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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if you use state or private education

1001 replies

manicinsomniac · 20/05/2011 17:22

Sorry, I know it's a little rude and personal but I only ask because I think that only 7-8% of the children in the UK are privately educated yet on mumsnet it seems to be massively higher than that which I find interesting.

So, if I'm not being too unreasonable to ask, do/did/will you use private or state education for your child/ren?

OP posts:
tiredgranny · 20/05/2011 17:27

private although it will be finacially crippling it will be worth it i workrd in state secondary school and the amount of children that could not read or write was worrying how did they slip through the system

OvO · 20/05/2011 17:27

Neither. I HE.

Pagwatch · 20/05/2011 17:29

Both.
Private and state. (2 and 1)

Hullygully · 20/05/2011 17:29

banana

GrimmaTheNome · 20/05/2011 17:30

I don't think MN is anything like a representative cross-section of the population.

We did private primary, state secondary.

Original poster
manicinsomniac · 20/05/2011 17:31

sorry OvO, I should have included HE

banana?!?!?

OP posts:
diabolo · 20/05/2011 17:31

DS went to the local primary, but we always wanted him to go private. We switched him to a good local day Prep at the end of Y2. Main reasons were the emphasis on core subjects, lots of PE, and far fewer behavioural issues from other children.

Like tiredgranny I work in state education and I will do my utmost to keep DS in the private sector

stealthsquiggle · 20/05/2011 17:32

private.

kind of by accident.

and I think your hypothesis is probably right.

Jenstar21 · 20/05/2011 17:32

State education. We don't believe in private education for our daughter. OH is a state school teacher.

Hullygully · 20/05/2011 17:33

May I be even more controversial than your op and banana and say

I don't think your demographic is true any longer.

softhoney · 20/05/2011 17:33

Private - 3 children. Expensive, but I work and I feel it is an investment for them. They are all very happy at school.

Rowgtfc72 · 20/05/2011 17:35

State education. Pre child I swore I would never send any kid of mine private. Having had a year at nursery with dd and seeing what children who are privately educated learn, if I had the money, I would seriously waver .

soverylucky · 20/05/2011 17:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

megapixels · 20/05/2011 17:38

State here. Not because I don't "believe" in private or anything (would have sent them like a shot if needed), but we have excellent state selectives here so didn't want to fork out for private.

MillyR · 20/05/2011 17:39

State - one in secondary and one in primary. If the younger one doesn't get into the grammar I would like to send her private, but we have no money, so she'll go to the comp.

JoanofArgos · 20/05/2011 17:39

State. Because I don't believe in private or anything. Wink

pinkhebe · 20/05/2011 17:40

both, 2 at state primary, 1 at private secondary

Bumfuzzle · 20/05/2011 17:42

State.

Not because I have any moral objection to private. I simply can't afford it so it's never been an option.

LynetteScavo · 20/05/2011 17:42

3 children - State.

The only time I considered private we couldn't afford it, and with hind sight I'm very glad. I feel very lucky to have found schools which provide my children with the education I want them to have.

What about home ed? It's probably only a very small number of children who are home educated, but it seems sometimes like 50% of mums on Mumsnet home educate.

feckwit · 20/05/2011 17:43

State. I was privately educated and would never inflict it on my children. You come out with a completely unrealistic view of the world and I want my children to mix with a bigger cross section of the population than private education offers!

JoanofArgos · 20/05/2011 17:43

that is very true Lynette - in my 'real' life, I don't know anyone to speak to who, if I said a child was struggling at school, would ask if I had thought about home ed, but it's an option that's mentioned/suggested/recommended quite a lot on here.

LynetteScavo · 20/05/2011 17:44

Oh, and DH has a strong moral objection to private.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 20/05/2011 17:47

State.
I don't believe in private ed, I believe it is a conspiracy by the purple people eaters to provide them with a nourishing lunch.

plus can't afford it

frantic51 · 20/05/2011 17:51

Private but only because, when DC were small we lived in a city with fairly poor primaries tbh. By the time DC went to secondary they had all proved themselves to be musically talented and so went to specialist school or, in the case of DD1 to normal private school on huge scholarship.

If we had lived where we are now I would definitely have sent them to the local village school which is absolutely fantastic.

JoanofArgos · 20/05/2011 17:51

I am the opposite of many posters I think in that having gone to a very lame comp I used to think I'd like to do 'better' for my kids and that morals are all very well but you have to give them the best you can and all that shit..... what changed my mind was my experience of state education from 2001 onwards, and how much it has changed and how happy I have been with their schools and schools generally. I now loathe private schools with a passion.

Although it is a little ham-fisted at times, I think John O'Farrell has it right in May Contain Nuts.

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