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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think private schools should be banned?

933 replies

BethanyBoobs · 31/03/2014 22:40

Why should someone have a better education just because their parents have money? Why should someone have a better chance of getting into university because their parents paid for their education? It makes me feel uncomfortable that people can buy their kids an upper hand when it comes to education.

I feel the same way about private health care too.

IMO private schools should be banned. Everyone should have the same chances when it comes to their education.

OP posts:

busysewingbee · 04/04/2014 19:21

I went to a truly shocking comprehensive, where I had to sit through classes where people started fights and tried to set the curtains on fire.
I graduated from Oxford with a good degree and now work for an accounting firm on a graduate scheme.

I can honestly say that my experience of Oxford reflected much more of what you said exexpat than what others have described. I was heavily involved with outreach programmes that try to educate people attending state schools by showing them that they really don't care what kind of school you went to. In fact, tutors who are interviewing you for places often do not know whether you went to a private or state school. Instead they concentrate on your personal statement, entrance exam results if applicable (depending on subject) and the essays we submitted in advance, along with your AS level results.

Oxbridge are focused on attracting the brightest students, not the students with the richest families.

In all honesty, whilst students who have attended private schools may get a better quality of education, the biggest problem state students face is being told the same old ignorant rubbish that they couldn't possibly attend a top university because their parents didn't pay for their education. I faced this myself and would probably have given up and never applied if I didn't have a very supportive dad at home cheering me on.

Iseesheep · 04/04/2014 19:23

Yes minifingers it will come down to value added when academic results are equal. But as so many have said previously, you can provide those added extras for state educated children. But also be aware that the independent sector is being prejudiced in some universities just to hit the 'state' quota. That's not fair is it? Nobody's banging that particular drum though.

Original poster

BethanyBoobs · 04/04/2014 19:23

Hello again everyone, it's me, the OP .

First of all, I can't believe how much this thread has exploded, wasn't expecting that.

Second of all, after reading through all (well not all, most anyway) of the posts here and after thinking about it I've come to the conclusion that private schools are not necessarily a bad thing, although I do feel a little uneasy about them. Perhaps because I haven't really had much contact with them?

OP posts:

busysewingbee · 04/04/2014 19:28

Minifingers I can't play any instruments and I'm not very good at sport :/

I was just very passionate about the books that I could get my hands on at the local library!

I do appreciate what you're saying but I think it is more about breaking down barriers by improving state school education. In line with earlier posts I do feel that often the parents play a massive role just through sheer encouragement and getting creative with what you can do for free. My mum was on benefits for many years and we didn't have money for private lessons or anything like that.

tiredandsadmum · 04/04/2014 19:34

I am posting very late in the day. But I am having to look at specialist private schools for DS dyslexia. State school has been fab but even with all the help he is not making progress. My big hurdle now is boarding.....having never had any connection at all with that. But for DS and his needs I will do anything to get him the right help wherever it comes from :)

TruffleOil · 04/04/2014 19:49

I've come to the conclusion that private schools are not necessarily a bad thing, although I do feel a little uneasy about them.

OP, I have uneasy feelings about them as well. I feel pretty shitty about it sometimes.

WooWooOwl · 04/04/2014 19:53

Minifingers, plenty of state school pupils play an instrument, play sport at a high level, and have experienced international travel. So is it ok for them to have done those things because they are state educated, or are they doing something damaging to other people as well?

At some point you have to accept that life isn't completely equal, because people are not all clones of each other.

Universities are not there just to give people who grew up without much opportunity a feeling of equal importance. They are there to find the best people for the courses they offer, they want their applicants to be successful in their education and their future careers, it is irrelevant to them where those people went to school before they started.

Original poster

BethanyBoobs · 04/04/2014 19:55

Well I actually do feel shitty about it myself, Truffle. I admit I'm jealous as the private schools near me seem amazing - amazing facilities, teachers, opportunities, etc and I went to shithole comprehensive school and never had that. I don't know if that's just jealousy or if it's something else too.

Whenever I visit my sister I have to walk past a couple of these private schools mentioned above and I always feel slightly intimidated when the students are walking around.

OP posts:

DirtyDancing · 04/04/2014 20:00

If you could afford it OP you'd do it too.

I think my neighbour should be banned from having a nicer car than me. Not fair. stamps foot'And the lady opposite should either cancel her holiday to Barbados as we can't afford to go away this year. Boo hoo.

