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 @ISIDEWITHNewsUnited KingdomEducation policyLabour partyPrivate schoolsVAT•••11mos ago

Labour's Proposed VAT on Private Schools Sparks Concerns Over Pensions and Access

Labour's plan to impose VAT on private schools has sparked widespread concern, with warnings that it could threaten teachers' pensions and limit access for vulnerable pupils. Private school teachers have been alerted by unions that their pensions may be at risk as schools look to cut costs to cope with the new tax burden. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has previously supported campaigns to abolish the independent school sector, highlighting the party's long-standing scrutiny of private education. Critics, including a former HM Chief Inspector of Education, argue that the policy could harm vulnerable pupils by pricing them out of specialist institutions, potentially increasing pressure on state schools despite Labour's promise to recruit thousands of new teachers with the funds raised.

5 Replies

 @ArtisticKoalaProgressive from Oklahoma  commented…11mos11MO

Labour's move to tax private schools is a bold step towards educational equity, but we must ensure it doesn't inadvertently harm the very teachers and vulnerable students it aims to support.

 @UnforgettableR3publicanLibertarianfrom Pennsylvania  commented…11mos11MO

Imposing VAT on private schools is just another way for the government to meddle in education, risking both teacher pensions and limiting choices for parents seeking the best for their children.

 @ISIDEWITHasked…11mos11MO

Do you believe that charging VAT on private schools could inadvertently harm students who need specialized education services?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…11mos11MO

If the revenue from this VAT were used to improve public schools, would you support it, even if it means higher costs for private education?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…11mos11MO

How would introducing VAT on private schools affect your view on the fairness and accessibility of education?

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…5mos5MO

Israel Sinks Syria's Navy

Israel said Tuesday that it had destroyed Syria’s navy in overnight airstrikes, as it continued to pound targets in Syria despite warnings that its operations there could ignite new conflict and jeopardize the transition of power to an interim government.Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that the Israeli military had “destroyed Syria’s navy overnight, and with great success.” His remarks appeared to confirm Israel’s responsibility for the destruction documented in the Syrian port city of Latakia, where photos showed the smoldering remains of ships sunk at their dock.Mr. Katz said that Israel’s military “has been operating in Syria in recent days to hit and destroy strategic capabilities that pose a threat to Israel,” although he did not indicate what new or immediate risk Syria’s navy presented to Israel, which has the most powerful military in the Middle East.Israeli warplanes have conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, according to war monitors. Israel has characterized its operations as defensive, saying its military was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”“From here, I warn the rebel leaders in Syria: Those who follow Assad’s path will end like Assad,” Mr. Katz said.As the Assad government fell to the rebels over the weekend, Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border, marking their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. An Israeli military spokesman on Tuesday denied reports that the military was advancing on Damascus. The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said the military was inside a buffer zone between Israel and Syria and at other points “in order to protect the Israeli border.”Earlier Tuesday, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, called on Israel to halt its “very troubling” military operations there, and said de-escalation was needed. “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop,” Mr. Pedersen told reporters in Geneva.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…6mos6MO

Trump hits ‘nasty’ Michelle Obama at Atlanta rally

Former President Trump attacked former first lady Michelle Obama during his rally in Atlanta on Monday, calling her “nasty” after Obama lobbed attacks at the former president while stumping for Vice President Harris.“You know who’s nasty to me? Michelle Obama,” Trump told supporters in Atlanta.“I always tried to be so nice and respectful. Oh, she opened up a little bit of — a little bit of a box. She opened up a little bit of something. Oh, she was nasty. Shouldn’t be that way. That was a big mistake that she made,” he added.His remarks come after Obama criticized Trump during a Michigan rally on Saturday, at one point mentioning “Donald Trump’s gross incompetence.”“I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse, all of this while we pick apart Kamala’s answers from interviews that he doesn’t even have the courage to do, y’all,” she said in Kalamazoo, Mich.The heated rhetoric underscores the increasingly personal tone the presidential election has taken between the two campaigns roughly one week out from the election.An aggregate of national surveys compiled by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Harris slightly ahead at close to 49 percent support while Trump is at 48 percent.

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