To wonder if you are against private schools…

[Unsrr]

Why is this? As in against their existence?

I was brought up in a reasonably poor area and my education was not good. I sometimes went to the nearest private school for swimming lessons and remember being in awe of it. We have one dc now age 7 and can’t afford private but there is maybe a chance we could for secondary. I wouldn’t give it a second thought if we could make it work.

I have never felt private schools should disappear because surely that’s what we should be aspiring to? An education that is excellent (yes I know not all private schools are good and lots of state schools are better), isn’t that what we should aim for?

I feel sad that this country has now made it harder to access this education. What is the reason people are against private schools existing at all? I don’t think it can be jealousy, I think many people are genuinely opposed to it from an ideological perspective and I can’t understand it at all. Just interested really as there’s been so much talk about schools recently.

Saying every child deserves a decent education (which is right) so no child should go to private school is like saying every child deserves decent clothes so no child should wear Boden or Ralph Lauren, all should wear Primark or George. Or that because every child deserves decent food, no child should eat M&S or Waitrose food, all should eat Aldis and Lidls.

If people can afford to pay more for their child's education, why shouldn't they? I know people working several jobs to be able to afford private school for their kids. Why shouldn't they?

There are different types of schools catering for different children. As long as a child is in school (where possible) then that's all that is important. The more kids in private schools, more space for other kids.

My kids all went to the local state schools or grammar school (no extra tuition). I could probably afford private schools if I worked extra hard but it wasn't that important to me. My best friend did that, good for her.

Lack of funds
Lack of connections

What do you think is the reason?
Lack of ability or motivation??

For those who want private schools closed does that include public ones. If so, could you envisage those students at the local state school (or maybe they’d all go abroad?). I couldn’t see a Boris Johnson Jr at the local comp.

If anyone thinks the rich would send their kids to Bash St Comp with security on the gate and fights in classrooms they are nuts, some will send abroad, others 'home school' but employ tutors, maybe collaboration with other parents in private homes or 'offices' to bypass.
State schools would need investment and policies with teeth. Specialist schools for all manor of diversity. A switch of mindset where education is regarded as a privilege for all.

This idea that if you closed private schools the parents of these children would magically improve state schools is just pie in the sky! And also patronising to the 93% of parents already using State - are they so woefully ineffective that they have no influence over government and LEAs and need knights in shining armour to swoop in to help them?

Private school parents are not going to just hand over the money they were paying in fees to the local comp, so there will be no additional financial investment - they’re going to spend that money tutoring their children outside of school or increasing their mortgages to buy a property in catchment for the better state schools, therefore driving up house prices and putting them even further out of reach for poorer families.

Part of the issue is also that many people hear “private school” and instantly assume they’re all like Eton!

Well comps have been around since the 60s at least now, and they were hailed as these amazing bastions of metiocracy?. So why aren't they?

Morally wrong because it's providing a good education only to children whose families can afford to pay the fees.

Morally wrong because poor children will never be in a position to attend the 'best' schools. They may already be disadvantaged by having parents who don't /can't help them with homework, having no books in the house etc.

Private schools are just another way that the wealthy can buy privilege for their children.

No, not against at all. My dc's attend private school. We decided to chose private due to all the secondary school where we live are dreadful. My dc's are dyslexic and needed full time support. We paid to have them diagnosed when they were in primary and due to the local primary school they attended couldn't help due to lack of funding. Private have given my dc's the tools to help with their education. My DD received good grades with her gcse's. We ended up down sizing our home to pay for the fees and it is the best decision for us. It isn't for everyone but they would of stuggled in our local state school. Every child deserves a fantastic education and support with their learning.

Funny that a lot of posters have explained what is morally wrong about it and you've not engaged with them. Are you only reading responses that are two lines or fewer?

@Diorchristian I agree. I attended a grammar school many years ago. But there were far too many in my class at primary who failed the 11+ and didn't get a good education at all. Despite my good fortune, I do think comprehensive schools with setting per subject rather than streaming is a better system. However I do think one of the biggest problems is size. My school was originally 300 pupils, going up to 500. Many schools are now 1000 and even close to 2000. They just don't offer the same cohesion and sense of community. Pupils aren't known well to staff, they don't know other year groups or even all of their own year. The sense of belonging and identity has gone and discipline is eroded.

@Ednoreilojal sums it up beautifully.

Well, as I said, I have moved on from that point of view,

Bit I was actually more focused on political power (that can be bought by the mega wealthy) rather than the fact they had money.

But old me woukd have anticipated education being more central to all parties manifestos and an increase in funding. Things like classess of max 30 being extended to across the whole system not just infant schools. Broadening music, sports and drama provision is schools.

I actually think what would happen is they would lobby for more state schools being able to select pupils.

Yep....this.

This.

It creates disproportionate opportunity for only a small minority of children. It is deeply unfair.
Of course parents want the best for their children - I don’t think the people against private education are against wanting the best for their children.

@Forgottenwhatitwas but buying a home next to a great state school is the same thing, is it not? Which again makes me question why it’s the private schools that seem to take the brunt of criticism. I didn’t have music lessons like most of the rest of my gear group in my state school. That wasn’t fair for me, should none of them have learned an instrument at all?

Abolishing private schools will not make state schools better. All it will do is crowd them even more.

@CaveMum I know of some parents around my area in two schools, parents have tried to influence change for their child from within the school via being a teacher, support staff and a governors to enact change for their dc with sen.

Non of them could enact anything or get anywhere near change.

Because they have never had the resources and funding that would allow them to truly flourish and support young people as they would wish to. (Btw there are many outstanding "comps" out there that do amazing work in spite of this - and I don't mean "outstanding" in the Ofsted sense. )

@Forgottenwhatitwas the complicated part comes where we work out why poor childrens school ie all state schools where 93% of children go are apparently crap?

Yes, you’re only sending your child to private school out of altruism for all those state school children you want your child to have a better education then.🙄

I agree. It’s completely unrealistic to think the local struggling comp with behavioural issues will become a top notch learning centre because it’s taken in some private school kids. Countries like Finland who have no private education have a very different way of dealing with education. There the teaching profession is well paid and highly regarded, like a doctor, that won’t happen here.

I do not believe that the quality of education that a child receives should be predicated on ability to pay. Excellent education should be available to every child.

@Screamingabdabz but it does? People buying expensive homes near the best state schools, for example? Those paying for music or sports lessons when other parents can’t afford it… why do you have an issue with use of money for private education but not use of money to buy a multi million pound home by a great state school? I genuinely don’t understand the distinction you seem to make?

@floradora well unfortunately if that funding hasn't come in 60 years and they are still failing children perhaps different stragety needs to be looked at?

@Lessstressedhemum already replied to a similar post but many people buy very expensive homes to get into good state schools. How is that different?