Why do people think parents who pay for private education are enormously wealthy?

[SheineOn]

Is this just the stereotype?

I went to a school that cost 18k a year (15 years ago). It’s now 24k a year.

There were wealthy people there. But also many ‘normal’ people. At least 40% fell into that category. People who lived on estates, drove modest cars, skipped holidays and ate cheaply.

They made a choice to spend their money on private education. For context, two of my closest friends have dc in private. They live off 450 a month after paying fees. They are not high earners.

Not everyone has endless wealth. Some are just happy to make the sacrifice. I find it strange people don’t seem to get that and makes me wonder how lacking in knowledge you must be to have that view of the private sector.

OP, do you mean your friends live off £450pm after bills? I can only imagine so, and doing so can't be a fun life.

I went to an independent school along with many other normal people who lived in average houses and had average holidays and and their parents had average cars (there were some who were very wealthy, but it was generally kept quiet). So I hear what you are saying, but I think you are quite out of touch yourself with the average wage. For most people sending 2DC to an independent school just isn't possible, whether or not their parents have takeaways or manicures.

These posts are so pointless. I could start one that said I went to private school and everyone there was from wealthy families (myself included). There was maybe two girls in my year on bursaries. One because her dad went to prison for fraud and the other genuinely was from a less wealthy family judging by where she lived but i obviously had no idea of her actual financial set up. The rest of us were from very comfortably off families (my situation, big house, foreign holiday once or twice a year etc) through to super wealthy (2nd home in Verbier type wealth). This was my experience so i absolutely do not recognise what the OP claims is their experience. The very few people I know who send their DC to Private School now are in the super wealthy bracket and their DC go to schools that cost 30k a year. I am now very comfortably off and have no idea how people find the spare cash for school - I'm too busy saving for my retirement to waste money on school fees.

You have to admit OP, someone who can afford to send their children to private school, whilst not overly wealthy, they are above average earners? It's a privilege, that even with all the budgeting and belt tightening isn't accessible to a lot of people.

I think you've had a hard time, and I can see you're fighting for your life here, but gently, I do think you are a tiny bit out of touch with reality if you think average earners can afford private school, I also think that families who chose holidays/days out etc. Over a private school education aren't making a bad choice - certainly not a worse choice than those who chose to go without everything to pay school fees.

Private school is out of our reach and we don't earn too badly at all, but we were able to buy a house in a nicer area of our town, right near an outstanding school for our daughter - and even that I appreciate that I am incredibly privileged to be able to do so. You simply HAVE to admit that both you and your BIL are quite privileged?

Over half of British-born medical doctors were educated privately. Are 50% of doctors essential, or meh?

Here we go. I don’t even earn 24k a year and I suspect I’m not alone, even on MN. Anyone who has 18k spare is pretty much loaded by ‘normal’ standards.

@LynetteScavo having £450 left a month after bills is absolutely fine. Over £100 a week just for fun stuff!

Your brother makes 30% more than the average household, and that makes you think that families on below average income can afford private school if they just don't go on holiday?

I think it's clear that if you send your DC to private school you're on a decent wage. I find it incredibly sad that paying to educate your child is seen as the work of the devil incarnate but if I spent the equivalent (£13k per year where I live) on a holiday to Disney and a lease on a Range Rover no-one would bat an eyelid. As a country we've gone nuts.

Because most people don't put it (or have to put it) at the top of their priority list.

We "could afford" private school, in theory. We'd have to give up our holidays abroad, meals out, big birthday parties and other luxuries. We are very much middle class, combined income of around £70k pa, so not struggling but not what you would call poor either. We have decided that we would rather live our rather comfortable lifestyle because:

• We are very lucky to live in an area with a choice of excellent state primary schools
• Our daughter does not have additional needs which the state will be unable/unwilling to cater for.

I find it very distasteful the number of people earning the same as us or more, gleefully tearing strips off the "super rich" who pay for private school whilst there are private school parents who have felt they had no choice but to live an almost impoverished lifestyle because either the schools in their area are so poor or unsafe, or their children are unable to cope in mainstream and have been refused support.

Over half of British-born medical doctors were educated privately. Are 50% of doctors essential, or meh?

What the fuck? So 50% managed to do it with a normal education, not essential then

😆

This for gods sakes 😂

You do not deserve a medal for being able to afford to spend 24k a year on your children's education. There is nothing at all I could do in my life that would mean I had a spare 24k knocking about. Nothing.

So yes if you can find 24k no matter what fucking car you drive you are privileged.

The average salary in the UK this year is just under £35k so fees of £24k wouldn't leave much for the bills and mortgage ...obviously an Average has lower and higher ....
Average Mortgage £1,400, £2k fees.....so basically one average income....childcare food other bills .....if your Mr/s average

I think you just solved the NHS financing problem. Fire 50% of doctors, they are not essential.
And if people can't afford bread, they can always eat cake. See, bread is also non-essential!

The average salary is lower than £35k. The £35k is based on full time workers. It excludes part-time workers, and anyone on zero hour contracts. Most of the lowest paid jobs are done by people on part time hours or zero hour contracts. So the real average salary is lower.

It’s nothing to do with ‘sacrificing holidays’ anyone who can pay their bills, feed and clothe the family and STILL has 24k left over for fees is wealthy….full stop.

I've worked out that with our current mortgage and bills, we'd need £4kpm to pay for the local private school. £2kpm each for 2 full time workers is about £29k each which is less than the average wage. For most people, it's a choice not to (and often a privileged choice which they are able to make) either to have one parent be a SAHP or to have holidays and nice things, or any number of other things you could choose to do with that money.

Do you think the costly length of education and training to become a doctor might line up with the same cohort of people who could afford to go to private school? Come on, now. Think it through, pet. You'll get there.

Or, you know, wild idea, fund education properly and make medical school more accessible? Correlation =/= causation.

Oh for goodness sake, you two.
Life’s too short!

Why do you think a child couldn't have a decent education at a state school?

There’s no amount of making sacrifices or eating modestly that would mean I could afford £24k a year for 2 children, I suspect your idea of wealthy and most people’s idea of wealthy is vastly different.

You must have a low mortgage and no childcare costs. For many of us if both are working full time the childcare costs can be expensive.

Load of bullocks
i went to a school 30,000£ a year 15 years ago. I had a bursary. Parents earned 70-80,000 a year and I was poorest by FAR out of the 100 people in my year

there is no way you can make an expenditure like that unless you have a serious amount of disposable income or heavy discounts. Disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

No, I don't think so lol, not in the UK. Higher education in your country is practically free on the global scale.