Private Schools drain the state system of talented teachers, pupils and parents. The state system loses a great deal when parents decide to withdraw their children, their energy and talents and instead invest them (along with considerable financial resources) in to competing with it. It's about giving your own child a competitive advantage in the world, by ensuring that all schools are not the same. Fair enough perhaps, but it seems disingenuous to pretend it's something else. amydown Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Given the shortage of state school places, I think > the more they can do to encourage quality > education through the private sector, the better. > > People who then end up sending their kids to > private school are, at the same time, relieving > pressure on the state school. As thee parents > don't get any tax deduction for education expenses > coming out of their net pay, the state doesn't > lose out and it provides more space in the state > system. > > If private schools were to lose charitable status > and therefore tax paying, for instance, the cost > would get passed onto parents. That would have a > huge knock on impact on already-stretched state > system capacity.