to be amused that the more exclusive a school is..

[seeker]

.. by faith, fees, ability, aptitude..whatever- the more diverse a community the school's parents say it is.

Reactionary fish- why don't you read back over your last few posts directed at me and see who deserves an apology?

Why is this thread getting so nasty?

There's really no need for it. Diversity means we will all have different opinions after all.

It's getting nasty because somebody directed a personal attack at me.

My son has ASD and is edcuated in the state sector.
I have looked into provision in the private sector (not that I could afford it) and I wasnt impressed with the mainstream provision.

My son is in an excellent SNS. 9 children to a class. Four staff members to a class.

Mainstream was crap though.

Why do threads about education often get like this?

My child was put in set two for humanties last year and we asked why and we're concerned. Just as we would if our usually bright child seemed to be placed in the wrong school in an unfair system. Difference is that we were assured that there were some very bright kids in set two, and they followed the same curriculum and she could change sets.

I'd have challenged and questioned if I thought she was put in the wrong school, though I guess the outcome would be less positive.

TalkinPeace I don't care how annoyed you feel about Reactionary post I really don't think misunderstanding ASD for effect is acceptable. I don't think a child's SN should be used in this way.

Seeker, you continually start threads to have a pop at parents who choose selective education, despite having failed totally to live up to your stated principles when it came to your own child's education. you would attract no criticism at all for your choices if only you could bring yourself to stop slagging off others for theirs. I'm not going to apologise for pointing that out.
you, and others, on the other hand, made judgements about my choices - pretty tough and painful ones, as it happens, in the circs - despite knowing nothing at all about my reasons.

That's what I was referring to Seeker.

FWIW, my ds has AS too, and his needs are being met very well in the state sector. But only because we have a SS GS nearby that he managed to get a place at. The other option was an outstanding comp, which I am more than happy to have access to for my other DS, but it wouldn't have suited the ds with AS at all. Not because it isn't an excellent school, but because it just wouldn't suit him and the way his AS presents.

Oh.... Type and delete and delete and type. Seeker can speak for herself, but you're wrong.

Mainly because some people view the world as black and white sparklingbrook, when the reality is, as ever, shades of grey. And in answer to your earlier question, the problem with schools is that we all have different opinions on how they should be although in the main we agree that this isn't how they are.

I do not continually start threads. I continually join them, I admit.

I do not "have a pop" at parents, unless they say spectacularly silly things. I do frequently "have a pop" at the system.

I am not physically able to send my own children to a comprehensive school. For work and family reasons we are unable to move into the catchment area of one. I have no choice but to use the grammar/high school system of the area in which we live. I now have a child in each type of school. Which you must know- you seem to be very well informed about my circumstances.

I think this is all a bit of a red herring, I bet if you studied the educational background of people who have been convicted of racist attacks and public order offences then you will find that there will be hardly Grammar School or Private school pupils whilst there will be a disproportionate amount of pupils educated at Comprehensive schools despite them being such bastions of diversity. The criticism of selective schools on "diversity" grounds seems to me to just be going back to the mentality of the 1960s,1970s and early 1980s where certain people obsessed over class and so called class divisions and it was rejected by most people. Also if you think about it what major problems in society does it cause particulary in comparison to problems exist due to ethnic or religious differences for example.

yes, because you continually parade them on here, while having a go at parents who make choices in substance no different to your own - and making unwarranted assumptions about their reasons for doing so.

Why do we all have to argue so much over education? Feelings don't run this high in the gardening section! seeker you started this thread and you must have known that it would cause the usual controversy. What point were you trying to prove? What ever people say you wont change your mind as you've made it up. I'm not criticising you for this because whatever anyone says to me I wont change my views either. But why start another state versus indie debate unless you are going to be genuinely prepared to accept the views comments that don't tally with your own views?
I just don't get it.

Seeker, do you think you would feel so strongly about this issue if the Kent system hadn't separated your own children?

I'm not asking to have a dig, just genuinely interested. I will have one at GS and one at a comp, and I'm aware that I might have to put some effort in so that neither of my dc think that one is at a 'better' school than the other in the future.

Interesting that the thread wasn't actually about state/private!

Oh great so comprehensives make people into racist attackers? Oooook.

Happy: because education matters more than gardening?

How do you manage to have one at grammar and one at a comprehensive?

We all want the best education for our children. In my case all my children went to different state schools some faith, some community all comprehensive/ faith again. One thrived, one struggled, the other still in primary. It's not always the best school, the outstanding ofsted that suits a child so how can it matter what type of school it is if it serves that child well and they reach their potential. Its the kids, not the school.

If you felt so inclined you could search my posts and find that I have always been outraged by the system. Nothing to do with ds not getting into grammar school.

seeker your being disingenuous we all know your views and and it was inevitable that the state versus indie argument would quickly emerge.
By the way what is a high school?

Secondary modern, essentially, happy

So: we can't say that most racist offences are committed by people who went to comps, but we can say that parents who choose private education do so because they're snobs.
Just out of interest, who gets to decide which groups of people it's OK to be bigoted about? I'm just curious.

Would also, as a side issue, like to ban the term 'indie' school. You're not the bloody smiths!