to ask if you use state or private education

[manicinsomniac]

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?

motherinferior I work in state education and a great deal of time is taken up by so called "low level disruption" particularly in the bottom sets. It really happens and I can't imagine there are many non-selective schools that have none of this.

If your child is in one of these lower ability sets at my school, then they do not learn to their full capacity because most of the trouble-makers are also in the lower sets and the teachers and TA's spend a large amount of the lesson trying to minimise the disruption being caused, rather than actual teaching.

You are obviously a big fan of state education and seem to have schools nearby you can be proud of. Not everyone is so lucky, hence their personal choices.

'I can't imagine there are many non-selective schools that have none of this'.

No. Because the selective ones, select. And whom do they select? Not the low-ability trouble makers with the difficult backgrounds, is it?

I don't want to make sweeping assumptions, but I bet that if you picture your most unpleasant, disruptive child now, he/she would not have a chance of getting into any private school. So the private schools get to look like amazing discplinarians and get the results, because they don't let the 'riff raff' in in the first place!

joan - the most unpleasant, disruptive child where I work WOULD NOT get into a private school because his parents can't even bother to look after him, never mind sacrifice their income on his education.

Exactly. Even assuming that they could afford £12k a year minimum.

Sorry joan again, I said somewhere up the thread, that my DS's prep has a number of children with SEN (some major, some minor) including ASD which can cause behaviour problems. Many private schools have no problem taking students with SPLD's.

I really object to your use of the term "riff-raff". Parental neglect is the reason for the behaviour problems at my place of work. It is not fair to blame the children who are mere products of their upbringing.

actually, joan, my low-ability, challenging child is at a private school.

it is possible.

(and, because she is at a private school, that expectation of low-ability is fast disappearing over the horizon...)

As a person state-educated in a coal/cotton town I feel angry that whilst I did well academically, most other people I knew didn't. I did well because I was freakishly self-motivated.

To those people who perpetually get uptight about the existance of private education I would ask this. Firstly, if you are so secure in your choice of state over private why do you give a fuck that other people make different choices? Secondly, if state education is in such good shape why do the teaching unions never stop moaning?

I was using 'riff raff' ironically, which is why I put it in inverted commas - sorry if that wasn't obvious.

Interesting the idea that you buy contacts thru school.
I was saying the other day (seriously) to DH that I'd like to re-train as tube driver as they earn a large whack and can knock off at the end of their shift. He snorted that I'd have no chance - they've got it sewn up - only give jobs to their mates, and mates kids... just like in the print - so looks like its the same the world over.

thebest - that doesn't follow. I'm secure in my decision to vote Labour, and I think it's the right decision, which is why it makes me all the crosser when people vote BNP/UKIP/Tory!

TheBestIsYettoCome if you look thru' these threads - there are many - all the same - you'll see that for some reason it's a militant sib-group of those that choose state that get angy and defensive and rude and agitated about other people's choices - just look at Joan of Argos!

For us, I don't want to take any chances with my kids education so at secondary they will go to a nearby private school with strict teachers and strict uniform.
I don't want my geeky, bespectacled and untrendy DD to have her head flushed down any loos because she is what she is. I know this may not happen at the local comp but there is LESS chance of it happening in a school where most of teh kids are geeky and in uniform so all untrendy.

joan never would have guessed you voted Labour!

Why did you put the Conservatives with the BNP though? Or are we all racist too?

Shouldn't that be The Evil Tories?

because I don't want there to be a Tory government! So I don't want people to vote for them!

MrsGuy, I suggest you read back and see who threw the first stones. And fwiw I have refrained from making the same sorts of anecdotal observations about private schools I know of, or the people who go there. I'm arguing against the system, not throwing out my general thoughts on the schools I know.

I truly don't think it's the state users here who are being defensive and agitated.

diabolo totally agree now and again you might get one or two who's parents have done all they can but the majority of these children's parents don't give a toss.

they don't give a shit if their homework is done try to bully the teachers when they discipline their unruly child,seldom get involved in any school things be it parents evening or school plays.
i feel for these children all these parents are good for is smoking and frying chips.

i too object to the term rif raf its the parents lack luster attitude to parenting which produces uneducated children i dare say if these children were in a comfortable environment, with clear boundaries ans structure with high academic expectations they would do very well.

Jim form the estate is never gonna do well with Tracy and her 10 kid with 5 different fathers smoking like a chimney and spending all the benefits or juicy track suits

private school cannot help those children they wouldnt last 5 minutes in a private school because their parents don't give a shit what makes private school do so well is because every one involved wants to do well the teachers who are well paid and highly educated, the children who are well grounded and the motivated parents of the children

This all just goes round in circles.

Just remember that for many of us we have no choice re state vs private. We just have to support our kids the best we can at their local state schools. Does not mean we don't care about our kids education or that we are recklessly pissing money to the wind. We just DON'T have the fortune of choice.

JoanofArgos. I think you have to understand that people have their own deeply personal reasons for making decision regarding their childrens' education. Getting angry with people because they make different decisions to you seems wrong and pointless.

Oh dear.

i use state but have manoeuvred my lo to get in the best school in the area and have a private tutor and if i had the money he would be in private before the ink was dry on the check.

instead of wanting a private type education for all people would lower the privately educated to the level of the sink schools which many are

I do understand that. I haven't been angry with anyone - or if I have, do direct me to the post where that happened?

I disagree with private education. I think it is wrong. I wish that it did not exist. This is a valid viewpoint, and I am not making any personal comments to anyone.

'Oh dear'

You are getting defensive...

2boys - if you read up the page, we were only talking about the most disruptive, challenging pupils in the bottom sets at state schools, specifically the one I work in. I was not speaking about every parent who uses state schools.