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?

My Dc are at Private school because our local Comp is awful. If it was good, or even not one of the worst performing schools in the country I would be happy for them to go there (they were at an excellent State Primary)
So if all State schools were adequate then we could abolish Private schools, but they aren’t.

Should we abolish private schools in the interest of fairness

Absolutely not

No.

I don't think I would have sent mine to private school unless there was a really really good reason. I personally think it's good for children to mix with other children from all backgrounds and I definitely don't like single sex schools.

However I think people who do want to use private schools should have that choice.

What's wrong with wanting to give your children a 'leg up' as you say?

Also our local comp is 99.9% white British

Nice at the private school as they have lots of ethnically diverse kids and international kids.

Yes absolutely.

It won't make any difference to any children at state school if private schools are abolished. Thr very rich will just home school in groups or go abroad

The

Interesting misconceptions here. Grammar school systems are worse for social mobility than comps, and the German education system was condemned by the UN for entrenching social inequity.

Personally I’d do some kind of drastic overhaul that abolished exams

Abolishing exams would also be of detriment to social mobility - look what happened this year, the disadvantage gap widened.

No. Improve schools so that going private isn’t necessary anymore! So, add decent SENDS provision, art and sports provision, reduce class sizes to a reasonable amount.
And stop the “catchment” principle - the best state schools tend to be reserved for the truly rich as the catchment is so expensive (houses in the really good schools around us are so much more expensive that it is cheaper to put 2-3 kids through private school than to buy a house in catchment…..).

No. Improve schools so that going private isn’t necessary anymore! So, add decent SENDS provision, art and sports provision, reduce class sizes to a reasonable amount

State primary has improved so much that traditional prep schools are struggling. If you want to get rid of.private education then make secondary so attractive that people choose it over private

Private schools and grammar schools should be abolished. However, a fair funding formula should be put in place for state education.

I have friends in Finland. They don't have private or grammar schools there. Finland regularly tops the global education league tables. We need to emulate their model

Finland’s education outcomes are plummeting, definitely not one to emulate.

@Tealightsandd

As with healthcare, we'd do well to look towards Germany.

The German education system used to be good (I think it still is?) Grammar type options for the academically able, but at the same time an equal emphasis and funding for more vocational options. Ideally we'd have similar (with flexibility to move between the two).

The German system basically decides at about age 11 whether a child has any potential for uni or an academic career and if not, sends them off to a vocational school to learn a trade

Ok that’s probably not completely accurate but it’s awful to limit kids’ opportunities so young. Some kids change and develop and find their niche much later but if they have gone into the wrong secondary school for them, tough luck.

I think we should abolish all schools.

Bring back chimney sweeps.

Meanwhile the rich will hire personal tutors...

Also Germany has a massive manufacturing industry - we have fuck all, so far less options at 16

Yes probably they should be abolished. They are a driver of inequality in our society.

But you'd also have to abolish home education and make it compulsory for children to attend state schools. Otherwise the rich could circumvent it by employing private tutors and setting up homeschooling groups.

Also education is different from healthcare in that what constitutes a good education is very much values-driven. The narrow traditional focus of state education espoused by Tory education ministers is arguably an impoverished vision of education and its purposes. Do we want that to be the only educational offering available to our children without any alternatives or challenge from independent providers? It makes me uneasy.

Abolishing the grammar system was the worst idea ever. It has now created a divide based on money and not ability. A good idea on paper but with terrible consequences.

Grammar schools divide on money. Look how few kids on FSM get in, it’s a well known issue.

@OldScrappyAndHungry

Finland has no private schools and an infinitely better education system.

And yet it wouldn't happen over here as the press, politicians and parents would have no-one to blame.

@noblegiraffe it’s because there are very few of them left so of course it’s more difficult to get in.

No.

The Netherlands has a selective system with tiers and means private schools not necessary.

No, probably not. But I do think the grammar system should be abolished in those areas it still clings on. It’s not a system taxpayers should be funding.

Yes