Should private schools be abolished?

[JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam]

Link.

I found this an interesting article. I did not realise that we now have one of the worst social mobility records in developed countries. I find this concerning. I am a fan of the grammar school system having been educated in one myself and having a DC who attends one. I have little experience of private schools though. If I'm honest if I had the money I wouldn't hesitate to use a private school, but that is down to the fact that I realise that it gives a leg up to the students attending, however I realise that this should not be the case.

Should we abolish private schools in the interest of fairness?

If you ban private schools, the children of aspirational middle class parents will still continue to get better results and dominate certain careers. It won't solve the problem. We need to target support at the kids who really need it

Completely agree. Banning private schools doesn’t just make people go away.

Excellent post @HoppingHamster

In my area of London around 30% goes to private schools, such as St Paul’s/Westminster/Kings/Dulwich/Alleyns, etc etc. The local comps are quite scary with police often waiting outside after school and gangs having fights. So yes, I think if you pull kids out of private schools and put them into local comps, they’ll easily get into all the too sets… and together with my husband we can tutor our DC to get top marks in top sets because we both had excellent education and can afford to hire a tutor.

And no, I won’t fight for the school “to get more funding” because you can throw all the money in the world at some kids and it won’t change their aspirations. Also, why wait for new parents to arrive at your school and campaign on your behalf?

@Summerishere12, you sound insufferably smug. I hope you don't pass on that attitude to your children as it will really hold them back.

I am not smug, english is not my first language and maybe it does not translate very well, but I grew up in a country without social security, where everyone was in charge of their own destiny, so my mind boggles at people that just sit around and wait for someone else to come along and start sorting their problems for them.

[quote AlexaShutUp]@Summerishere12, you sound insufferably smug. I hope you don't pass on that attitude to your children as it will really hold them back.[/quote]
I also find you very passive aggressive, which is a trait I don’t like about people in this country, so hopefully your kids won’t grow up not as passive aggressive as you because it will definitely hold them back in a multicultural community.

because you can throw all the money in the world at some kids and it won’t change their aspirations

Then change the system.

[quote AlexaShutUp]@Summerishere12, you sound insufferably smug. I hope you don't pass on that attitude to your children as it will really hold them back.[/quote]
Being pleased with your child's education may sound smug to some. I think some would like private parents to exist in some sort of permanent guilt bubble.

@BluebellsGreenbells

because you can throw all the money in the world at some kids and it won’t change their aspirations

Then change the system.

Not my problem.

Clearly it is your problem if you have to avoid certain high schools for fear of them ending up harmed?

UK has so many opportunities, unlike any other country, there’re are so many scholarships, grammar schools, boarding schools like Eton take kids on 100% bursaries, there are state-funded boarding grammars, etc etc, you just need to be proactive, no one will knock on your door and offer you an opportunity, you need to seek it yourself. That’s why grammar schools in London are mostly populated by children of immigrants, it’s attitude and aspiration.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Clearly it is your problem if you have to avoid certain high schools for fear of them ending up harmed?

Not me.

Also prep schools give 100% bursaries to academic kids, I know several families that went down that route, you just need to look around.

I agree that attitude and aspirations are important. Tbh, that's why we were comfortable sending dd to a comprehensive school because we knew that these factors were the ones that would make the difference.

However, what about the children who don't grow up with ambitious, aspirational parents? Maybe because the parents themselves have suffered as a result of generations of deprivation and don't see a way out of it? Poverty of aspiration is real, and it isn't the fault of individual children. We should not just leave them to rot. I believe that, as a society, we have a duty to try and even out the balance - not just shrug our shoulders and say oh well, their parents should have tried harder.

As for being passive aggressive, I don't really know how you get to that conclusion from me commenting that your posts are incredibly smug. And I also don't see what your language has to do with it. It is the content of your posts that I find smug, rather than the manner of your expression.

@Summerishere12

I am not smug, english is not my first language and maybe it does not translate very well, but I grew up in a country without social security, where everyone was in charge of their own destiny, so my mind boggles at people that just sit around and wait for someone else to come along and start sorting their problems for them.

I find this attitude very interesting, especially since the poster says she isn’t originally from The UK. We do seem to be apologetic about achievements here and in some quarters we wait to be given opportunities and denigrate people who go after them. My friends who are immigrants or children of immigrants make no apology for pushing their children to succeed and there is quite a high proportion of such children at my DCs Private school.

So what are you doing about it?

@Bryonyshcmyony

So what are you doing about it?

I don't know what the answer is tbh. I do what I can as a local level as a primary school governor, and try to keep these issues high on the agenda. I'm also a trustee for a charity which aims to tackle poverty and social exclusion. And my professional life also touches indirectly on this area. It isn't easy, though, we need radical change to make a real dent in this.

@Bryonyshcmyony

So what are you doing about it?

Maybe you tell us first what YOU are doing about it?

The problem is Working Class White children have been left to rot, while diversity and political correctness, has led to over promotion of other ethnic groups.

All Working Class children who are bright enough or would be to pass a test at 11 or 13, should be given the opportunity to study in a selective school whether state or independent.

Therefore if a Grammar school is not available the state should pay to send said child to a fee paying selective school.

@AlexaShutUp

I agree that attitude and aspirations are important. Tbh, that's why we were comfortable sending dd to a comprehensive school because we knew that these factors were the ones that would make the difference.

However, what about the children who don't grow up with ambitious, aspirational parents? Maybe because the parents themselves have suffered as a result of generations of deprivation and don't see a way out of it? Poverty of aspiration is real, and it isn't the fault of individual children. We should not just leave them to rot. I believe that, as a society, we have a duty to try and even out the balance - not just shrug our shoulders and say oh well, their parents should have tried harder.

As for being passive aggressive, I don't really know how you get to that conclusion from me commenting that your posts are incredibly smug. And I also don't see what your language has to do with it. It is the content of your posts that I find smug, rather than the manner of your expression.

I believe schools end educational establishments do their best to ensure good results and outcomes but at the end of day it’s the parents that have the most influence, are the main role models and make the choices.

I believe schools end educational establishments do their best to ensure good results and outcomes but at the end of day it’s the parents that have the most influence, are the main role models and make the choices.

I don't disagree with any of that, but the problem is, children don't get to choose their parents. We can't just write children off if they have parents who cannot or will not support them effectively. We need a more radical solution.

I'm not doing anything about it other than not voting Conservative!

@peewitsandy

The problem is Working Class White children have been left to rot, while diversity and political correctness, has led to over promotion of other ethnic groups.

All Working Class children who are bright enough or would be to pass a test at 11 or 13, should be given the opportunity to study in a selective school whether state or independent.

Therefore if a Grammar school is not available the state should pay to send said child to a fee paying selective school.

1. Where will this money come from?
2. How will you build all of these schools to be ready for the next academic year?

Children left to rot are generally left to rot by their own parents, when parenta decide not to value education they are more likely to have children who under perform. If parents choose not to change, its very very hard to change the outcome for their children?

Imagine the kids left behind if they don't get into the selective school