To think private education probably isn't worth it?

I think it depends on circumstances. For our family,there would be no point in sending our children to private school even if we could afford it. They are thriving in state schools. For different children, different schools or different parents, the situation might be different. But for well-educated parents with a good state school option and children who are ok in a crowd and not extremely sporty, then I can't see an advantage.

I'm a state school teacher. The change in the school that I teach in over even the last couple of years but particularly since covid, and since the cost of living crisis and teacher shortage crisis really started to kick in, is huge.

And I know from talking to colleagues around the country that my school isn't the outlier.

For many people sending their kids to private schools, the fees are a drop in the ocean.

Absolutely worth it for them, as the money is negligible.

If parents have to scrimp and save to pay the fees, it's a whole different ballgame.

Depends on the child, depends on the school. For us, after seeing all the options and knowing our child, the school that made sense happened to be a private. Our younger child would probably be just as happy in a state school.

I do like how diverse the school they go to is. The state schools are very monocultural in my catchment area, for whatever reason, but the private school is very diverse and both my children have friendship groups that are almost entirely international/1st generation.

You are assuming the value is measured in grades alone.

Yes it's the social network you're buying now the a grandson

There are parents can afford the schools fees, tutors, activities and multiple properties. It's not an either or situation.
I work in state education and sent my own kids to private school. The difference is undoubtedly very stark.
I would dearly love all state schools to offer everyone a high standard of education but it ain't happening yet.
My children are absolutely not spoilt, very grateful for all they have and eldest 2 work as doctors in the NHS. I feel private school benefitted them-but they are definitely paying it forward and I'm sure if you needed them, you'd be grateful for their brains, caring natures and great education.

Yes, it’s worth it.

I think state school gives a 'more rounded environment'

Everyone's fighting and vaping all the time apparently

@Meadowfinch oh yes, I realise we are extremely fortunate. And I'm not suggesting that all state schools offer this experience. And I'm not really anti private school. Each to their own

I'm just sick and tired of some private school parents suggesting that ALL state schools are holding cells for young feral delinquents, with untrained staff, huge classes etc !

Depends what you mean by worth it. My daughter was bullied to the point of suicide in state school, she is happy and thriving since we moved her to private. I don't give a shit what she earns I just want her happy so totally worth it.

My sons went to state and were happy and thriving there, again I just want them happy so private wouldn't have been worth it for them.

One size doesn't fit all children.

I think it depends on how you qualify what is or isn’t a good investment. From a purely financial perspective, I think you are right that private education does not magically produce a high achiever or a high earner. However, there are lots of reasons parents might see private education as a good investment in a child’s wellbeing which are not centered around future achievement or earning potential. Some parents have children with special educational needs who will really benefit from the extra support provided in a private school. Some parents might go private to get their children out of a peer group that is proving bad for their mental or emotional health (maybe they are being bullied, or maybe their friends are a terrible influence). Some children live catchments with really poor schools, and their parents opt for indie as it is cheaper than moving house. None of those parents are aiming to groom high achievers as such, they are just trying to mitigate factors that are negatively affecting their children’s education.

@NeedToChangeName Then you are very fortunate. Privileged even !

People use the whole 'oh I went to a state school and still ended up in the same position as a privately educated person' as a reason to somehow justify private school not being all that important. It's not a simple financial decision.

People should be under no illusion - private education doesn't guarantee anything. Most parents don't send their kids to private schools because they think it will somehow guarantee their kids a £200k job. Many do it because it provides better facilities and a more rounded environment for the kids. As with all things you have to take the opportunities presented to you and whilst private may provide more opportunities there is no guarantee they'll be taken. I will also throw in that it probably does give you a feel that you're better than everyone else.

@NeedToChangeName Then you are very fortunate. Privileged even !

@noblegiraffe you can't say that ALL state schools are a terrible mess

My DC attend a high achieving state school with excellent facilities, teachers and supportive parents community. Exam results (only one measure of success) are better than our local private school

Compared to what?

The state place my ds was offered was at a failing comp that even ofsted said wasn't safe. That the staff had no idea who was on site. That the younger children were at serious risk from the older ones. That bullying was rife.

Compared to that, I'd say my ds' scholarship place at a small independent is an absolute bargain because he is SAFE. Grades were the last of my worries.

The state trust has since been wound up. They weren't kidding.

I agree OP.

I wonder if investing the money and basically giving them a massive house deposit might be better for their long-term security.

I know very successful people that were state educated and completely hopeless ones that were privately educated and vice-versa.

You’re being pretty rude there. Also just ignorant. We are absolutely not avoiding the “hoi pilloi” - in fact we are the hoi polloi! We are also not materialistic or leaving parenting to the school ffs.

But we can afford to give our kids an education that we think will suit them better than the education they could get at the local state schools. It’s about their mental health, not about class privilege or financial returns.

I was privately educated but bullied and have low confidence. I never got a job through connections.

DH was state educated, him and his state educated friends earn more than me, and more than the two privately educated peers I still know.

We have an excellent state school near us, we have neighbours who are privately educating and I think they're being scammed.

This. The private schools near us didn’t perform better than the state comp we sent our DCs to. We paid for extra tuition when needed, extra French conversation, as an example.
It meant that we fully funded University for both DCs and they came out with no student debt.

My 2 are at state school. Their much older cousins went private, paid for by mutual grandparent. Grandparent decided not to offer for my 2, for exactly this reason that they didn’t feel they’d received a return on investment.

The 2 cousins are happy, in good jobs, well paid. But not “prestige” jobs - grandparent clearly wanted to boast about the doctor / lawyer type grandchild. Grandparent very disappointed.

I can’t compare careers as mine are teens still. But both are expected to get far better results in their state schools - one considerably so.

But the 2 adult cousins loved their school days. One was able to play sport ALL the time, plenty of match opportunities, development from visiting pro coaches. My 2 get to go to one mini netball/football tournament a year. The other cousin was in multiple shows in a school theatre that’s hired out for small professional shows. Neither of them have had people in their form suspended for punching a teacher or bring a knife to school.

So I think grandparent did get a return on investment - just not the return that was important to them.

That’s the thing - what’s important you, and at what cost?

Surely it totally depends what it is ‘instead of’. Our only local state school is really terrible in terms of behaviour, vaping and fights etc. I’m paying to shield my kids from that rather than to see them earn more at the end of it than they would have done in a ‘nice’ state school in a nice area which doesn’t have the problems my local school has.

Girls can do science and maths at state school