to resent getting grief because I work in a private school?

[fuschiagroan]

OK, realise that people may say I am being totally unreasonable.

Just about to start my first teaching job. It's in a private school. At a dinner party the other night, my friend (well, I've known her a long time but we're not that close) was making lots of digging little comments about the fact it was a private school. Other people were asking genuine questions about the job/school, not being snarky at all, like 'So what are class sizes like?'. When I answered, e.g. 'It's fifteen to a class at most' this friend went 'God!', wrinkling her nose, as though I'd just said they had a school society for strangling baby bunnies or something. She also made comments about 'privilege' and 'unfair' etc.

OK, I know of course that it is a very privileged environment, and the kids are incredibly lucky. But why does that make me a bad person for working there? If a job had come up in a good state school I would have been just as happy teaching there, but this was the school that offered me a job.

I just think, ffs, I'm not an arms dealer. There's really no need for her to criticise my choice of workplace just because it doesn't fit in with her faux-socialism.

By the way, she got her kid into a great state school by moving into the (expensive property) catchment area - not exactly something possible for all!

No it doesn't make you a bad teacher. I think it is important to consider your strengths, weaknesses and what you want when accepting your first post. I can think of many colleagues that are seen as poor teachers but who are just in the wrong school.

Don't worry about the criticism, fuschia - just enjoy being able to teach and not have to do crowd control.

I love my private school job and I am quite happy to say that I would not enjoy teaching in a state school. I have BTDT and got the tee-shirt. If I had to work in a state school, I wouldn't work at all.

how can education be a luxury purchase?

isn't it GOOD that we want to educate ourselves and our dc's?

YANBU thinking that your friend should not be so bloody rude.

YABU to think that this thread will end up as anything otherthan a nasty private/state schools thread.
These threads just allow people to indulge in their particular version of sneery, stereotypical prejudice - which ever side of the divide they see themselves.

With lack of job availability atm I would encourage any NQT to take any job they can get. Experience will count towards any future jobs. I know too many who have graduated and cannot find their first jobs mainly due to funding constraints.

That is sad Mmeblueberry. There is no such thing as a typical state school. I teach in a state school and do not do crowd control. I have in the past. I was amazed at the difference.

YANBU - Belledechocolatbunny is spot on - you will enjoy it but quite possibly find yourself looking for promotion into the state sector at some stage of your career. I love my job as SLT in a secondary school in the poorest area of the poorest town in my area; the kids are so rewarding, the parents are mainly appreciative and supportive and we are having a new state of the art building in 2012. I wouldn't move to the private sector for anything, even though I went to a private school myself. All teaching is hard work and all schools have the full ability range & challenges. Well done for getting the job, good luck, and don't be afraid of progressing to the state sector if it helps you to progress in the future :)

Yanbu how irritating. Hopefully there is a discount for you if you have children, that will probably induce purple-ish rage.

what does your friend do?

StarlightMckenzie..school fees should be tax deductable...we pay twice...and support up to 25 per cent of bursaries for children...who are lifted out of difficult situations...and given a great and free education in a top Public School...sometimes makes me cringe how ill informed people really are...luxury purchase !! We already pay tax on earned income and savings..you need to check your facts..You sound like the kids my daughter met in her first year of University...she thankfully has met many other balanced kids form State and Independant schools..from a wide background who are more enlightened and less socially insecure..

She's a civil servant.

pagwatch, I didn't mean for it to turn into a state vs private discussion, more of a 'Is it OK to publicly bitch about someone else's career choice while at the same time being a total hypocrite' thing. (not that I'm biased, ahem)

It's up to you where you teach and friendship should transcend politics, most of the time. But choosing to teach in or send your child to private provision is a political decision, so some people will be interested in that and want to discuss it.

Just ignore her. She's got room to talk by contributing to the current "private education by stealth" situation - if she actually cared about a good education for all regardless of background she'd send her kids to the nearest school and get involved with trying to improve the school for all the pupils.

A lot of my friends are teachers and it's tough out there for NQTs, well done and enjoy the post.

Say that you prefer not to talk about work in your spare time.

YANBU

Starlight - that is ridiculous. If you can afford private education then you are probably contributing more to the tax system, not taking tax credits and perhaps not using the NHS. This is more than a large enough contribution when you are not using many of the facilities your exhorbitant taxes are paying for.

Good luck with your job, I hope you enjoy it. I personally think that spending any money you can spare on EDUCATION rather than cars, holidays, alcohol etc is a very noble thing to do, if you can afford it.

lol Starlight, I don't think you find many people happily donating their spare cash to the taxman! It would probably be pissed away on nukes anyway

That's not what I meant. Of course people pay tax and pay more if they earn more but to suggest that what they choose to do with their post-higher-level-tax income is wrong, despite it being a far better social use as it is towards the education of their child, seems ridiculous to me. And yes, I went to private school and appreciate how incredibly fortunate that was - I've been saving for my own children's education since I left university - but that is a personal choice and not one I feel is 'better' than using the state system, it's just something I want to do.

Giddy, that's what pisses me off. By buying a nice house in a good catchment area you are using your financial position to choose your child's education just as much as if you were writing a cheque to the school. It means you can have it both ways: get a great education for your child and wank off about your socialist principles at the same time. Plus, of course, you are effectively taking another child's place.

I don't mind people having political positions on education as long as they're consistent.

Plus Suzi Leather pissed about with the charity commission's stance on private schools - now they have to (rightly) show they have a charitable purpose in order to retain their status. This means letting their facilities be used by the rest of the community - the same facilities paid for by the parents - but this is a good thing...