'State schools are creating amoral children'

Actually, if I scrimped on everything I still couldn't afford Eton, but I cant see why that should stop others. Again personal choice- salary is way down my list when deciding on a career. Am I supposed to stop people being top lawyers, company directors, MPs etc because I would find it boring or of no interest and would rather live in the countryside and have time to make jam, do my garden etc? Am I then to say I can only have state education for my children so you should do the same? It seems very odd- especially since I am a great supporter of state education and comprehensive schools. If I had won millions on the lottery I wouldn't have moved my children from their friends or a perfectly good education.

Are you jealous Martorana.
fwiw, I know several private educated grown ups, and they are no better off than the rest of us.
[I appreciate that some will be, but not really the ones that I know.]
They are not near London so perhaps that makes a difference?

Their families did used to have some wealth to back things up, but not sure they have that much left now.

[I do agree though that all the Etonians, and for that matter lawyers in Government is a problem]

[I always marvel at how threads start off talking about state, and end up talking about private education. Not sure why they do].

Choose what to do with your money I say.

Personally I would be more annoyed with people paying to get their child through 11+ and taking it off a clever child who has not been 'trained' because their parents couldn't afford it or didn't see the need.

The moment a baby draws breath they are unequal. Even if you were to do the impossible and get them economically on par you can't get them emotionally on par. Some will be unloved, some will have parents with addictions, some will have a poor diet etc etc etc etc. Some will have disabilities, some will have special talents. Life isn't fair.

I would be highly annoyed if people were free to have the latest car, buy a new pram, eat out weekly and yet I couldn't have an old banger, second hand everything and never eat out and pay school fees. Personal choice- what is wrong with it?

I think it has been proved that communism didn't work. I want to be free to spend my money skiing every year- I don't want to be told I can't. If someone wishes to spend their money on private education, designer shoes, a personal number plate, a horse, swimming lessons, a tutor, a nanny, boarding school, sailing dinghy etc etc etc etc they are free to do so. Who is to play God and say 'yes you can have swimming lessons but you can't have a personal number plate'?

If it was equal I would like to have been born pretty with musical talent!

"Life is never equal"

So we just accept that, do we? And not do anything to try and change it?

A society has to be free to make their own choices, for some this will be paying for education. I will do the best for my children, most people are the same. We all have different ways of 'best'. Life is never equal.

"I think it comes down to what the individual is happy with"

Only, as I said, if you believe that "there is no such thing a society".

I think it comes down to what the individual is happy with. My children have been right through the comprehensive system and they are all now doing exactly what they want to be doing- they would be doing exactly the same had they gone to Eton- but I would be a lot poorer, we wouldn't have had the quality of life and they wouldn't have mixed with the entire range of backgrounds. I have had a tour of Eton ( the public one) and I was very impressed but it wouldn't have suited my DCs so I am not remotely jealous. I like the state system but it doesn't mean that I want to get rid of private education and I can see circumstances where I might have used it, for at least one child.

Lucky weekend to be able to see your boys - fantastic weather!

All walks of life have their own shorthand, but the nomenclature of different weekly arrangements of a school is not going to last beyond school days whatever the type of school. Apologies for using that shorthand but it arose from the shared excitement of seeing our DC after an absence, something that is a universal parental feeling, whether the reason is due to boarding at a private school, university, trips or whatever.

Enjoy

He's here n car pulling up, over and out, I hope you all have a lovely day with your families long may the sun keep shinning.

going hope your DC's are all happy too.

HG I understand where you are coming from. Have a lovely day with your DS and good luck to him and all other taking exams in the next few weeks.

Thank you slipshod. summer and I send our DS's to the same school maybe like me she hasn't seen him for nearly four weeks, my DS can only come home on a Y Sunday, and they're revising like stink for their IGCSE's, the sun is shinning, I'm excited he's on his way home and I thought I'd slightly and briefly hijack this thread, although God knows it's seems it's already been hijacked, by sharing my pleasure that my DS is about to walk in the door with someone else in my position whose DS may also about to walk in the door. Sort of normal human behaviour in my book.
But to keep you in the loop Mart I'll share my happiness with you too. My DS who I love dearly and I haven't seen for nearly 4 weeks and has already done loads of IGCSE's is on his way home for the day because they can leave at 9 30 after chapel (a Y Sunday), the sun is shining, we're going to have a lovely family lunch outside and go for a walk and I'm so excited.
No old boys school tie stuff or excluding the less privileged just one happy mum sharing with another.

State schools running a timetable that changes/ doesn't fit into one week would use similar nomenclature.

But Mart my profession (public sector) is riddled with shared language we are frequently criticised for using to many code words (we come from all backgrounds), it's called making life easier. The alternative would be:
Me: "Hello darling is tomorrow a finish at 1130 after chapel Sunday or a finish at 9 30 after chapel Sunday."
DS "tomorrow's a finish at 9 30 after chapel Sunday."
X and Y seem much easier somehow.
It fits in the school diary easier, it like all code words is about convenience.
You really can take prejudice too far sometimes.

Yep, I know. Surprisingly, some of us state school users know people who use lots of other sorts of schools too. I was just pointing out how the privilege thing works. In subtle little ways, like shared language. That's why there are more Etonians than women in the Cabinet.

You'll be disappointed to hear Mart no old school tie, secret code words, ancient jargon or meaningless ritual just a simple means of identifying one Sunday from the next with regard to the timings of compulsory chapel, so we have X, Y or occasionally and of course most popularly with the boys Z: no chapel. All major institutions whether they be public or private will use letter/numbers to identify what appears to be similar events but that are actually different so that everyone can understand it.

[grin]@subtle exchange of code words.

And they say the Old Boy Network is dead!

DS is literally on his way home now summer we've not seen him since the end of the Easter holidays, he's been so busy with IGCSE revision. Can't wait yo see him he's absolutely shattered,

waves back at HG, double pleasure of Y Sunday and lovely day plus half term round the corner