For me, DC formal education is a massive priority, however a family I know have moved house from a very average property, average area, OK schools to a character property in a not so great area with utterly dire schools as it's always been their dream to live in a character property, (although they have said it is definitely not a 'forever home').
They were aware when they bought this character property that it was cheap because the Secondary catchment school was really really dire and there are no jobs in the area.
Of the kids living at home there is a Year 10 DD and a Year 12 DD, so obviously both are at a very critical stage. Parents have a decent standard of education (both have bachelors degree & one has Masters from RG uni) and good jobs (mother part time, father on a well above national average salary, so they're not poor but not loaded either) yet the parents feel that a degree is nice to have, but give their DD no encouragement at all! They've not saved any money towards a degree and just say they will wait and see how it pans out. I feel if they don't do a degree and move away they'll struggle to get jobs in the area!
The DCs could get a place in a different better undersubscribed school, but apparently it isn't possible as the school is an hour (I think) round trip for the parents to drive on the way to work and they say this would clash with being in work for 9am!! Both currently work in the same town with a 20min journey to work. Given there's no issue dropping the kids off at 8:30 and getting to work at 9 I took this to mean they couldn't be bothered to do the journey?
Now, I do understand that people have different ideas of what a DC education should be and that some parents prefer to HS or put a lot of time into extra curricular activities, or maybe take time off school to take DC travelling around the world or whatever and I have no issue with parents wanting to give their DC other opportunities instead of lots of formal education, however these parents do none of that at all!
They are quite concerned that youngest DD will do badly at GCSE because she is a bit lazy with some SEN, they hardly ever check homework is being done and I'm not convinced they'll help with a revision timetable when the time comes. If she does get poor results all I can think is that the parents shouldn't be too surprised?
Am I missing something here? As far as I can tell they just view having a nice house for a few years, being able to spend money instead of saving for Uni and not making the commute to work longer as more important than DC education, and to me that seems selfish. Or am I missing something and they're justifiably giving a better work life balance / home life?
AIBU?
To wonder if it's ever OK NOT to prioritise education?
ChoccyBee · 15/03/2017 23:17
Are you the mil?? As a mil myself I love a good dil bash thread! 
always makes me grateful for being normal and grateful 2 fabulous women took on my lads
My dils are ace by the way
And what has this family got to do with you anyway?
Are you the MIL
nope, I'm not the MIL, though I can see how it might sound a bit pearl clutching MIL!
I will say that t's pretty normal to be concerned about those close to you though.
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Personally I don't think the school maketh the person, and educational outcomes largely depend on the individual.
YES 
But wouldn't you have expected your parents to start having some input if they knew you were getting a poor standard of teaching, had SEN and were under achieving? Or would it still have been OK for them to leave it up to you?
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