To think private schools should be banned?

[BethanyBoobs]

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.

How about, no.

Many people sending their children to private schools are already paying significant amounts of tax which goes towards the running of the state schools up and down the country. Then then choose to not utilise their right to a free education by sending their dc to a private school. This is 9 times out of 10 unintentional, but it then frees up a lot of money to be used in the state schools because they won't taking up valuable places. And as others have already said, and it has happened before, some children will just be sent to private schools abroad or whole families will just up and leave go somewhere else. You see they are so terribly rich that they can do that

How about, no.

Many people sending their children to private schools are already paying significant amounts of tax which goes towards the running of the state schools up and down the country. Then then choose to not utilise their right to a free education by sending their dc to a private school. This is 9 times out of 10 unintentional, but it then frees up a lot of money to be used in the state schools because they won't taking up valuable places. And as others have already said, and it has happened before, some children will just be sent to private schools abroad or whole families will just up and leave go somewhere else. You see they are so terribly rich that they can do that

As I said upstream, I agree that if, for example, the children of all of the MPs and captains of industry were at state schools, the landscape of the state schools would be quite different.

But even if you could get those displaced private school kids into bad as well as good state schools, there's no way they would stick around long enough for budgets to actually shift, and results to take hold. It would be chaos in the short and medium-term.

Yes, but on top of fees, private schools receive generous donations and investment from former alumni or well wishing sponsors. That really could be channeled into state education.

Well, again, that's someone spending their money as they see fit.

And it would just create a bigger divide than already exists between the high achieving and the low achieving state schools.

The rich might make donations to schools, but they might decide not to if they schools they went to no longer exist.

We already have state schools that can make £150 in half an hour from an after school bake sale, and other state schools that would do exactly the same thing and struggle to raise £20.

nataleejah So now, in your ideal world, not only is everyone forced to be state educated but anyone who's got a decent amount of money and was thinking about donating they're forced to donate it to state schools. Is that what you're saying? If so, how do you enforce that then?

Bonkers.

I really don't think anyone has the right to tell anybody else how to spend their money, however it is acquired.

As long as those who work pay their income tax, their disposable income is theirs to do with as they see fit. After standard household bills and essentials, some will spend it on holidays, cars, partying, gambling, going to the theatre, alcohol, cigarettes, days out with the dc, doing crafts, visiting friends and family and everything else inbetween. If some families choose to spend their money on educating their children and not going on holiday that is their choice. I'm certainly not going to berate anyone for putting what could be a deemed a materialistic way of living before improving their child's education. It is not for me pass judgement or comment. And certainly when I don't know the full facts.

Nataleejah would that mean then that only a few select state schools be very good due the improvements of the rich and powerful and the rest of the state schools being average ?. Would this then lead to more people preferring to send their children to these very good state schools ?

Nataleejah, do you not see the gap that currently exists between state schools is far bigger than that between a state school in an affluent area and the local prep around the corner?

So you have two sets of parents with combined household income of 80k. One choses to pay 1k a month of that for 2 children to attend the local prep, the other uses that 12k a year to pay for 2 expensive holidays. Either way, none if those 4 children are disadvantaged. They'll all go off to uni with good Alevels and being able to ski.
Not so the disadvantaged child attending another state school who are wrestling with meeting the needs of 50%+ FSM. That child is often lucky if they get breakfast. That school can only dream of making a couple of hundred at the Christmas Fayre unlike the thousands regularly raised by the other state school.

Before settling on a crusade, work out where the real issues lie.

Fundamentally I find it wrong that my daughter starts life at a disadvantage because institutions exist to propel an average child to over achieve. It is an outdated system that represents elitism, snobbery, capitalism and the power of social connections.

Vichell, my children are not being 'propelled to over-achieve' just given the opportunity to reach their potential. They are not at some hot housing boarding house. Academically, I expect them to achieve pretty much on a par with the local high achieving state school. As I keep saying, I pay for all the extras many of which other local parents tag on either after school or at the weekend.

In my ideal world... Well, you don't have to look to far for an example. Take a look at universities. They do attract extra investment, and general public can benefit. With exclusive private schools, there is very little benefit for general public. They are exclusive and stay exclusive.

Affirmative action could solve a lot of these issues.
Just because it wouldn't be perfect doesn't mean we shouldn't be striving for better. It may not solve everything abolishing the private school system but it's a start.

Not that I disagree with parental choice to opt for an academically pushy boarding school. Parents have every right to opt for that if they see fit and indeed it's an environment in which many children thrive. It's just not for me which, like the single sex issue, shows the diversity of reasons behind why parents opt for the private sector.

But isn't a better start to try and close the gap between state schools? I can't believe people don't see that as a bigger disgrace considering they are suppose to be equal.

And Nataleejah, our school allows local primaries to use its spots facilities regularly. 3 local primaries also gave gheir swimming lessons at our Sch pool. At our old school, one local primary close by stood in practically no grounds do held both their summer fetes and their sports days at out Sch.

Sorry for typos!

So rather than state schools striving for better, end private schooling and knock everyone else down a peg or two. Good grief.

Let the state schools strive for better rather than dismantle something which actually works.

Seriously, all I'm hearing now is "I haven't got it so you shouldn't either". Ridiculous really.

Vichill " Fundamentally I find it wrong that my daughter starts life at a disadvantage because institutions exist to propel an average child to over achieve. It is an outdated system that represents elitism, snobbery, capitalism and the power of social connections".

So we'll all just sit back and let our children be average and not reach their full potential shall we ? Because after all to achieve above average would be for them to have an unfair advantage and that is a sin akin to mass murder? Why not just remove all books and all possible creators of advantage from every home? OK, I'm ranting, but you get my point.

Wouldn't the best thing be for all state schools to have these ambitions for their pupils?

Ah yes, private school parents would then donate to all the failing inner city sink schools. Naturally.

The state schools in certain areas would be like private schools as houses there would be astronomical if private schools were banned.

Iseesheep it's not about 'I' haven't got it. It's all children, society not me. I don't benefit either way!

So if it's about society why not concentrate in the huge disparity between state schools? Why won't anyone address this question? As I keep saying, that is where the biggest gap lies.

Nancy, no-one is answering it because they haven't got answer