In Defence of Private Schools

Sorry- i’ve just noticed that you’ve been in the state system for 8 years! I am amazed that you have remained so ignorant.

No teachers don’t get paid the same regardless of what they do.

There are various pay scales for different levels of leadership and experience. There are TLRs that are additional payments on top of pay scale pay for taking on additional responsibilities. Progression through any scale depends on successful performance management.

“Teachers in the state system get paid the same regardless of what they do?“
Nope. You are wrong
And while I note that you have apologised for your appalling slurs about state school teachers the fact that you obviously still think that is pretty outrageous.

@chipadvisor I wonder if your son is at the same school my sons are at. Sounds like the same ethos of not turning them into entitled brats at all, and hugely extending the bursary system to allow as many children in as they can from all walks of life, so long as they are bright, will work hard and love learning.

That's what I love so much about DC's private school. It has nothing to do with being separated or protected from certain strata of society. It's entirely about school being a place where you can safely love learning and be as academic as you want without ridicule, put downs, restrictions or disruptions. The state school we were offered was three bus rides away and in dire measures (it has since been closed down.) I had no desire for my sons to spend 3 hours a day struggling to get to a place where bullying was rife and academia ridiculed by their peers. We had a very good state school nearby, within walking distance, but it was so oversubscribed we didn't get in.

I suppose the point I’m making that this may catch loads of places that aren’t anything like Eton.

My own thought is that if the Labour Party were serious about reducing the number of children educated at private schools, they would reintroduce Grammar schools throughout the country. They won’t - because they also don’t like Grammar schools.

I know that I mentioned this on the other thread on AIBU but the pedant in me wants to know how “private schools” are defined. Does it mean anywhere where tuition takes place in return for payment? I can see that this would include Eton but it could also include all private tutors (even the ones who teach from their own houses), specialist drama schools, conservatoires, even the little church hall ballet school that my daughter goes to after school.

When I was growing up, a friend’s older sister boarded at the Royal Ballet School. I’m not convinced that it is the job of the state to provide intensive ballet training. Similarly, “opening up” this sort of training to a wider group may be pointless - the children they want are incredibly focused and have natural ability in dance.

My son is receiving an amazing education because he's clever and we're poor (enough) to get a bursary. His school also has a very good track record of going above and beyond its charitable obligations and teaching its children to understand the nature of their privilege and not take it for granted. It saddens me that not all children have such a fantastic education. But it would sadden me even more if schools like this were closed down so that nobody could benefit from them.

Is anyone else getting a pop up advert for GDST on this thread?

“Getting rid of private schools would only ensure the same crap choices for everyone irrespective of how hard you work or how much you value education. Great! Same crap they troll out when talking about grammars creating inequality.”

1. Describing the schools 93% of the population use as “crap” is ridiculous.
2. grammar schools do not create inequality - they perpetuate it.

Getting rid of private schools would only ensure the same crap choices for everyone irrespective of how hard you work or how much you value education. Great! Same crap they troll out when talking about grammars creating inequality... Noone forcing you to use them if you don't like them but getting rid of something because it is excellent is weird.

Sorry Bertrand, maybe you thought I was being sarcastic. SIL grew up in inner city Manchester.

I was quoting from the other poster re. people becoming state school teachers because they can't decide what they want to do in life etc

“SIL attended a state school on an estate”
Sandringham? Balmoral?

The classes are small ( maximum ten pupils) and he is thriving. It’s as simple as that

See 10 in a class is a massive red flag for me and a real negative. How can a school be sustainable on that income? I would be very worried about the school being a going concern. 10 is also far too tiny socially especially if it’s a mixed school. It lays itself open to serious issues amongst the children as there’s no place to escape especially in the older years when they’re fed up with each other. Optimum class size in a prep school IMO is 18-22. Closer to the 22 if co-ed. I’ve had 2 go through the prep system and one through state primary and trust me, the same friendship issues, not such nice behaviour and WhatsApp meanness happens in both sectors to the same scale. You can’t hide from it by paying.

SIL attended a state school on an estate. Has very negative memories of bullying and disruption.
Wanted a Garden House/ Bute experience for his children. The development of a love of learning.
Academics was not the priority.
Both parents are university educated.

Obligations - really!? It tends to be those who cant hack it in the state sector that go private in my experience! I have lots of teacher friends in both!

Just wondering what percentage of parents who choose private schools for their kids are only doing it because the state education is lacking one way or another. And for how many parents it would always be the only choice regardless of the quality of the state provision.

Tworedshoes
'State schools also attract a bunch of people who 'don't know what to do with their lives, so they became a teacher'. Hands up if you know at least one person in your circle of friends who became a teacher because they had fuck all else to do and they thought 'lots of holidays would be nice'.

Sorry but teaching in the state system still attracts a load of uncertain, mixed up, often not particularly bright people who aren't cut out to be teachers. No wonder so many, up to 50% fall out of teaching within one year.'

Do you mean to be so obnoxious and ignorant? You do your advocacy of private school education a great disservice by your comments.

Aren’t the state school ones too stupid and uneducated to give a flying flamingo

“No incentive to improve performance”

No, because state school teachers just do it for the shits and giggles- they don’t give a flying flamingo for the kids in their care...

In the state system where there is no incentive to improve performance
Jeez, it’s like you know fuck-all about state education. No incentive to improve performance? Ofsted, league tables, Progress 8, pupil funding tied to bums on seats.

Parents are less likely to complain
Have you never been on MN before?

You do realise in that Huffpost article about the teachers being asked to leave that they weren’t dismissed either? So all it says is that state schools don’t dismiss incompetent teachers, but neither do private schools. Both get rid by other means.

I’ve been involved in the “departure” of several teachers in my time. We only got close to the end of the incompetency procedure once.

At no time did I say that there wasn’t bullying the private school system. All of my dcs attend state schools so I am not one to fly the flag for private schools.
I just pointed out that my sister put her son in a private school that suited his needs. The classes are small ( maximum ten pupils) and he is thriving. It’s as simple as that