NancyJones · 04/04/2014 20:23

Minifingers, have you read my posts? Do you not see that state schools in affluent catchment are jam packed with children who play 3 or 4 different sports and are learning instruments such as violin, cello and piano after Sch and st the weekends. These kids live in houses with pianos that are crammed with books. Their cars have National Trust stickers and they visit exotic countries and countless British museums and stately homes.

I mentioned how the catchment we lived in previously had houses ranging from about 500k up above 1m. This was in the North West. This is replicated all over the country. Here, it's not quite as expensive but the same applies. These parents have decided to use the state education system but it is ridiculous to suggest that this'd kids are more disadvantaged than mine of that they do not hold a significant advantage over poorer kids also in state schools when it comes to applying to university.

8isalotoflegsDavid · 04/04/2014 20:24

OP I think you need not thtink of private schools as a bad thing or a good thing, but as a different, separate thing.

If you want to think in terms of good and bad then think about the difference in the quality of education and the differences in the facilities and premises and teaching standards between a top state grammar school and a sink estate comp.

Both those state funded places should be providing the same quality education as the other. We pay our taxes to educate our children equally irrespective of where we live, how bright they are, or how well educated/rich we as parents are.

Olddear · 04/04/2014 20:29

How I spend my money is no-ones business. If I want to send my children to private school, that's up to me. Same with private health care, if I can afford it, why not? I am not interested what you do with your money, don't dictate how others spend theirs.

NancyJones · 04/04/2014 20:31

tiredandsadmum, have you found somewhere? In the town where my children previously went to Sch before we moved, there was two independent day schools who specialised in conditions such as dyslexia. I was friends with a woman who had 2 girls at our school and one across the road at the other as her 3rd dd has severe dyslexia and mild asd type traits. She always spoke very highly of it. You're probably not in the same area (it was in the NW) but she may know of others around the country. I could always email her and ask if you're struggling to find something.

itsbetterthanabox · 04/04/2014 20:59

Dirtydancing please grow up.
It is not jealousy it is about equality.
Education should be equal for everyone it is not the same as owning a nice car. Children's lives should not dependent on how rich their parents are. It's not about adults it's about giving children the same opportunities in life and seeing each child as worthy. You are making this about you when it is about children.

WooWooOwl · 04/04/2014 21:18

If people feel so strongly that education should be equal, then why don't we ever hear people wanting to take money/facilities/motivated parents away from the outstanding comprehensives?

It must be so much easier to attack private schools or grammar schools and blame them for lack of achievement to save blaming parents instead.

TruffleOil · 04/04/2014 21:20

^Progressives don't like to talk about that.

southeastastra · 04/04/2014 21:24

op you are an idealist/communist and if everyone felt like you in the entire world we might have a world that we could be proud of and wouldn't be destined to destroy itself through greed/pollution/war

unfortunately the most of the world if run be capitalist people who got us into this mess in the first place.

shite isn't it

southeastastra · 04/04/2014 21:26

if private school education was so great how come we have such a global problem with pollution/hunger

private school system just breed people to run governments and the bbc oh and the army

NancyJones · 04/04/2014 21:28

Eh yes, because communism never did anyone any harm, did it?

TessOfTheBaublevilles · 04/04/2014 21:28

Can I just ask those who would happily ban private schools, how they would intend to plug the 3 billion pound gap that taxpayers are currently saved, because the children at private school don't require public funds for their education?

Every penny of that 3 billion would be needed, to build new schools, buy new resources etc. The country has hardly got plenty of money going spare right now has it?

So yeah, just curious, where would the money come from?

pommedeterre · 04/04/2014 21:31

So now private education is to blame for pollution and hunger? Seriously that needs explaining because, despite being privately educated, I haven't got a fucking clue what that means.

southeastastra · 04/04/2014 21:33

replace communism with socialism

i have read maos book and agree communism ain't great

but this capitalist shite aint great either

NancyJones · 04/04/2014 21:35

No but neither is democracy but as the man said, it's better than the alternative!

NancyJones · 04/04/2014 21:37

Not that I'm a fan if Churchill but he was right on that count.

echt · 04/04/2014 21:37

Private schools are funded by the public. Their teachers draw their pensions from the Teachers' Superannuation Scheme, the one state school teachers use. The fees for private schools would rocket if they had to truly pay their way.

Charitable status is an issue, too. I would be very interested to know just how many low income working class children get bursaries for private schools. Bugger all would be my guess.

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