My child has spent three years in the independence system. She is overachiever because she has the space within the classroom to ask the question ‘why?’ which is answered. She is a thriving nine-year-old child. She is strong, she is independent, she is excelling in sports, she comes home in thrilled and tired and stimulated.
In my area, there are three schools that have space for her school years. They are all in desperate measures.
I ask anybody who has read the two paragraphs of text above… to convince me that she is not going to be harmed by leaving the independent system and going to an oversubscribed school that is in desperate measures?
We all can agree that the state system should be providing better. It isn’t because it is massively under funded. But also I don’t need to be a barrister or an accountant or a politician to realise that this state system isn’t going to get significantly better within two or three years on a £1.6 billion cash boost from adding VAT to independent education. I’ve done my sums with the help of a friend who is in finance at a very large UK LEA and they can’t get the number above £423 million.a year clear profit from this new VAT based on a 10% fall out.
As a lawyer, perhaps Starmer should adopt the fundamental principle of another profession and "first, do no harm". So, rather than claiming there's no evidence of harm, he should be able to present us with evidence of benefit, before making the change.
The most eloquent and amusing exponent of this train of thought was the French economist Bastiat who urged us to take into account "what is seen and what is unseen" where so often the harms are the second/third order effects that require a little lateral thinking.
My child has spent three years in the independence system. She is overachiever because she has the space within the classroom to ask the question ‘why?’ which is answered. She is a thriving nine-year-old child. She is strong, she is independent, she is excelling in sports, she comes home in thrilled and tired and stimulated.
In my area, there are three schools that have space for her school years. They are all in desperate measures.
I ask anybody who has read the two paragraphs of text above… to convince me that she is not going to be harmed by leaving the independent system and going to an oversubscribed school that is in desperate measures?
We all can agree that the state system should be providing better. It isn’t because it is massively under funded. But also I don’t need to be a barrister or an accountant or a politician to realise that this state system isn’t going to get significantly better within two or three years on a £1.6 billion cash boost from adding VAT to independent education. I’ve done my sums with the help of a friend who is in finance at a very large UK LEA and they can’t get the number above £423 million.a year clear profit from this new VAT based on a 10% fall out.
Hi Janet - I wouldn't mind being in touch with your LEA friend to compare notes on what assumptions they're using...! thanks, will PM you
As a lawyer, perhaps Starmer should adopt the fundamental principle of another profession and "first, do no harm". So, rather than claiming there's no evidence of harm, he should be able to present us with evidence of benefit, before making the change.
Very good point.
The most eloquent and amusing exponent of this train of thought was the French economist Bastiat who urged us to take into account "what is seen and what is unseen" where so often the harms are the second/third order effects that require a little lateral thinking.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/frederic-bastiat.asp