A Biased Coup

I woke this morning and measured
Whether, I am a child
For yesterday when shopping out
VAT on my bill was filed
Yes filed, I say, on school clothes
Those things we have to wear
In compulsory education
For ‘children’ everywhere!

And yet I’m not an adult
Til 18 years are reached
Or is that so, for I have heard
By 16 rules are breached
And adult rates are then charged
On buses and much more
And sex is legal so I’m told
But not voting says the law

So now at fourteen years of age
Confusion is quite rife
For I’m an adult in my clothes
But don’t get the adult life!
And then by sixteen they’ll charge me
The adult fare – it’s true
Yet I won’t be an adult then –
Well ain’t that a biased coup!

To put this in context, I have just found out that value added tax, which is supposed to be zero on children’s clothes, is actually charged at the full 20% on all school uniform (and other clothes) for children over the age of 13 in the UK which effectively renders school uniform for key stage 4 as adult clothes!!!

English: British school children in London, England (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Back To School

There’s only one thing for it
The children’s feet will have to go
For shoes and socks just cost so much
In the back to school big show!

And then there’s all the pencils,
Rulers, rubbers and much more
Oh goodness me, how much again?
No wonder I’m so poor!

On top of that the uniform!
And oh boy the price of it!
For trousers, blazers and a tie
Let alone the whole sports kit!

Not forgetting all the other bits
To write with or to read
Dear Lord, it’s never ending
How much more can one purse bleed!

But that’s state education
The one renowned for being free
I wouldn’t mind but here’s the thing
Money doesn’t grow on trees!