To be pissed off with the old boys network?

[poshsinglemum]

After reading some threads on private schools and bullying I would like to air my views on the old boys network.

Everyone assumes that if you go to a private school you will have better connections and make fantastic contacts and get further in life. That is if you manage to get in there with the old boys network that is.

They were a clique of wealthy, popular jocks basically who would hardly let anyone in. Not many boys at my school were allowed ''in'' and as a women it was worse. to be allowed to get in with them as a woman you basically had to look like barbie.

I certainly was excluded by them and as a result made no decent contacts or nor did I bag myself a rich bloke. More fool me I can hear you say but AIBU to think they are bastards?

Going to private school does NOT suddenly equip yopu with an influential address book.

Just watching the programme on BBC 2 and I jsut cannot see how to change the system whereby these cronies will allow anyone who isn't in their club have a say.

No, really, they aren't sexist as a breed. I know I AM one of these people.

This is me:

Public School (daughter of public school and public school before that)
Russell Group University (over 100 Etonians in my year, all sharing flats with each other)
Siblings in City, I work in Arts

The OBNers are an immovable reality. But they are highly educated and the reason they get voted in and stay in, whether Tony Blair or David Cameron, is because they are so socially acceptable. They are not sexist or racist or anything other than supremely confident and articulate. This makes them narrow in it's own way. But, really, those wives you're talking about, they aren't dollies.

And how many people would like to be Creative Director of Smythson? Quite a lot I reckon. Just being an OBNer isn't going to get you that job.

Just like Cherie didn't become a QC by being married to Tony and knowing Robert Harris.

cherie blair is v talented barrister/silk.takes hard cases, and fought govt when tb was in pm role

they may not be sexist as a breed NS but the whole system is sexist. I know for a fact that the CEO of a top global law firm said that he wouldn't employ women if he had the choice 'because they just go of and have babies'. The sexism is endemic and almost imperceptible.

One good thing that's come out of the exsense scanedle, sturdent fees and the 'the cuts' is that we are debating potices again

CEO of law firm or side of a pitch at a football match - that's Men you're talking about, not OBN.

I'm a woman, I went to a grammar school, I didn't' go to uni, I have never felt excluded from any part of society, in the 1980's I was quite successful in the City of London. My background is very middle class, my dh comes from a working class background but went to uni. We number cabinet ministers amongst our friends, we number tradesmen amongst our friends, we mix from top to bottom and have never been excluded by anyone or excluded anyone. Across the board there are people we don't much care for and probably some who don't much care for us.

To me this is all about "glass half empty syndrome". Yours OP seems half empty, ours is half full.