If you could afford to send your kids to a private school, would you?

[juicychops]

or would you choose for them to go to a 'normal' state school?

just curious what your responses will be

You do need an income of a certain level though, to be able to afford fees. School fees would total more than our household income, so even if we had no mortgage we still couldn't afford private education.

"I don't even have a mortgage. We rent."

Steiner school is a slightly different proposition, though, fees-wise, isn't it?

And to be honest as much as I wouldn't care for the rich kids/clever kids intake in private, I'm no adherent to Steiner philosophy either!

I don't really give a toss about "Godwin's Law" tbh. You sound chippy and quite dogmatic in your view of what people who choose private schools are like, despite hundreds of posts on this thread which suggest your narrow views are wide of the mark.

The rest of what world? I don't understand the question. Are state school children sent down pits after school? What rest of world is he not participating in?

No I am not worried my son will look down on people, because he isn't being brought up to be a tit.

Elaine, I am accutely aware of the real world thank you having grown up with tatty clothes and holes in my shoes. As for DH? He grew up in a Glasgow slum-a proper slum so no need to tell either of us about 'the real world'.

Well arguably you need an income of a certain level to afford childcare. As I have said, DS's childminder cost more than his fees. Having accustomed ourselves to that kind of outlay it wasn't the biggest stretch to continue with it. We were used to not having that money each money any more.

Well there have been posts pointing out there are bursaries, yes. I don't quite see how you can argue that you don't have to be either wealthy or clever to go to private school though.

You don't understand the question..... which answers it, really.

Like the schools themselves, state school parents cannot win. If we are happy with our schools, it must be because we bought a mansion in a good area, or because we're just wrong and 'sacrificing our children for 'principles'. At the same time as buying ourselves these catchment area mansions, we're apparently desparately jealous of private schools, even though we obviously could afford them if we didn't spend our money on the catchment houses.

Maybe we just don't agree with private education, and that's what motivates us.

Lequeen, where I live the steiner fees are based on a proportion of household income, I thought that was generally the case, but obviously not, or it didn't used to be.

And ok - to modify - private school parents who think anyone can afford fees if they make a few sacrifices and drive and older car - they're not living in the real world.

I will say it again, DS's fees cost less than we spent on a CM for him when I went back to work, and his school is not selective. So that deals with your I don't quite see how you can argue that you don't have to be either wealthy or clever to go to private school though.

As for why state school parents choose state schools, I don't have big preconceptions or attitudes about the choices they make or the reasons behind them. I assume they are doing what they consider to be best for their family on the whole. Grant me the courtesy of assuming I am doing the same, rather than being a rich snob with entitled children, eh?

BUt most people who have to spend money on a childminder breathe a huge sigh of relief when the child goes to school and the expense is gone - whereas obviously you can afford to keep that going. So you're richer than most. It doesn't deal with the argument at all - you need thousands a year to put a child through private school, and most people simply can't do that. And they are the people your child won't be meeting. So that's nice!

Here, it is a proportion of household income (not sure what though). I had assumed that was Steiner policy, but perhaps it's open to the individual school to decide?

lovingthecoast

My Dh was brought up in proper, holes in shoes, no carpets rural Scottish poverty.

I reckon it was the making of him but I'd never want my children to have to go through anything like that.

Just because you are paying for it, does not necessarily mean it's better. Similarly, just because it says state school on the tin does not mean it's socially inclusive. There's lots of types of both state and private schools. TBH I'd like to see more ebb and flow between the sectors to get rid of the some of the class consciousness, which I think holds back development on both sides.

Can I just interject re: the 'state schools don't bother with bright kids, they're all about the C/D borderline' canard:

not true, IME of 12 years teaching in a state comp.

I taught top set last year. They were all targetted A/A & they all bloody well got that, bar two school refusers whom I still managed to strongarm into getting Bs, & who were compensated for by the several A targets who hit A.

Somebody else will have been losing sleep over the C/Ds.

OK, it might be the case in non-core subjects, but setting usually takes care of it for Eng/Maths/Sci/MFL.

"to the proposition that private school parents don't have a clue about the real world"

Please stop assuming all private school parents come from the same backgrounds or live solely in "naice" M/C enclaves. Sending you child to a private school might give you an indication about the parent's financial means but not necessarily their background.

Which "real world" are you talking about? My DH came to this country as a penniless Refugee but he doesn't have "asylum granted" stamped on his forehead so its not obvious that is his background but believe me he has a as good an understanding of the real world as any other person whatever school their kids go to.

they are the people your child won't be meeting. So that's nice!

Yes, naturally DS is not allowed to talk to anyone outside his school. I have banished the children he got to know through his CM naturally. We have fitted blinds to the inside of the car so we can draw them down when we pass his cousins waiting for the school bus. He can talk to them at the weekend, when they aren't in their declasse uniforms, you understand.

Pissfarterleech, I'm beginning to think you are me!

I know! Scary !

As has been said continually on this thread, you simply cannot generalise, really, you can't

I think that this is the whole point. You look at each school on their own merits. There is no such thing as the comprehensive-they are all different. I can't see why a bright DC in a comprehensive would have to wait for a slower DC, because the slower DC would be in a different set.
I wouldn't call it 'comprehensive' if the top 20% have been creamed off.

Yes.

Our local school is excellent but has large class sizes and some resources are limited (eg no school field).

Smaller class sizes would be better for the children and teachers - no question.

"private school parents don't have a clue about the real world"

lol!! What none of them?

How I love these generalisations!!

I can see the advantages eg smaller class sizes and wrap around care.
I don't think private schools automatically have better facilities. My dcs high school seems to be second to none for facilities. The only thing they don't have seems to be a swimming pool, although not for the want of trying. However there is a public swimming pool directly across the road so no real hardship.
I really cannot see how private schools are inclusive though. Surely there are limits as to who they will accept, of course you do have to pay for it too, so that makes it uninclusive by sheer definition.
Bursaries-not for working parents? not for say all 4 children so again not inclusive.
Not saying they should be inclusive btw, just pointing it out.