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.

100% this.

i am dead against because they are key drivers of our incredibly poor social mobility. DS and a few others were taken to one side (year 11) given a sales pitch by a private school and encouraged to apply for a scholarship. I wouldn’t stand in his way, but was relieved when he was clear he didn’t want to. My dad tried to encourage me to go to one aged around 11 and I said absolutely not. I wanted my DS in a local school with a mix of children from this community. That’s me!!

All kids deserve that standard of education. Not just those with parents who can spare that much cash.

Sure. But they spend time in the same class all day every day.

I think Boris and pals would have benefitted from being immersed in ordinary schools as children rather than being separated and taking in the belief that they were better, born to rule etc

Being middle class, Oxbridge educated I sent my child to inner city comp partly because I don’t believe in segregating children. Sending your children private makes the situation worse, don’t you see.

I am ideologically opposed to private schooling and healthcare as I think that a high standard of both should be available to everyone regardless of their birth status (being from a poor or wealthy family). An excellent standard of free education is possible (Both Russia and Libya achieved this last century). As a previous poster said, I don’t believe in segregating children. My daughter (state educated) achieved 12 A (Wales still use grades) at GCSE and AA*AA at A level. She has friends of so many different ethnicities and backgrounds.

I hope you don't have 40 in a class, btw - have state schools got that bad?

How does it? The rich parents are still paying into the system

This is not something to be proud of!

But what’s wrong with ideology, everyone is aligned to different ideologies! I am like the poster you have quoted, could afford private, wouldn’t dream of it. I actively want my children to mix with and relate to kids of all socioeconomic levels and backgrounds, because I believe this is good for them as a human being. I don’t see how that is bizarre.

Apologies, I haven’t RTFT, but I find these threads really interesting and noticed the direction was going the way it usually does for the first few posts re equality and access to high quality services for all. I agree with all that totally, but my contribution to the discussion is related to those who need private schools for other reasons, like military families and I’m sure they are not the only group. Having a stable education abd group of friends is the reason there are allowances for military kids to go to private school because they offer boarding facilities. This just isn’t an option with state schools. If we were to get rid of private schools, how will you offer this facility for people who need a boarding provision? I lived in Germany for 3 years and sent my child to the local English speaking private school because we were not (and didn’t have the ability to become) a German speaking family. I guess my point is, private schools offer facilities to cater for edge cases so it is right they exist. But clearly they need paying for and must survive as a business. I am not making a comment on VAT. Just I feel they should exist.

Yes this too. My dc education is my priority and I just won't accept it being compromised by disruptive children for any reason. It horrifies me when I read posts on here about what some kids have to put up with.

I am against them because they are unfair.

The people I know who sent their DC to private were the least involved parents and spent the least amount of time with them even when they were day pupils due to a combination of long days and au pairs. The DC were termly boarding by age 13.

A friend of DS1 visited in 'exeat' and I was shocked by the tales of drinking and smoking and drug taking (they were 11 - he boarded early) and off the scale swearing.

They are feral in a different, entitled way. Lots of looking down on 'inferiors'. But can be very polite and good mannered when the situation requires it. Good training for Oxbridge and the Bullingdon club and future careers. Nothing to do with teaching standards.

This. I went to a private school until I got into a grammar aged 13. I'm actually more anti the grammar system these days.

Where I live you have silly house prices in the catchment area for the primary school considered the best in the area, mostly middle class parents with money buy the houses, it creates this strange bubble in my opinion. The kids get a place at
the outstanding primary and come year 4
the parents all have the money to start weekly tutoring for their child to be taught the test -and most end up passing the 11 plus and going to the local grammar schools. They're full of kids from this one area.

I think this inequality feels worse to me because the parents with more money are able to play the system.

Interestingly, your hideous state school in Bristol was probably so bad because Bristol has a huge number of private schools compared to the rest of the country (although I think a couple have since converted to state schools). I think this is partly because when Bristol abolished grammar schools, the Bristol grammars became private schools instead of comprehensives.

A lot of people sending their children to private schools meant that the remaining schools (which were originally the secondary moderns) became more challenging in terms of intake, which itself then pushed more Bristol parents into the private sector.

So your crap schooling was partly the fault of the existence of private schools.

The prejudice is amazing!

Many do. They aren't all academically selective and outside of the SE they have a much greater mix of "types". Living costs are lower so people on a decent professional salary, not six figures can afford it. Ill not apologise for removing my kids from the state school that couldn't meet their needs or protect them from the thugs that bullied and terrorised them. I'm quite happy for them not to have to "integrate" with them thanks. The now go to school with kids from all over the world..a far greater mix than the homogenous, almost entirely white comp they came from.
I still haven't seen a defence of the postcode house price issue. Please can someone explain why that is somehow morally acceptable but fees are not? Why should the gov not say, impose a 20% tax on the purchase price of any house within catchment of an outstanding school, or one whose FSM % is below x.

This.

Children from poorer backgrounds are already at a massive disadvantage.

It's not unearned though is it? Their parents didn't just pluck the money tree dry

I went to one, I am against them because they create inequality. They are about more than just education, they are about buying privilege and separation for your children (from the poor… errherrrm… I mean, badly behaved other children and their families). Anyone who says otherwise is lying because the reality makes them feel bad

Yes, exactly — does that poster not understand the term ‘ideology’? I’m ideologically opposed to private schools. We have plenty of money and could send DS to a private school, but never considered it for a moment. Those two statements aren’t in any way at odds, unless you’re labouring under the delusion that people opposed to private schools are only so because they can’t afford them. Private education is ethically indefensible.

I am for them. Probably in the minority with that.
I am also pro grammars, having been grammar educated myself.

You keep saying how is paying for private school different to buying a house near a good state school. The difference is completely ideological.

Look at the history of state schools vs private schools. The elite sent their children to these private paid institutions before most of the population had access to any education. Schools for poor children were set up with a curriculum that prepared them for a lifetime of hard labour, factories etc. You still see these differences rooted in the systems today, we haven't escaped them.

The rich elite still send their children to the 'right' schools in order to mix with the 'right' people, make connections that will benefit them their whole lives and keep the wealth among people of their own ilk.

The fact that some people have been fooled into thinking our society is a meritocracy because a few more middle class people can send their kids to private school if they work hard does not erase the elitism built into the private system.

Who wants to mix with badly behaved kids? Does anyone, except other badly behaved kids?

If you don’t think snobbery exists in state schools you obviously didn’t go to mine. I was bullied and taunted because I lived on a council estate. This was a state comp!