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?

In what way?

'oh dear' was to Maypole.

Many years ago I taught in a state special school for kids with behavioural problems. The facilities were outstanding and no classes were larger than eight. Many kids were boarders.
More money was spent per head on these children than it costs to send a kid to Eton.

Did it work? Did it fuck. Exam results were abysmal, violence was common place and disruption and disrespect endemic.
All it did was keep them out of mainstream at horrific expense to the taxpayer.
I would have loved to see the results that environment would have had on well motivated, decent kids who wanted to learn. It was a tragedy it was wasted on kids who didn't give a shit.

Gandalfthedyed its not the kids who "didn't give a shit" but rather poor parenting

i would be interested to know what type of homes these children came from

the difference between the Eaton kids and your was not money it a fact that money has no bearing on the quality of parenting quality a parent can provide but the difference would of been the parents these children had we all seen rich stars who has children go off the rails

a good parent is an involved one

joan you wish that private education did not exist?

Why?

You don't use it, so what has it got to do with you whether it exists or not? I wish crap state schools didn't exist, so I didn't have to drive around in a 5 year old Skoda and spend £10K a year of my money on private.

Hey ho!

love it me to i wish they would bulldoze the sink schools and whip the shit parents with a wet haddock until the stepped up

and then i wouldn't had to spend £100 a month on tutors

Working class kids and their parents who have aspirations for them also get slated. I bet Joan would disapprove of children from poor parts of a city such as Liverpool gaining scholarships at top private schools. I heard of one family where every adult; grandparents, aunties, uncles, parents, pitched in to send a boy to a good private school. When I recounted this story on here a while ago that was seen to be a thoroughly bad thing. I don't understand that.

Oh lordy... well I have to go and pick up a child, and that's a long one, so you'll have to bear with me I'm afraid. In brief -

Partly for the sake of the children who don't get the choice to be opted out of the schools the middle classes shun, and whose schools then suffer even more as the chattering classes run around saying 'well we had to go private to avoid x school' - it's not fair to them.

Partly because I think private schools do more than any other single factor to perpetuate the class divide in this country, and I think this is wrong.

Lol at diablo.

Maypole, yes, the parenting was universally poor but by the time a child is 13, it is up to them how they behave .

maypole what subject do your tutors teach ?

Well thats a bit extreme Maypole.

I just don't see why people want to make independent schools illegal? If you don't like them, don't use them. State schools should, in an ideal world, all be outstanding. But it's not an ideal world.

joan I don't really want to send my DS to a rubbish school just to make you feel better - thanks!

I think the influence of poor parenting goes beyond the age of 13 Maypole..

It can do 2boys.

But I don't want my kids in classes with kids behaving like the ones I used to teach, sorry. Life is too short and education to precious to have it compromised .

Sorry maypole- last message for Gandalfthedyed.. apologies..

cross posts..

Joan you said *"Partly for the sake of the children who don't get the choice to be opted out of the schools the middle classes shun, and whose schools then suffer even more as the chattering classes run around saying 'well we had to go private to avoid x school' - it's not fair to them.

Partly because I think private schools do more than any other single factor to perpetuate the class divide in this country, and I think this is wrong"*

I think you yourself are perpetuating the class divide here by thinking that independent sector users are your enemy, or different to you in some way? Surely all any MNer wants, is the best for their child. Your idea of that is different from mine and yes, I am able to afford the fees and some aren't so "lucky".

Proposing banning something you don't like (even though you have reasons) seems a bit silly. I don't like EastEnders, (for my own reasons I won't bore you with), but I appreciate that lots of other people do like it.

What a hardship to have to drive around in a 5 year-old Skoda.

Olifin Yes it is. I'm glad you appreciate it. It is a huge hardship, almost too much to bear. But one that I willingly make for the sake of my dear, precious DS.

Or perhaps Olifin, I should drive around in a brand new Range Rover and turn up at my local STATE school moaning about those independent sector stuck up twats, like some Mums I know?

Ha ha ha ha haaaaaa!

Do whichever you prefer!

Those that drive Range Rovers are probably living in a suitably nice area where the local comp is good.

No-one drives to my state school in Range Rovers. A lot of them seem to walk there and some get the bus. I sometimes cycle there.

I can think of one way in which they're different from me, that's for sure

Look, it doesn't really matter does it: these arguments are well-rehearsed on all sides, I'm glad that I'm happy with my daughters' schools, to me personally it makes little difference that independent schools exist.

On a larger scale though, rather than just thinking about me personally and my life, I do think they are wrong. I'm allowed to.

I drive a 15 year old Skoda - do I win?

(I don't send my children to an independent school, but I do teach in one)