Starmer's stubbornness

That is below the belt Germanshepherdsmum.

flappergirl

"To be honest, most private schools wouldn't really care if charitable status were to be removed. It nets them little in the bigger picture, and it is a pain to administer."

I have quoted above Joseann who I presume was the principal or owner of a private school. If she feels that private schools are so ambivalent to charitable status and it is basically more hassle than it's worth, then why the unholy furore?

To be honest flappergirl, the unholy furore over the removal of charitable status is not coming from the independent schools themselves. They know that this proposition was opposed by the House of Lords. The schools know that any change would have impossible implications for the entire charity sector, so they aren't worried.
The unholy furore must be coming from those who wish to see the charitable status removed, but they are wasting their breath on expecting this to happen.

True though Casdon, is it not?

It was unkind.

Unkind or not, true.

Easy to say if you don’t have anything to be robbed of growstuff

GSM as well as unkind, it’s not true. No-one is going to be ‘robbed’ of anything.

Wait and see Lizzie.

The Guardian reports on possible changes to inheritance tax rules regarding gifts given under the 7 year rule. Don’t think this is in the Labour 136 pages Manifesto.
Also changes to inheritance rules around farming land. That will go down well?

Labour certainly won’t admit to ‘having plans’ to change any taxes at present. I don’t trust them one inch.

LizzieDrip

^Why are we back to some posters^

Mollygo why not?

Some posters is used for blanket accusations, without the courage to name those you are accusing, but

GSM I know that your DS was state educated because you have said you couldn't afford private education for him. I wonder if he was currently in a state school and you could see the lack of investment and the problems this was causing would you still be advocating not raising taxes ?

Glorianny I went to a great school fair last weekend and got lucky with the tombola. It was a good community event enjoyed by all. I am happy to support my grandson’s school also as a volunteer perhaps with hearing reading if needed. I certainly prefer active involvement than passive theft.

We were working parents. I worked part time and my husband was a top engineer in his field. But no matter how much we scrimped and saved we would not have had enough money to privately educate our children.
It's interesting to hear other posters' experiences with their own children, probably 1980s time, and yes, you're right Maybee70, that private schooling was way out of the reach of many in those days. The current profile of the type of parent paying fees, 40 years on, is different in many ways. You still have the very very rich, and those in the usual private school professions, but you also have a new generation of parents in well paid, but also less secure jobs. I know from the school I taught at in London that we had many parents working in design, computing, finance and media. They were not exactly scrimping, but they were right on the edge of being able to afford the fees. We also had fewer parents who were paying their fees from an inheritance, (because grandma and grandparents are now living longer and often spending their money on themselves or helping with property purchases). Infact, the majority of parents paying are doing so monthly by direct debit straight from their own bank accounts. So these are the ones who will struggle with the increase in school fees, not the very wealthy.
To my mind, it all seems a bit insensitive towards those hardworking people.

I went to a great school fair last weekend and got lucky with the tombola.
Congratulations, ronib. I hope I'm as lucky as you next Friday with the pile of raffle tickets I have waiting at home! Though winning a surfboard might not be very helpful to me! 🏄‍♀️ 🌊

Joseann bottle of vodka with Arsenal label amused me….

A Spurs label would have been preferable! ⚽️

ronib I'm pleased you enjoyed a fundraising event for your GC's school. There is always room for financial support to supply extras in schools. And volunteers are always welcome.
However neither is likely to supply the professional expertise which is needed. You won't raise enough money to fund a teacher. You may hear readers but you will not have the relevant training to work with children with special needs.
The very basic needs of schools are not being met. And only taxation can do that.

GloriannyI have a lifetime’s experience. I do understand special needs and fortunately these days, phonics are back in favour. I am able to help in some ways.
General taxation should fund essential services.

ronib

*Glorianny*I have a lifetime’s experience. I do understand special needs and fortunately these days, phonics are back in favour. I am able to help in some ways.
General taxation should fund essential services.

Education is an essential service and a "lifetime's experience" is not sufficient to work with special needs children.
Would you be happy if a nurse treating you said "It's OK I've no training but I have a lifetime's experience"?
And dealing with special needs children requires a great deal more than a knowledge of phonics. You may think you understand but I bet you don't.

Germanshepherdsmum

Easy to say if you don’t have anything to be robbed of growstuff.

Miaow!

But applications and numbers of private schools has gone up.
Figures in this Guardian article which deal with he debate head on using official Department of Education figures.

www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/jun/15/number-of-private-school-pupils-rises-despite-claims-families-priced-out-by-labours-vat-plan

"An Institute for Fiscal Studies report published last year suggested that the number of pupils leaving the private sector to attend state schools in response to VAT on fees would be “small”. Michael Pyke, from the Campaign for State Education, said: “According to the IFS, since 2010, private school fees have increased by 50% in real terms but this has not led to any reduction in pupil numbers. And since 2010, the gap in funding between private and state schools has increased to more than 90%.

“What I find incredible is that this enormous fuss is being made on behalf of fewer than 7% of our school children at the same time as the school system that 93% of our school children have to attend is falling to pieces.”

I've read several threads wholly pre-occupied by this issue repeating the same arguments however number are rising in private education.

If it raises extra cash to feed back into state schools then great.

Germanshepherdsmum

True though Casdon, is it not?

Is anybody supposed to have any sympathy? Even poor people have votes.

And … don’t always assume that a private education is always a better education.

It can make a difference if a child needs more one to one attention, and believe me a lot of ex-public school men scrutinise cvs to see which school an applicant attended.