To think that there would be less anti private school

[Poopoolittlekitten]

sentiment or threads on MN if people using private school were a tiny bit more self aware and didn’t ask for sympathy for rising fees or possible rising fees if Labour take away their false ‘charity’ status?

send your kid private if you want, just don’t come moaning about the costs or claim than anyone can go private if they ‘prioritise’ their child’s education they way you do. Particularly at a time when state school teachers are striking over pay and conditions.
And many, many people are working their socks off just to keep a roof over their family’s head.

YANBU - stop whining and looking for sympathy about your fees!

YABU - my milkman sends his 4 kids private by ‘prioritising’ their education so it’s not just for whiny poshos….

@Countdown2023 'Another day another thread about private schools fees. This topic has been done to death'

feel free not to vote or engage with the post then, Other threads are available...

It depends on why parents send their DC to private schools.

On another thread one poster justified it by saying that the teachers were more likely to vote Tory!

I have no words

The charitable status for private schools isn’t “false” as you claim OP. Education in its own right is a charitable purpose and well-educated citizens benefit society as a whole.

Clearly this society needs all the education it can get if people can’t grasp that.

Are you always so gullible and believe everything you read on the internet?

Maybe you should take your own advice about the threads you've read/posted on where people are talking about the fees. If you start a thread whining (and it is whining, the tone is all over your first post) then don't get wound up when people post to comment.

This particular poster has form for living in a different reality to most people. I won't link to the thread, but if you have read as many of her posts as I have over the years you would find this statement quite feasible coming from her. So yes, I believe her.

'On another thread one poster justified it by saying that the teachers were more likely to vote Tory!'

Maybe private school teachers do?? Who knows...

You just sound bitter and jealous to be honest.

I also don't understand why you can't get your head around the fact that lots of people that privately educate their kids aren't necessarily well off at all but use private schools as the only realistic way they can access a decent education. Moving house into a better catchment area is often much more expensive and more prohibitive for families. It isn't the case that they can just take their kids out if private school and send them to a good state school. Of course they are going to worry about sending their children to a poorly rated and troubled school. Have some bloody empathy! The fact some kids have to go there because their parents don't have any choice doesn't mean that this is either acceptable for those poor kids or something that most parents wouldn't want to avoid.

Still all the smug, champagne socialist parents living in relatively affluent neighbourhoods with good or outstanding state schools love to pour scorn on those that pay to educate privately.

This. And both your voting options are stupid.

I don't think the OP sounds bitter and jealous at all. This is always the response from people justifying their stance.

Still all the smug, champagne socialist parents living in relatively affluent neighbourhoods with good or outstanding state schools love to pour scorn on those that pay to educate privately

I find this ^^ response rather bitter and jealous though.

Personally I feel sorry for any families who are scraping by and have been hit by the cost of living crisis.

On your argument why would we feel sorry for the family who are now struggling to pay their mortgage? Shouldn’t we tell them to shut up on the basis that they are buying the advantage of giving their DC a comfortable stable home, when so many families are renting or homeless.

'This. And both your voting options are stupid.'

You're entitled to your opinion. but 71% seem to agree that well off people moaning about school fees shouldn't expect much sympathy.

Can you imagine of someone started a thread about the price of Range Rovers going up so they might have to 'down grade' to a Toyota or similar? It's not that much different really. Luxury option is getting more expensive, AIBU to be upset...

'You just sound bitter and jealous to be honest.'

I'm not. I don't want my children to go to an elitist school, I don't think they're worth the money, and not the better option either. I'm basing that on my experience in education. I don't think buying results is good longterm for children, so I wouldn't choose it for mine.

My choice. But I'm not complaining that people are judging my choices out of 'jealousy'.
You do you. Just don't get all huffy when others don't feel sympathy for fees rising or dodgy tax breaks being removed.

"There'd be less "anti private school" threads if people stopped starting them."

Exactly.

This is boring now OP. Are you a journo? Or just obsessed?

So out of interest what is the Ofsted rating of your school, and where does it feature in the league table? Are parents and students generally happy with the school, or are they desperate to send their children elsewhere if they could?

I'm not bitter and jealous. I live in such a neighbourhood so know what it's like for parents to have a great state option and for those who can easily afford private schools to stick with the state system because quite frankly the business case for switching to private isn't there. There is a strong and well funded PTA that pays for loads of extras and behaviour in the school is generally excellent. It is difficult in this context to feel much sympathy for those struggling to pay private school fees when the state school is perfectly good.

I grew up in a very different area though where the state options were inadequate. It wasn't even just the standard of education itself but the schools are less well maintained, have less resources and behaviour is much more challenging. The cheapest and easiest way to access a better education was through going private. I saw families get into debt, work several jobs and live in pretty substandard housing yo afford the fees as they believed it was the best way of forwarding the next generation. I hope people would generally have more empathy for these families and understand why they are so worried about being priced out of private schooling.

Of course I think that ideally the state school system could offer a fantastic education to all children and meet all children's needs but we are so far away from that right now. Instead we have the schools that we have where standards vary greatly and going 'state' means completely different things depending on where you happen to live which is inevitably tied to your income levels. I notice there is less pearl clutching about this state funded form of inequality on MN because it suits the majority of posters on this forum. At least the private sector has the good grace to make parents pay for their children getting a head start and advantage.

I'm not anti as work at one. But agree with you about all the posts about making sacrifices/different priorities.
Most people don't have £15-30k a year disposable income to spare but choose to spend it on Disney World. It's just a load of rubbish.

How many threads about this have you started now OP?

Why not? People can post about their issues regardless of whether they’re relatable to the majority of people or not. They don’t have to be relatable to the majority, just to those in a similar position.

Those in a less fortunate financial position aren’t the only ones allowed to voice their problems. It also isn’t required for them to be condescended to by those wealthier loudly ‘being aware of their privilege’ in any thread they make, as a box ticking exercise in social virtue.

Well educated people benefit society as a whole
Looking at the Tory cabinet does make me question this otherwise reasonable statement

‘Why not? People can post about their issues regardless of whether they’re relatable to the majority of people or not. They don’t have to be relatable to the majority, just to those in a similar position. ‘

totally agree - it’s the ones who then moan about ‘anti private’ sentiment that Are tone deaf.

The poster who said she partly chose private because the teachers were more likely to vote tory was, I think deadly serious. The remark was completely in tune with everything she has (comprehensively) posted on the subject!

‘Well educated people benefit society as a whole
Looking at the Tory cabinet does make me question this otherwise reasonable statement’

mmm, I wonder - could that possibly
mean that private education isn’t actually better, and buying grades doesn’t turn out better educated, well rounded people ready to represent the mostly state educated population?
It’s almost as if they’re completely out of touch…

Ok OP. Just contact MN and ask for a flashing banner across the screen - 'NOBODY WITH DC IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IS ALLOWED TO EVER MENTION FEE INCREASES. ITS THE LAW."

Then you can get on with your week.

How so, when they’re looking to speak to those in a similar position?

It’s tone deaf to think every thread needs to appeal to your sensibilities, or make apology to you if it doesn’t.