To wonder how one would go about abolishing private schools?

[Chuffin]

If anyone is following the @abolisheton campaign, they state their aim is to integrate private schools into the public sector and hope this to be included in Labours next manifesto.

My children are about to start independent school, having had a terrible time for a whole host of reasons in their state primary.

Aside from the moral argument for or against private schools, I am very interested in whether it would be legally possible to abolish private schools and how this would happen? Would this even be feasible realistically?

Those who point out that public schools get 34% of the 3 A at level and state schools only get 9% or want ever.
No shit Sherlock.
I mean if you charge upwards of £20000, nearly the UK's average salary, and do up to 3 tests before you can enter and then kick out anyone who fails to keep up.
whilst our schools take who walks through the door.
Unless of course only poor people can get B and below in national exams.

Can you imagine if a lowly comp, used its own special exam, lets call it pre U's eh, and employed the teachers who set the questions, or made sure it's neighbours did, then did a deal where the top universities in the country, lets say Oxbridge, which then classed them as better then other national exams for entry. An almost secret way in. But then those schools allowed their teachers to openly teach the exam questions in full or better still give their pupils a copy and let them put it on SM. There would be a national scandal, people would go to jail, the schools shut down, kids throw out.
But it happened at Eton and Winchester and fuck all happened. There was even threads here defending the schools and the pupils.

One rule for the rich, 1000 for us plebs.
Like I said keep your public schools and leave state schools alone.
But that should mean all private school MP's should be banned from the DfE and education sub committees.

Like I said keep your public schools and leave state schools alone

Public schools and private schools are not the same thing

Unfortunately you would never get it past The Lords. As many of them are on the top private school boards (or members of their families).

The system is rigged from top to bottom to perpetuate a repulsive class system.

If I had my way I would abolish private schools.

I would like a future government to pass UK-wide laws which bring all schools within a flexible national curriculum,
restore them to a standard regulatory status and remove the right of all non-SEN schools to select for entry, allowing subject streaming instead. Rich people would send their kids to Switzerland or whatever but the UK would no longer host the current public school culture.

Jacqueshammer
Yes I delighted with my kids outcomes. I am defensive of state schools and all the kids who attend them. But unlike many on here I put my money where my mouth is.
I don't like the 3 tier education on offer in the UK
Public, Private then state. But unlike some who are socialists until they are offered a poor school, we sent 2 kids to a RI primary and then the RI comp, which had no head teacher for 4.5 years DC1 was there, became SM and is now an academy. No running off to private sector here.
I have been a school governor, repainted the school for free, hired vans to collect free equipment for the schools. ran and set free sports clubs, my OH has read with kids. We helped raise £7500 to send the comp's rugby team to 2 national finals, one of which they won.

I would say I no more defensive then most private school parents on here.

I am off, in an equal society private schools would be run like in Norway or Finland or like in Germany.
But it will never happen in the UK, because people will always run off to a private school before giving a state school a chance.

I believe in state education. It works miracles for 90% of the population. Unfortunately we will never have the real power.

Good night

But it will never happen in the UK, because people will always run off to a private school before giving a state school a chance

You might have been willing to take a chance with your kids education. That’s your choice.

I wasn’t willing to do an hour round trip every day to get the school we were given.

Before focussing erroneously on private education as the great divide, it may be more prudent to look at the divisive nature of a state system that - at times - doesn’t work. My first port of call would be faith schools - state funded and, can be, selective by faith. Far more of an issue to the state system than a comparatively small number of private schools.

A lot of private school demand is from foreign students. UK education as a “business” attracting students from around the world is significant. If you abolish private schools that vanishes overnight. In my opinion a lot of Britain’s soft power comes from the fact that well connected children from around the world come to board and study, then go back home with positive feelings about the country and personal links.

But that should mean all private school MP's should be banned from the DfE and education sub committees.

2Boys - what if the MP had been to a private prep school and then a state school (or vice versa)?
Would he/she still be banned from DfE and education sub committees?

People can’t be held responsible for where their parents sent them to school. However. I think that if you want to be an MP your children should be at state school. It should be part of the qualification process.

If Corbyn wins an election what right does that give him to change our country's fundamental educational rights? This would change our country for generations. At the very least we should be given a referendum on the issue with all the options on the ballot. And an independent body explaining the consequences of each option.

I just dont see what right a single politician has to change our country just because they win an election with a simplistic slogan of getting rid of private schools (alongside all the other simplistic slogans).

Dapplegrey
What about my MP, a certain Tory prat called Graham Stuart.
Private prep education, private public school education, boarding no less. Then becomes our MP, moved from Cambridge to East Yorkshire.
Lives in the county town, which has 2 schools of the best schools in the county, single sex too, but know his girls are shipped to private school in York, because state schooling is below them.
His arse of a wife wasn't above getting the local council to resurface his private road free of charge at our expense though.
He then spent 5 years as head of education committee, often backing spending cuts and exam changes which didn't effect his 2 darlings. He is the hypocrite, not me.

