Can you tell if someone is privately educated?

[bye2020]

Without knowing what school they went to?

All that Latin I learnt at my top independent school: year 8 only, I’m not sure that I got past caecilius east pater, Metella est mater and caius est canis, all my kids went to prep school: no Latin whatsoever but youngest currently can say my name is x in mandarin. I expect it will make him stand out massively as an adult

Yes you can. It is kind of the point really, so that you can demonstrate you have similar interests as some key stakeholders for jobs, law, university appointments etc. Some leisure interests, for example rowing, Lacrosse and to a more limited extent rugby are badge of people who have a private education.

@Brainwave89

Yes you can. It is kind of the point really, so that you can demonstrate you have similar interests as some key stakeholders for jobs, law, university appointments etc. Some leisure interests, for example rowing, Lacrosse and to a more limited extent rugby are badge of people who have a private education.

Yes you can with some, but not all. I cannot believe you can guess for every privately educated adult.

Yes, as others have said, I think they have an air of confidence/arrogance/superiority about them.

I am quietly envious that they have such great self belief.

@Brainwave89

“Some leisure interests, for example rowing, Lacrosse and to a more limited extent rugby are badge of some people who have a private education and some who don’t ”.

Fixed it for you

I do get your point, I work in an organisation which is very, very private school heavy. The amount of cricket metaphors is ridiculous and it makes anyone who doesn’t have a passing knowledge of cricket feel excluded. But considering how small the privately educated population is, there is a wide spectrum of experiences (I went to private school and don’t have the first idea about cricket, rugby, lacrosse or rowing).

The point earlier about people claiming to know multiple people who went to Eton - my view is that if you know one person who went, you probably know several. I know several colleagues, and met several through an interest group. I’ve never (knowingly) met someone who attended a top public school, where they were the only such person in a group.

I was privately educated from the age of ten. But, I don't speak with RP so doubt anyone would think it?

"My DS's state school does Latin GCSE and A level and Classical Civ A level"

And?

"The other part of my post still stands though. I don’t need to think about anything. Posh, well spoken, RP all generally mean a similar sounding way of speaking. It’s an observation."

Well-spoken is not a neutral expression, but a value-laden one was my point, but you don't want to understand so, fine.

Latin was considered too nouveau at my school. We learned Sanskrit [shudders]

@Gwenhwyfar

"My DS's state school does Latin GCSE and A level and Classical Civ A level"

And?

And - if you'd copied what I quoted above which you've chosen not to, to take it out of context, the point is lost.

Suggest you re read.

DH is privately educated and while he would never tell you unless you asked, I always say you can tell a mile off because of how unbelievably loud he is. He’s lovely but he’s so rah.

Lots of people assume I was privately educated when we first meet. Live in the North but grew up in London and have a southern English middle-RP type accent. In reality it couldn't be further from the truth, as I went to a London comprehensive followed by an obscure Northern university. I think it is down to a combination of not having a local accent and being reasonably intelligent (on a good day)/professionally competent.

We did Greek at ours also from GCSE level upwards. That was back in the 90s thought. They probably do Mandarin now!

@Gwenhwyfar

"The other part of my post still stands though. I don’t need to think about anything. Posh, well spoken, RP all generally mean a similar sounding way of speaking. It’s an observation."

Well-spoken is not a neutral expression, but a value-laden one was my point, but you don't want to understand so, fine.

The irony is, you said that children from affluent areas of Liverpool wouldn’t speak ‘posh’, and at best would lose their scouse twang.

Your were referring ONLY to the Home Counties, suggesting image hone counties can only produce well spoken children.

Well spoke IS a term used to identify posh, RP accents and a general term used to describe people who speak properly.

You are quite hard work

No, I don't believe so. I worked at an independent school for many years and my dd got a scholarship to an independent school. My ds did not so attended a state school. I have also worked in state schools. There is very little difference in my opinion.

@sweetchristmastime

No. My family were all privately educated and we are as common as muck

Really? What do you mean by that?

Not RTFT

I say yes.

I went to a selective girls school in London in the 80s.

The girls I know from there are not. Massively successful. But there's something around confidence. Not giving a fuck. Having strong opinions.

I'm drunk so I'll be honest. I never had anything or any push to say, these subjects are not for you. There were no boys. We did all the things. Sports, science etc. I think it was good. Although on other stuff they were poor. Looking after us. It was all about results.

Anyway. Yes I am very confident. But the way to get there, ?

Drunk. Its a double edged sword.

I get told a fair bit that I'm scary. :D

People like me so ok....

It bothers me that women and girls standing up for themselves is so. Unusual.

I went to private school but my siblings didn't. I would say I have a mildly better knowledge of grammar but I am the least posh. I don't fit in is probably the give away.

Yes my husband and sister in law (brothers wife) both went to private school. Different schools my husband boarded and SIL day school we have friends who have done both and I find that you can tell who was private and who wasn’t.