AIBU to feel that the ‘Labour against Private Schools’ campaign is a scapegoat for a lack of vision for educational reform?

[BusyMum1978]

2500 UK independent schools with 615K children attending which is 7% of the population of children in FT education up to the age of 16. A number of articles published this week have highlighted the campaign supported by Labour MP’s, who are calling for a number of measures impacting Independent Schools including their complete abolishment, and for these schools to become part of the state school system. A real hatred seems to be forming, and it feels to me like an easy smoke screen to put up rather than the Labour Party providing very specific policies to show how state funded education will be reformed.

I completely understand the feeling behind the imminent appointment of our 20th Etonian PM - there is urgent reform required in politics to have equal representation which I wholeheartedly agree with. I also understand the recently published stats showing accelerated social mobility for those attending top independent schools. I am not saying that there aren’t areas for improvement- but is the objective to bring more children up, or to bring the independently educated 7% down to make it ‘fair’?

My children both attend a prep school, and they are the first generation in both mine and my husband’s family to do so. We aren’t rich, neither of us have a degree, we own one property. We have -and continue to- work hard and made a choice to invest in our children’s education. We know we are privileged to be able to do so. To hear that MP’s want to wage a ‘class war’ with a family like mine feels inflammatory and yet more decisiveness in an already fractured country.

My children started their education in a state primary school but quite honestly it wasn’t good enough, and our heads were turned by what the private sector had to offer.

It equally broke my heart and inspired me to read The Times article on The Willow in Broadwater Farm school. Schools like this desperately need funding and further support, as do a range of children’s services which were cut during austerity. However will abolishing independent schools help a school like this? Parents who have money will still gravitate to the best areas / schools, and get tutors etc. There are a large number of selective state secondary schools that require heavy tutoring to access.

We need to nurture brilliant young minds in this country, to plug the UK skills gap, and compete in a global market. The independent sector has a valuable role to play.

Progress and globalisation is happening at such a rate that it’s becoming a bit uncomfortable. Many jobs our children will do haven’t even been invented yet.

The independent schools could work more closely with the state sector, but it concerns me that this campaign is chasing an ideal, and if successful would just shift the problem elsewhere.

The idea amIright is that if the kids of the powers-that-be had no choice but to go to failing schools then the funding would suddenly miraculously be forthcoming to improve them. They could, for instance, use the billion pound bribe they gave the DUP.

Same old, same old. Politics of envy.

The idea amIright is that if the kids of the powers-that-be had no choice but to go to failing schools then the funding would suddenly miraculously be forthcoming to improve them

What planet are some people living on? Is this like the 350k a week for the nhs?

And even if the 'powers that be' (I'm flattered thank you) were forced to send their kids to failing schools, they'd just spend a shedload on tutoring, foreign travel, life experiences and anything else they could do. In fact, there would be an even more obvious divide - the group of kids in the class with horses, cash, holidays, tutors, drama lessons, public speaking training, getting top grades and making everyone else feel inferior

Be careful what you wish for!

Politics of envy is such a tired old trope. Politics of wanting a fairer society for everyone, more like. FWIW the experiment I mentioned just upthread led to a considerable rise in social mobility and very few kids being moved into the private sector. Just saying.

Can't wait to see Labour's proposals for how to raise the capital to refund 8 years of VAT payments to private schools if they slap VAT on school fees. All those big building projects etc... ouch!

You can't abolish private education. Any attempt will just seen the opening of the new Eton-sur-Loire, or large numbers of parents deciding to "home-school" their children in a group setting.

I wonder if Labour's plans extend to specialist schools for SEN, or places like the Royal Ballet School or Purcell or Yehudi Menuhin.

We've been exceptionally happy with our state primary and if it went to 18 then DD would be staying there. Unfortunately our only state option is in special measures, doesn't deal well with SEN and when I went to discuss how they would manage my daughter's professional commitments they basically said they couldn't/wouldn't be prepared to work with us.

My choices are now hoping we win a lottery place at a school that will involve a 3 hour daily commute, moving house to a new area with better secondaries, home schooling or going to the private sector.

If Labour want to legislate against private schools, are they going to extend this to tutoring, music lessons, football coaching and all the other million and one things that those with money and interest can purchase to assist their children's prospects?

