More cuts

[Waiting_For_Godot]

Armed forces boarding allowance facing cuts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... -cuts.html

I'm not sure what I think about this. Maybe it could be reduced so pupils could only have the scheme from Yr7 and not Yr4 or the allowance would only cover state boarding school fees and not a hgh percentage of Public School fees. Cuts have to be made but given the sacrifices our armed forces make and the relatively low wage compared to their service and upheaval, it would be a shame if thousands of children were affected by this.

[hermanmunster]

I think it will affect the viability of some boarding schools

[Waiting_For_Godot]

Will there really be a saving though if these children then have to enter the state sector adding to that financial burden? Many private schools already offer 12.5%-30% reduction for those in the armed forces but I doubt they could stretch any further. There are many forces children in both DC's schools and the tiny prep school could close if they were to lose even 10 pupils.

[hermanmunster]

the marginal cost of sending "one more" child to a state school is far less than the boarding allowance.

The allowance was set up when families in the forces moved a lot - both in the UK and abroad - seeing as few families are now abroad and they tend to move far less anyway the need for the allowance has diminished. yes some schools will struggle - there is a 5-16 school I know who reply for nearly all their boarders on the forces allowance - it struggles to survive anyway and I suspect will now go.