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Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
11–20 of 124 posts
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#12This is really partially the government's fault. Parents are fined and (in a minority of cases) imprisoned for taking children out of school in term-time. Usually it's the ones who are honest that end up getting in trouble, and the others that can pass it off as sickness get away with it. During Covid and recent NASUWT/NAHT/NEU strikes though, it's seemingly not been seen as a problem for kids to miss out significant…
> I think most teachers would agree that, for pupils without a significant attendance problem, a week away (particularly if it's towards the end of a term) is not going to make a realistic difference when it comes to attainment for most students.
I generally agree with this, but discretion doesn't scale. If you allow teachers to use discretion to approve absences, it will create the opportunity unfair system, where people who the teacher likes more may get preferential treatment. And even if the system isn't actually unfair, it'll create the perception of unfairness (Joe was allowed to go early, why can't my son?).
It's also way easier for a school to say "no early absences, that's the national policy", and not have to get into constant arguments with parents.
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#13This is really partially the government's fault. Parents are fined and (in a minority of cases) imprisoned for taking children out of school in term-time. Usually it's the ones who are honest that end up getting in trouble, and the others that can pass it off as sickness get away with it. During Covid and recent NASUWT/NAHT/NEU strikes though, it's seemingly not been seen as a problem for kids to miss out significant…
We took our children out of school for three months about twenty years ago because I had the opportunity to work for that period in the US. We asked the school to provide the targets for the period for each child and my wife ensured that the children did a few hours work every day, not a whole day by any means. When we got back to Norway all three of the children were ahead of their classes.
In Norway there seems to be no requirement to attend school, only a requirement that the children be educated. The headmistress tried to pressure my wife to not take the children out but the only penalty she could apply was a vague threat that there might not be places available when they got back.
One idea that might reduce the problem that the UK has would be to adopt the Polish system of dividing the country into four school regions with staggered holidays.
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#14So building an amazing product (as the author says), and then charging however much you can for it is “price gouging” (Thanks Kamala. The only reason I imagine this article popping up now is the price gouging wording) As far as I knew from econ 101 this is generally just supply and demand and efficient pricing. If the price is too high, don’t buy it!!
What did the PE company build here?
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#15> which is why it’s spelled in the somewhat Francophile Center Parcs, and not Centre Parks. (I thought this is why we did Brexit?)
Pardon me?
The French for center/centre is centre - the 're' ending of British English spelling is either taken from the French, or sometimes a direct reference to French spelling (i.e. 'prestige' spelling - like how some American publications will use British English spelling because they 'look more posh' or similar).
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#16So building an amazing product (as the author says), and then charging however much you can for it is “price gouging” (Thanks Kamala. The only reason I imagine this article popping up now is the price gouging wording) As far as I knew from econ 101 this is generally just supply and demand and efficient pricing. If the price is too high, don’t buy it!!
It's the same reason I would never go on a cruise ship. You're locked into a floating hotel for a few weeks and they can charge whatever they want while you're aboard. But plenty of people seem to like them, and there is loads of competition (other holidays available), so it's not a problem that cruise ships are like this.
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#17Notably... This business owns a lot of forest in the UK. The UK doesn't have much forest. So, they can make themselves appear more valuable by pushing up the price of forest land. Forest land used to be priced based on the lumber value - which is almost nil. There was also the pricing element of the possible agricultural value if it were to be cut down (which is also almost nul, because the land is usually unsuitable…
Oh that's why forest land has gone up so much! Thanks, I'd seen the same rise, and couldn't figure out why.
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#18This is really partially the government's fault. Parents are fined and (in a minority of cases) imprisoned for taking children out of school in term-time. Usually it's the ones who are honest that end up getting in trouble, and the others that can pass it off as sickness get away with it. During Covid and recent NASUWT/NAHT/NEU strikes though, it's seemingly not been seen as a problem for kids to miss out significant…
> I think most teachers would agree that, for pupils without a significant attendance problem, a week away (particularly if it's towards the end of a term) is not going to make a realistic difference when it comes to attainment for most students. I generally agree with this, but discretion doesn't scale. If you allow teachers to use discretion to approve absences, it will create the opportunity unfair system, where p…
Then don't make it discretionary, make it a right.
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#19Notably... This business owns a lot of forest in the UK. The UK doesn't have much forest. So, they can make themselves appear more valuable by pushing up the price of forest land. Forest land used to be priced based on the lumber value - which is almost nil. There was also the pricing element of the possible agricultural value if it were to be cut down (which is also almost nul, because the land is usually unsuitable…
Oh that's why forest land has gone up so much! Thanks, I'd seen the same rise, and couldn't figure out why.
I've been mulling over buying up farmland and planting trees and then just sitting on it for 20 yrs to capitalize on it.
Re: Getting price-gouged by private equity in the UK's happiest resort (2023)
#20Notably... This business owns a lot of forest in the UK. The UK doesn't have much forest. So, they can make themselves appear more valuable by pushing up the price of forest land. Forest land used to be priced based on the lumber value - which is almost nil. There was also the pricing element of the possible agricultural value if it were to be cut down (which is also almost nul, because the land is usually unsuitable…
Oh that's why forest land has gone up so much! Thanks, I'd seen the same rise, and couldn't figure out why.
It's also because an exception to inheritance tax that covers farm land and forests. Rich people have been buying up both (Dyson owns several counties now).
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-owners-tax-guidance
https://whoownsengland.org/2017/09/19/why-is-james-dyson-hoo...