To wonder if you are against private schools…

Maybe the OP was looking for a discussion and for explanations of the nuances in the issues of of private v state. I'm quite sure that she did realise the simple statement above by herself.

Why do people so often subscribe to the worst or silliest interpretation of someone else's actions?

But you can choose....you can choose to sit back and figure out what sort of area you want to work in, study in your spare time to help get into that area, work on your communication skills and appearance, which will ensure yourself the best chance of success to then earn the sort of money you want to earn to pay for private schooling! Or sacrifice time with your family and take on extra work to pay for private schooling. And not have multiple children so you can afford it. You have so many choices! It just takes a combination of time, drive, intelligence and obviously also some good luck.

The entitlement of people is shocking.

Devoting more time to maths and English sounds like a good thing.

I was sent to one out of necessity, it was either that or have my secondary education interrupted every 2 years(and it could have been midway through A'levels or GCSE's, we went wherever my Dad got posted). It was the same for a lot of forces brats.

I find the notion that it's only for the rich and privileged so short sighted. There are many many reasons children get sent to private schools.

It's bizarre that some people can't see that a well-educated population benefits everyone, not just the parents of the children who receive the education.

State education isn't just a favour to parents, it's an economic necessity.

Great post, and the answer is.....a resounding NO....because these people don't want to pay for these things, they just expect the state to provide these for them, and these types of people want everyone else to be wallowing in the same shit.

All the time. I lobby for more funding, write to MPs, support my union (NEU) and work extremely long hours with limited resources - in a state school, I might add.

So do you genuinely believe that where parents are struggling, or failing - we should therefore just let their kids fail, because they’re not yours?

Yes I’m completely on board with you and agree that money needs to be pumped in!

People were upset about the crumbling schools and political choices of the Tory government and they didn't just lobby their MP, they voted them out.

You're now unhappy with the political choices of the Labour government. Have you tried lobbying your MP?

I think if you've not heard about 'no teachers' or 'crumbling schools' then you can't have been paying very much attention?

Or that most schools are now academies and nothing to do with LEAs.

The sin lies with the government choices that let the state provision get so bad.
well put @CrabSignalArmy
and based on what i've heard some schools were dire in the 1980's so it's not something that's slipped in the last 8 years.

You are of course correct ideologically. However if I had £50,000 in assets and my life, or even achieving a pain-free quality of life depended on an operation that I would either have to wait 2 years for or never get at all on the NHS then I'd certainly pay that money to get it privately ratter than die or suffer a life of pain for that ideology.

Ideologies are fine in theory or when applied at a population level. On an individual level if the state is failing to provide a reasonable quality of service then I can't say it's unethical for someone with the resources to go private to do so. The sin lies with the government choices that let the stare provision get so bad.

And somehow private schools are to blame?

To repeat, I would expect Labour statements, to tell us how bad it is, and how intend to fix. More teachers and fix crumbles, still doesn’t do it for me. This is not what our LEA is complaining about … the schools aren’t crumbling not heard about “no teachers” and the same bad schools have been the same for decades. In fact, they’ve closed schools over past 8 yrs. Tell you what is growing …. The private school enrollment, working people are the parents, many both parents working & done second jobs … want better for their kids.

if the same jokers are running the schools, local education … now with more money to mismanage …… situation same …

For the Finland crowd … funding per pupil very similar to UK.

I agree with this to a certain extent, but the plain truth is that literally everything in a child's life is predicated on how much money their parents have.

The reason your kids are in a RAAC school is because Michael Gove, as Education Secretary, diverted funds from school maintenance towards creating academies. That's why schools are crumbling. It's not the fault of private school parents, is it? It was austerity and a political choices made by the Tory government, which has left schools in dire straits. This type of thinking - 'Why should they have normal classrooms while the roof us falling down on my kids?' - helps nobody. If you are upset about the state of the crumbling school estate, get politically active and lobby your MP for more school funding. Wanting other children to be in an equally terrible situation is neither here nor there.

That's only half an argument though.

Should anything else [not] be predicated on how wealthy the parents are?
Food, gifts, holidays, houses, clothes, wellbeing etc?

If not, then is the solution to ban everything above an arbitrary point and then make everyone have the same?

i think the current economic struggles is exacerbating the private school hate.

in a perfect world many of the features offered in private schools would be available in state schools.
but not all area's of the country are the same and some small village schools probably replicate a close knit private primary in many ways.
secondaries and sen need serious tweaking and it has zero to do with actual grades leaving secondary but with behavior and a teachers ability to teach.
if sen and behavior help for children was easily available with excellent options for those children there would be little appeal for private secondaries.
personally i think the appeal for grammar schools is similar in an attempt to limit the effects of antisocial behavior on children who's parents can afford/prep for that system.
help for sen and teens struggling and displaying behavioral issues should have been dealt with first.

Because currently there are school buildings that are literally unsafe for pupils to study in. Did you not hear about the RAAC crisis? Pupils having to study in temporary classrooms without access to things like science labs for practicals? Or learn remotely from home? Other schools are in a terrible condition for other reasons and are in urgent need of rebuilding. Let's not even get started on the asbestos being disturbed as schools fall apart because I don't think there's a plan for that at all.

As for more teachers - are you aware of how many classes don't actually have teachers? Children who are having to teach themselves the syllabus because the adult in the room doesn't know it themselves or who are just left learning very little? The recruitment figures for secondary teachers are catastrophic.

Schooling starts with a school building that is safe for children to learn in, and with a qualified teacher in front of the class to teach them. You might think these are pretty basic things, but the state system is currently lacking these for every pupil.

So when you are wittering on about 'more teachers than classrooms' and 'fresh paint', you are just showing that you have no idea how dire the situation is.

I think the biggest difference is that this government only has one minister who attended independent school right through (I'm not getting into the debate on KS). They see the value in having all state schools improved and don't have a commitment like all previous governments to maintaining the independent sector. If you want to call that an ideological difference, then yes, that's what the Labour Party is about. They aren't demanding the closure of them. Just that they pay for what they get. Not a problem as far as I can see, but obviously it is if you want to maintain the current system.

I am yes in the same sense that there should be no need for private healthcare in a properly funded system.

Best answer in the thread. @Unsrr does
this answer your question?

To be honest, on the SENd argument - I’m biased.

My brother and nephew are both dyslexic and thrived in state secondary, with some intervention.

I have also got a DSs with significant, complex needs. He’s in a state SENd school that meets his needs and would be moved to another school if they couldn’t meet need. That’s also fully funded, because of his needs - so quite why we’d need to pay for it is beyond me.