Private school mum who spends £30k on children’s education claims family is “left with nothing” amid Labour VAT plans

A BRIT mum who pays £30,000 to send her children to private school claims her family is “left with nothing” amid fee price hikes and Labour VAT plans.

Emma Rock says that she and her husband – who has a £75,000 salary – had “no choice” but to send their two children to private school after learning how “horrific” their local public school was.

As a result, Emma sent their children to a “small” private school that she says has less facilities than most state schools – for the sake of sports for their children and the “nicer” kids that go there.

But with Labour revealing plans to charge private schoolers an extra 20% VAT, the mum from York, North Yorkshire, says these will affect many struggling families and will “steal [children’s] friends and education away”.

Emma wrote in a post last night: “This private school Labour policy is keeping us up at night. Our school is a small private school of 350 kids.

“They have just put up their fees 10% and it was 8% last year. All due to the cost of energy etc. We are at the limit now. We work our a***s off to send our kids [to] private and it has nearly killed us.

“We did this because our one state option was horrific and my eldest [was] left to rot in a classroom with a teacher having a breakdown and many kids with issues literally spinning around in the class plus terrible bullying and my eldest very talented at sports which they did none of (sic).

“We had no choice. The other one option available at the time had zero space. We go without so much and it causes a lot of strain, but we do it because the state severely let down our kids.

“To do this will push us over the edge. My other half earns £75k but after tax and for a family of four and a decent mortgage and then two kids at private at £15k each a year, we are left with nothing.

“I work two part-time jobs and do all the home and childcare commitments and used to look after an elderly parent.

“Unlike some families I know on benefits, they have takeaways all the time and lottery tickets all the time and booze.

“Those things to us are a rare treat. They also are able to go abroad every year also and have the latest trainers.

“Our kids, after the last few years, have just started to feel happy again and to take away their life and their friends would be devastating and would affect them emotionally for a very long time.”

She then added that: “Our [private school] is small with a tiny pool and a tiny peeling old gym hall used for indoor sports.

“We have less facilities than most secondary state schools, but the classes are small, and they do sports every day and sorry to say but the kids are often nicer because the parents demand more of them.

“That’s what we needed. Oh, and if they were to move there is one option for my daughter where drugs are rife, and it’s known as ‘bully bridge’ […]

“My son would have to get a bus for an hour to the nearest sixth form which does zero sports, and he plays hockey for North East England, so would probably lose his place from lack of practice.

“Again, after the devastation on kids these last few years and all that’s been taken from them, to steal their friends and education away from them is pure envy and bullying.

“Most families at our school are farmers and general practitioners and middle-income families. Only a tiny handful are very wealthy, and these policies won’t affect them.

“I hate what’s happening to this country.

“Where work is almost frowned upon, to strive and have aspiration almost bashed out of you and those who do nothing and take, take, take – they just get more and are always the first in line for any more help whilst those working back-breakingly hard are the first to get punished.

“This country is finished under this socialism. Give everything to those who don’t and take everything from those that do. Recipe for disaster.

“If it wasn’t for my elderly mum, I would leave this sinking ship in a heartbeat.”

The post received over 250 likes, but more than 10,000 comments as many outraged social media users pushed back on the mum’s claims.

One person wrote: “Rich people need to learn how to budget better I’m afraid. £30k a year on private education – I could enjoy three thousand avocado toasts for that.”

Another said: “I bring my son up alone on less than £12k a year. Every bill is paid, we eat nice food. He does not go without, he is thriving at his state school.

“If you are struggling on £75k+ a year (unimaginable wealth to me) that is your failing and nobody else’s.”

A third commented: “I’ve seen some hilarious things on this app but a parent that sends two children to private school at a cost of £30,000 per annum – who regularly bashes those on benefits – is pleading poverty whilst simultaneously paying for a blue tick, is right up there.”

A fourth added: “There is so much to unpack here that it’s actually funny.

“Blaming the cost of increased tuition fees, on people claiming benefits, rather than the current educational system and the government in charge of education.

“It must be a joke, surely.”