a bit dodgy for a teacher to privately tutor a child they are already being paid to teach . Most schools don't allow it.

You give the impression that you are getting mixed up with VAT and tax. I hope that maths tutor declared his earnings from your grandson.

Jen, where have I said I do not know about vat?

when my grandson was sitting his A Levels he had maths tuition , his tutor was the head of maths dept at the school my grandson attended and he was my grandsons maths teacher in school

Children of wealthy parents would only get free school meals if their children were in state schools.
And as Maizie says, use the tax system to recoup the money. Don't give wealthy parents tax breaks by reducing the tax take from them.
It's so easy to use the tax system properly. That's what more equal societies do all the time. It makes them happier, too, instead of always being grumpy about how much tax they pay.