5 Comments

  1. teachwell
    June 27, 2015 @ 12:18 pm

    Reblogged this on The Echo Chamber.

    Reply

  2. thequirkyteacher
    June 27, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

    Not sure the numbers add up, as a typical parent would not be in receipt of a pension, associated benefits or be a recipient of NHS care for a chronic condition which makes up the bulk of government spending. Still, even if 100% of the average taxpayer’s contribution went to their child’s schooling then it still wouldn’t cover it.

    I think there may be one upside to a voucher scheme: if parents choose to send their child to a school with a very traditional ethos, no-excuses culture and highly academic curriculum then they may have a further say with the use of a voucher. Also, the system works both ways because of course a vendor can refuse to serve any customer who behaves in a certain way…….

    There is a recent trend for parents of statemented children to receive state spending as a cash amount and they then can ‘choose’ where to purchase services for their child. The same can be said for those who have chronic medical conditions. I can actually see a future where parents are given cash entitlements for the purchasing of education, too.

    Reply

    • teachwell
      June 27, 2015 @ 8:49 pm

      What I wanted to show was just how much of their tax would actually currently be contributed to the education bill. I see what you mean though, if they didn’t pay tax at all then they would spend it on different priorities for themselves as a family. However, in that situation the personal and household incomes still show that most people simply could not afford to educate one child never mind more than one.

      I know about the SEN children whose parents are entitled to choose where to purchase services. Ultimately I have taught enough children to know their parents would not be educated enough to make the right decision and it would be used against the school.

      I have some sympathy with the voucher idea and yes in a more privatised system you would probably just turn the money down as you would lose too much from other parents withdrawing their children.

      However, I would say as someone who has worked all their life, does not have children and will not have them (long story) I have been contributing towards the education of children and will continue to do so on the basis of the social contract.

      Like I said it is a welfare benefit, no different to JS Allowance or Housing Benefit not an entitlement. The way some of the parents commenting on the article came across was as though it was their money and that meant they had the right to demand what they wanted for their child from teachers and schools.

      I totally object to parents walking around acting like they have an entitlement to the money I pay in tax, much less the right to use my tax money to threaten teachers or schools to do what they want. There’s a lot of ‘I pay your wage’ attitude.

      Well actually teachers contribute to their own pension from their income and then their wage and income through their taxes!!! So the idea that any parent in a non-teaching job is paying for me more than I am paying for myself is ludicrous!!

      The main point I wanted to make is that people like that can push selfish individualism if they want but it cuts both ways. Breaking the social contract with taxpayers will only support people like myself taking the attitude that you pay for your child and I will pay for mine. That does not make a better system at all.

      Reply

      • thequirkyteacher
        June 27, 2015 @ 8:53 pm

        Yes, agree with this! You can’t legislate for good manners or request people to think about wider society. I fear the very attitudes you describe are part and parcel of children of child-centred education growing up with the same selfish attitudes.

        Reply

        • teachwell
          June 27, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

          I agree – it is all part and parcel of it. If there weren’t so many in SLT and progressives encouraging this attitude I don’t think as many parents would adopt it. But then I think progressivism is individualistic so its no surprise all of this is going hand in hand. Just for the record I still think the vast majority of parents are decent and do the right thing, it is a shame that the minority are allowed to have such a hold on our education system and reduces the impact of their efforts.

          Reply

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