to think it was a mistake to give a damn about education?

[AbbyLubber]

Ok, I know some will really disagree about this, but I am fed up. Really furious. I earn a solid, not great wage; so too dh. We have two children. We've scrimped and struggled and sweated to pay for them to go to independent schools, because they are both bright and because here in Oxfordshire the local state schools in our area are dreadful, really dreadful. We're almost at the end of our rope financially. My son has a scholarship, but the schools say we earn too much to qualify for a bursary, though they also admit that we don't actually earn enough to pay the fees over the long term.

WTF? AIBU to think that if we don't earn enough to pay the fees then that should BE a benchmark for help? I get that it's political, that they want to keep their charitable status, but surely this is madness? Perhaps I should add that we don't have a fine art collection we can sell, or rich parents... as per the ludicrous inquiry form the school sent around.

Isn't ANYONE else cross that soon unemployed single mums and the rich will be the only ones able to send their dcs to a good school of their choice - unless of course you pay in the other way, by buying a 675k house in the tiny Cherwell catchment area? Not that I'm against unemployed single mums and their kids - the more the merrier - but I wonder now why I worked full-time when my dcs were small to earn a decent wage.

Exactly, seeker. I think all the state schools in our area have an orchestra - those that don't (because they are too small) join forces. Can't vouch for IGCSEs (although I don't know what benefits they offer abouve yer normal GCSE) but I can say that some local schools do teach Latin.

Hit return too quick grrrr

If you educate the mother you educate the whole family, it was the implication that the stay at home mum wasn't using her education that particularly rubbed me up the wrong way.

The one who's married hasnt got children. And I would never make a dig at single parents, they do a damned hard job and it's one I know i'd struggle with.
Its the dad I feel sorry for, all that money wasted !

'Lots of state schools have school orchestras - it's just silly and ignorant to say they don't.

IGCSEs - not sure about this, but one of the local state schools offers IB'

Not it's not silly because I was talking about OUR local comprehensive, the one in our catchment area, and explaining why I wouldn't be putting my children into it. There is no Latin and there is no orchestra.

It's rather silly and ignorant of you not to read posts more carefully.

I'm sorry if that sounded rude but I have been very careful in my comments to talk about our local state school and why we wouldn't send our children there, so it is dispiriting to be accused of blanket statements about state schools!

Basically IGCSEs are harder. They are more like O levels were: little course work, so less scope for parents getting over-involved.

Why don't more state schools do the IGCSE? Unknown territory, or just lack of will?

I went to a state school and a private school and in all honesty I did better at the state school. I so did not suit private education-or rather the private school that I went to. I would rather that my parents stressed less about money tbh. State education is fine, we are very lucky to have it and most people come out with at least GCSE's, a-,levels and quite a few university places. relax. Oh and as a single mum I find your comment a bit insulting tbh.

are IGCSEs harder because they rely less on course work, or is the subject matter harder?

I imagine if it's just that they rely more on exams that some DCs would find them easier (I would have done, last minute cram-merchant that I am).

It's very nice to see someone who takes Latin to be the dealbreaker in education. Despite having spent my life teaching and researching it, I can't say I'd go that far for my own children. Good modern language provision would be far more of a desiderandum as far as I'm concerned. Latin is something you can easily learn from an online course whenever you feel like it: speaking good French or German needs considerably more practice aqnd tuition.

Speaking as someone who was lucky enough to study Latin at school, can I just say it's a complete waste of time? There's nothing you can learn studying Latin that you wouldn't get from learning, say, modern Italian. And you'd be able to actually talk to people in it too.

Can't believe people deliberately seek it out for their children - do you not like your children or something?!

(manages to hugely offend cory in an x-post...)

YABU to think you should get special treatment in affording school fees. What about the many people who can't "scrimp and save" to afford private education because the fees total more than their household income?

YANBU to think a good education should be available for all. In my opinion this means grammar schools and/or setting in ability levels for different subjects, but that's for another thread ;)

Latin is a knee jerk subject. Like blazers, doing prep at school, compulsory chapel and rediculous uniforms for 4 year olds. it's very presence on the curriculum means that a school must be better, regardless of any other consideration.

Unquiet, up until the present I believe that state schools are not allowed to offer iGCSEs, although that may change in the future.

Latin! That is the least of the state sectors problems.

What about physics? Disappearing from several state schools in a large city near me soon. Modern Languages are being stripped to one/school.

How can this country ever hope to compete in the global jobs market when children are being denied such basic subjects.

Right...have read through and my head is spinning.

Apparently, I am, by dint of independent education, giving my children an unfair advantage and thus a chief factor in the runination of the state system.

Oh, but wait...my DC's education is no better than state. In fact it's much worse. I'm wasting my time and money. They'll end up drug dealers. State education is completely rosy.

Sorry...lost.

Oh don't be silly.

I think a lot of these subjects and extra-curricular activities go missing because they are not "useful" in some people's eyes. It all depends what you think is the purpose of education. To gain specific skills for your future career, or to learn a general knowledge and understanding of a variety of things?

It's an eternal argument I have with my brother. He thinks schools should teach you how to mend cars and navigate public transport and suchlike. I don't, because I don't think that's what schools are for.

My brothert thinks that schools are for getting youninto a good university. we don't discuss education much!

Latin is bloody great. Fantastic for logical thinking & linguistic ability.

(I teach Latin. In a state school ).

The new syllabus for GCSE English, for example, involve controlled assessment rather than coursework (so no getting your mum to do it/downloading it/bovinely typing in whatever your harassed & perormance-managed teacher dictates...)

...which is a vast improvement imo, & has caused the iGCSE thing to lose some of its appeal.