'powers that be' mostly use the NHS I should think, and they're no more forthcoming with funds for that, so I doubt it'd work like that.

Advantage happens anyway in the state system, with certain religious schools, people buying in catchment areas, grammar schools etc. Would just be that on a bigger basis, with more cost to govt. So makes no sense.

Like most tropes, it has a grain of truth in it.

Some parents would have 60k a year to play with! Think of the advantages they could buy for their kids!

Well, unless you remove religious schools and change the way catchments work. No reason they have to be set in stone either.

Actually, thinking of the money I'd save, maybe its not a bad idea. State education has ridiculously short days so he could be home by 3, and no Saturday school, giving him loads of time for extra curricular. And the fine for taking them out early is less than fees so still nice quiet holidays to be had. In fact I'm quite liking the idea!

Why don't Labour campaign and promise to increase the funding for state schools? So that we have the resources, staff and conditions we need. Campaign and promise build more adequate special schools so kids with SEND don't just get dragged along in mainstream or end up excluded. Actually try to fix what's broken in the shit show that state education sometimes is, instead of stomping their feet because "private is better".

The way I see it is like this:

Jimmy: dad, John has a nicer bike than mine,it's not fair.
Dad: don't worry son,I'll fix it.

Dad goes and breaks John's bike, so now his kid has the nicer bike, because even a shit ,wobbly,rusty bike is better than no bike.

Lottery, with free school transport and slow/long commutes for some DC is the only fair form of school admission IMO. But will never be a vote winner.

The idea amIright is that if the kids of the powers-that-be had no choice but to go to failing schools then the funding would suddenly miraculously be forthcoming to improve them.

Would they fuck, you'd just end up with a few schools in ridiculously high priced areas, with very small catchments where the PTA raised tens of thousands and they would have many "generous " donations,attracting highly paid,qualified and experienced teachers.

We see it on a smaller scale at DD's school. There's a voluntary school fund of £60 a year, the quite crap,boring, 10 stalls max school fair "raised" £3600 , we need to buy the recorder for DD's music lessons, and provide a pencil case with everything including glue now that she's starting ks2, no more free snack at playtime either. And we live in a bloody council estate.

Hoping that no private school and the elite's children going to state will mean an improvement to state schools is in general is a pipe dream and quite naive.

Like we say it in my country "I want my neighbour's goat to die too".

It’s about removing their privileges and integrating them into the state system.
Iggly could you enlarge on this please?

It’s about removing their privileges and integrating them into the state system

Lolol

We already have this here: loads of people proudly boast they would never go private for school. most of them bought a housd right next to the only outstanding school for sn extra £100 000 min. catchment area of this school: 400 m... average income of parents: higher than in most private schools.....

Gingernaut the fact that Labour schools chief Nick Childs sends his daughter to Roedean of all places is hilarious!
How on earth does he have the nerve to support the abolition of private education.
As pps have pointed out parents who want to educate their dcs privately and can afford it will find ways round the ban such as setting up schools abroad or home education where several families join together.
Having said that I wouldn’t put it past the present Labour Party to ban home Ed and maybe from educating children abroad - though good luck with that.

Gingernaut the fact that Labour schools chief Nick Childs sends his daughter to Roedean of all places is hilarious! does he?!

Again, the current way of arranging catchment areas is not the only way to do it.

The councillor for schools in Brighton and Hove.

Fibbke read this which gingernaut posted. It was in other papers as well.

www.brightonandhovenews.org/2019/07/12/anti-private-education-brighton-schools-chief-criticised-for-sending-daughter-to-roedean/

How about focusing on making the state schools better? How about smaller classes and better funding? How about truly catering for special needs. Corbyn can go fuck himself. My ASD son was miserable in a state school because he's high functioning and got no meaningful support. He's absolutely thriving in a private school. Fix the real problem. The private schools aren't it.

How about focusing on making the state schools better? How about smaller classes and better funding? How about truly catering for special needs.

This.

Sending his dd to roedean I've heard it all now.

Make class sizes smaller - in mumsnet this is always met with oh it doesn't make any difference blah blah - stop it. It does make a massive difference.

Give teachers powers to truly discipline unruly kids. It's some kids behaviour that ruins school for many children. Private schools do this.