Finally after his Tory failure of the local LEA failed to improve our RI comp, its in Ofsted's 50 state schools which have never been rated good, in their coastal schools problem report, as a great big red dot. We even made the House of Lords coastal strategy report. it's failure to recruit a head for 4.5 years, Ofsted rate us SM, it takes from April until the following November for the report as the MP and LEA fight it's conclusions, we are now an academy. With a new Head.
But that arse of a MP still hasn't been to the school or apologised to parents nor has his Tory LEA, but again the councillors and LEA leads all use private schools too, so let's face it we aren't a priority, but Christ have they spent money on their local posh single sex schools.

So actually if as an MP you have never once been in a state school and use choose to use private schools, actually piss off and leave MP's who do to decide the future.
Look at Cameron, he admitted state schools where ok for his daughter, well ok that posh one she and Gove's daughter went to. But not for their son, it was widely said that's why he was always going to step down, so said son could follow daddy to Eton. So easy to run a government which has imposed 10% real term cuts on state schools, when it won't effect your little darlings.
But sadly that is Tory governments for you, Mrs T did the same when I was a school. After all she told Norman Fowler, state schools, even grammars, aren't for the likes of us, just the unwashed

Luckily in 2 years both of ours will be out of full time education, I just hope that we finally get a Labour or left coalition who are willing to spend on state education, for other peoples kids.
Because unlike most on here, all kids are important to me. After all we live in a society, look what happens when you give up on people, record deaths in London, Glasgow, violent crime up by 15%. We don't live in a vacuum.

So yes if you been in the private sector as an MP no way should you be able to dictate what happens to my kids, unless you are going to send your child to your local school, and I mean local school, not the posh all but private one either.

Sorry that was long.
But even I, as a thick state comp educated pleb, realise that the idea of banning private schools or even stopping the likes of G Stuart or a certain J Rees Mogg MP's voting on state education. Are but pipe dreams.
I don't know why I allow my self to even engage with these threads, private school users will never admit their schools are adding to our unequal society. Most don't even realise they are rich and privileged.

There is more chance of the UK's space program launching it's own manned mission to the moon or mars, then Britain abolishing private schools.
Good night

For the cost of Eton, the super-rich could home-educate with private tutors and 'homework clubs' and find a way to create an even more exclusive system, and you couldn't legislate against that.

I think Eton and the like would just set up a campus abroad.

“If you want to be an MP your children should be at a state school.”
Thus barring many parents of kids with SN from becoming MPs. Lovely idea.
It’s amazing how you lefties like to forget we exist - until we come in handy as a stick to beat the tories with of course. We do exist, our kids matter, our opinions count and often going outside state provision is the only decent option.

unless you are going to send your child to your local school, and I mean local school, not the posh all but private one either

Ok. How are you guaranteeing children are getting into their local school?

But even I, as a thick state comp educated pleb

You do realise you’re the only one who keeps saying this...that is clearly your issue.

I think Eton and the like would just set up a campus abroad.

Of course they would. I have a feeling they bought land abroad in the 1970s when there was a fear that the then Labour party would abolish public schools but I don’t know if they’ve still got it.

“TheBigBallOfOil

“If you want to be an MP your children should be at a state school.”
Thus barring many parents of kids with SN from becoming MPs.”

As with the imposing of VAT any policy can have exemptions- that’s how it works.

I’d be interested in knowing how many children with additional needs are in private schools, by the way.

So superior. I suppose I should be grateful the existence of the issue has been acknowledged.
Tell us how you’d legislate for that. How on earth would you draw the line between those you think deserve the chance to be educated outside the state system and those who don’t - and while you’re at it, explain why your judgement on that should be remotely persuasive to anyone else.
The current position is founded on the rational and workable basis that education is a legitimate charitable basis. People like you want to replace that with a system based on your own biases. You’ll find it difficult.

Oh, and there are plenty of kids with SN outside the state system. Indeed, the most successful schools for kids with ASD are all outside the state system. Google the treehouse school, the jigsaw school - places founded by parents in utter frustration at the way the state fails their kids. When you’ve done the research, your snotty tone might be more justified.

Sorry @BigBallOfOil. I’m happy to talk,argue,discuss,disagree. But I don’t see why I should put up with being insulted for no reason.

I think there are quite a lot of children with mild SLD in private schools, for a lot of parents the SLD makes the sacrifices needed to go private more important, due to smaller class sizes etc...
A lot of parents are not super rich but choosing to spend their money on schooling, often not going on holidays/buying cars/buying a big house etc... (I know not everyone can afford this before that is pointed out)
Legally it is incredibly hard to differentiate between public, private and SEN or behavioural units. What about after school clubs that teach a language are they not a form of private education? How do you legislate all these different issues? Also, universities are charities that charge to educate, any change to legislation has to not include those as well.
Then there is the cost!
Plus there is a big issue that the charity commission is independent. It would be a major change to alter this.
It is a good campaign rallying cry to get people riled up, without the thought or backing to do so.

It would take a generation (or more) to successfully abolish private schools without there being a massive impact.

I would start with banning any new private schools from opening, removing all schools charitable statuses and introducing a cap on fees.

That should take care of quite a few within a few years.

I wonder how many DP on here vilifying private schools send their kids to paid extra curricular activities? All sports clubs, swimming lessons, languages, music lessons, drama and tutoring.

Utter hypocrisy. Surely that is giving their DC an advantage over those who can’t afford it?

Removing all private schools charitable status.

Please you’ll never make all children’s upbringings equal.

What you can do is make sure the same basic schooling is available to all (unless you homeschool).