VAT on Private Schools: Right or wrong move?

[@AL-ib3lu]

Ian Lloyd summed it up "every child matters" it's just some seem to matter more than others. Catrina was magnificent in this debate.

[@rogerlallemant1150]

I am a lifelong Labour supporter who deeply believes in cooperativism, as opposed to Thatcherite individualism. However, in pursuit of musical achievement our eldest son became a cathedral chorister, and his younger brother also. That led to all four older children ( including their two sisters), entering the Assisted Places Scheme, a Conservative policy. Some might call me a champagne socialist, but our motive was giving our children a musical environment, not social advancement, demonstrated by my lifelong employment as a pipefitter/welder. I am ashamed that Labour seems unable to recognise that it is simply not fair to tax a cohort of parents for an education they do not access, and then choose to tax them again on private education. The older son and his partner are now living in Denmark because as musicians they found visa difficulties because of Brexit. They pay high taxes, but they accept that because the Danish public services are very good. I believe the British public recognise that reality, but are led by the nose by a low tax, political right wing that is only happy when they can buy the services that the hoi polloi cannot, Roger Lallemant.

[@AL-ib3lu]

What about the 93% who don't get the advantages your children did?

[@sarahrigby2535]

@@AL-ib3lubefore this tax there was much more chance that the 93% would benefit from the advantages of private school, either via scholarships, bursaries or just services that independent schools provided in partnership with their local state schools. However these opportunities will now vanish as independent schools lose their charitable status and have to tighten their belts.

[@AL-ib3lu]

@@sarahrigby2535 The 93% don't benefit at all from scholarships or bursaries & the benefits from playing a football match against a private school or watching your local private schools summer extravaganza are much exaggerated. The damage by the over representation of private schools at Oxbridge continues.

[@rogerlallemant1150]

@@AL-ib3lu Choral scholarships are competitive, as were Assisted Places, everyone can apply. Not all have the ability to succeed, which reflects life, but those that do, very often enrich society. For those who lack the ability or the motivation (encouragement), there needs to be the funding to still provide them with options, i.e. taxation. Until Britain accepts that reality, our public services will struggle. I would suggest watching Harry Smith addressing the Labour Party conference in 2014.

[@AL-ib3lu]

@@rogerlallemant1150 I would be interested to know if your two boys had paid singing/music tutoring prior to their entrance exams. I also find it difficult to understand how you can equate Labours long held values with choosing to pay a private school (albeit assisted).