Deb

[Deb @Elephantastick]

Except... the research is flawed in very important ways that undermines its conclusions. A🧵:

[David James @drdavidajames]

An interesting and objective piece in today's @theipaper by @IsabelHardman

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@tc1415 @SilverAlso Exam boards do not always release exact questions, & def not til appeals have been held. Kids can discuss the content but they can't remove the actual papers. So, unless some have exceptional memories the actual detail of the questions is unavailable.

Check out Reddit or Tiktok!

[CallOfDutyDailyX @TatesOofVlogsYt]

The DfE weren’t remotely interested in finding my send child an appropriate school place having priced us out of an independent school! Zero provision had been made when I asked what they’d put in place to accommodate the wreckage from vat on fees!

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@vickygrayson_ @SteveLawrence_ @GuyEmma68700 @DanNeidle @NoEducationTax Its not as if Julie whats-her-face is going round doing the headcount herself, is it? If that was the case, then I might concede there being some uncertainty. But its pointing fingers at schs, saying they can't count/ are fudging figs. And it is curious that Dan would imply that.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@LoftusSteve Although, they will be cock-a-hoop if Restore ruin Reforms chances. That will delight them.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@LoftusSteve Definitely. My social circle is 85-90% left wing/centre left. Whilst they are not ready to admit their choice is to hold their nose & vote Tory or to abstain & see a Reform gov- they will. The thing left wing voters, especially in the public sector, fear most is a Reform gov.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@TrisOsborneMP @schoolsontap Right, thank you. But I still need to know whether that includes lecturers who only teach 16-18yr olds.

As with so many things PR/ comms, if its handled badly it sticks. I'm afraid DfE sucks at it.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

"If you want to attack social inequality, then ... attack the reason why 8/10 of the best LEAs are in London and 8/10 of the worst performing are in the north."

London-centric, Oxbridge policy wonks are a major part of this problem

🎯

[Chris @IrritableChris]

Their purpose is education, and they do provide it to everyone that can pay the fees.

Just like private hospitals provide their services to anyone that can afford them. They do not charge vat.

The reason is that whilst vat is a consumption tax, it is applied at the goods and services level, not based on who provides or sells the service.

If you pay for an optional school trip at state school, say an end of year celebratory trip out, this is a choice. Yet no VAT will be added.

That same trip from a private school will attract vat. Why the difference?

Your assertion that they exist for privilege and social inequality is probably quite telling of your prejudices toward these schools as they are nothing of the sort. In the area I live in the northern shires, theh serve as a choice for people who are willing and able to pay to receive the same level of results and education that millions who live in the south get for "free".

My "choice" as a parent for my children was:

1. Use the local state school with results 30% below national average, persistent truancy well above average.

2. Move home to the catchment area of a good school at the cost of about half a million quid on the mortgage

3. Pay for independent school at less than half the cost of moving home.

Am I fortunate to have options 2 and 3 compared to other parents in this area? Yes I am.

But that was my choice, and as a father I did what I felt was best for my children.

To then suggest by tsking this action im contributing to privilege or social inequality is just plain offensive.

If you want to attack social inequality, then attack the reasons why I even had to make a choice in the first place.

Attack the reason why 8/10 of the best LEAs are in London and 8/10 of the worst performing are in the north.

The inequality in the state education is far more drastic than anything the independent sector contributes. Its somehow ok for @bphillipsonMP to send her children to a very nice state school in London then hold her nose and point to the private schools as causing inequality.

If private schools disappeared tomorrow, the fact is there would be more inequality in education than there is today.

All the wealthy would buy in the right areas, and we would be in the same old situation of good schools only being in wealthy neighbourhoods, just like people such as the Sutton trust were writing about 20 years ago.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@TrisOsborneMP @schoolsontap I'm sure the data is there. Why hide it? I"m afraid, Labour have used up their good will and DfE are making it worse. 4/4

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@TrisOsborneMP @schoolsontap Its also not clear why DfE think headline comms on teacher numbers combining special school with FE & secondary are good PR, without also reporting if that includes KS1-2 special schools. 3/4

[School News @schoolsontap]

Labour 'taking credit' for teachers recruited before it won power | Schools Week https://t.co/kdEO4vZKUy

[Victoria @vickygrayson_]

@joenutt_author @drdavidajames While Blair crowbarred his sons into top state schools and lined up private school tutors.

No chance he was going to risk sending his kids to a standard comprehensive.

[Education Not Taxation @EducationNotTax]

@UKLabour said they HAD to tax private school fees to fund 6,500 extra specialist teachers in state schools.

They said this was "tough but fair"

Instead, teacher numbers have fallen, the pledge is being changed.

Was VAT ever about teachers?
Or
Was it just about limiting parental choice?🤔
#ScrapTheVAT #EducationNotTax

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@edlonguk @parr_craig61423 Sam Freedman is using that figure & attributing it to ISC, over on BlueSky. No source or citations provided.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@neilorpen @JeremyVineOn5 This is irresponsible TV. A new low, even for Jeremy's show. Its now not enough to just fat shame people, now we've got to shame them for getting a highly effective & cost effective treatment for their obesity. Do they know what a BMI of 35 or 40 actually looks like?

[Sarah K @SLK_2017]

@apsamuelson @bienbutcher ~93% already use state, including MPS, the richest, and powerful.

So why aren't all state schools already fantastic?

Because of catchment areas, like Starmer's £2m exclusive one.

The school there is in a different league to the nearby school on a council estate.

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@anaboultertv @SDP76842783 @rwoolfy29 @NeilDotObrien Even the NEU & Schools Week have called her out for moving the goals posts.

SDP blocked me for pointing out the trouble with constantly moving the goalposts, is that you can't tell when you've scored an own goal. But for Phillipson, that day is close.

https://t.co/1OqXtoGxqR

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@SDP76842783 @NeilDotObrien Labour have moved the goal posts so many time, they can't even tell when they're scoring own goals!

[Great British PAC 🇬🇧 @GreatBritishPAC]

Independent Christian schools win permission for Supreme Court to hear landmark challenge on Labour's VAT policy https://t.co/xRy8JAIO2V

[Deb @Elephantastick]

@rwoolfy29 @AdamJ10812 @vickygrayson_ I'm just sad my toast pun didn't land! Need to practice my delivery more, clearly!