to pretend that state school is not so bad...

[RichTeas]

We are in an area with no shortage of preps and indies; the state schools are not bad, but for us, definitely not the preferred option. Yet it looks like it's going to be state all the way through. So far DS (Y3) doesn't have any idea of the types of schools that exist, as we have never openly discussed it, but I expect soon he will be clued up enough to question the system he finds himself in. It feels disingenuous to fib that we're happy with just a state education (when we're not), yet we don't want him to grow up feeling he's missed out by over-egging the independents. I suppose it could be worse, he could be in private and then forced to come out, but the issues is the same I wonder how others explain this kind of mismatch...

Oh joy of joys. A State v Private thread. We haven't had one of those for ooh, about 5 minutes. Let me guess, all state schools are pants and all private schools are excellent.....

charleybarley

• mixed sex
• mixed academic ability in the school, if not in my DCs social circle
• SEN kids : give a much greater awareness of the reality of society
• poor people : something I did not comprehend till I started work at 21
• superlative sports people (many of whom are NOT academic)

AND the fact that the school has 1500 pupils means it has much broader facilities than my London Gels school ever did.

charley You said the bit in inverted commas, it was a direct quote. The patronising tone suggested the rest. State schools do lots of extra curricular activities too and most primary schools teach MFL.

People are not anti-private. They are just anti the assumption by the OP that private = good and state = bad.

Are people anti private education? (in RL rather than on MN). I don't know anyone who is in RL (my db used to be but changed his mind conmpletely).

Snippy snippy snip. We need a sub section for all this. An AIBU in Education Topic perhaps? Keep it all in the one place. AIBU is not the place for a state v private thread.

I'm not anti private.
Many of my friends send their kids to private, and I'm a product of it.
BUT
Private is not always better.

Is that at Hogwarts * charley? What is marco polo?

I genuinely don't know anyone who is anti private and the majority of the people I know and their dcs are state educated. I also have a lot of friends who say exactly what they think.

Sparkling clearly you must be state educated if you don't know what marco polo is

It wasn't until I joined Mumsnet that I realised all this was such a big deal to some people TBH bisjo. Can't everyone just do what they like?

I think people's views of private v state are often based on their own experiences. I live in an area which still has the 11 plus and most nearby areas have good schools. The main private school near us is full of children who did not pass the 11 plus.

However, If I lived in an area where the comprehensives had a terrible reputation I could imagine myself considering private schooling.

Few people are anti private school ideologically but they resent the arrogance of those like the OP who believe a state education is not good enough and will not accept that many state school teachers are as good if not better than many private school ones.

charleybarley
at my DCs school

• not horseriding - too many nearby stables and people with their own horses
• not swimming - excellent local pools that many pupils are members of
• we do Rugby Union rather than sevens
• quidditch is mainly the domain of the Wykehamists up the road

but otherwise pretty much all (esp marco polo when the fields are flooded)

charleybarley
Eton has over 1300 - terrible isn't it.

Looking at charley's list my state school didn't offer double rounders [feels deprived] .

Charley- what's wrong with a large school? You do realise universities are huge don't you? And large employers.

Sparkling yes they can - that's called RL on MN. Only on MN you must conform to stereotypes - rich and thick if you choose private and poor and worthy if you choose state.