Rarrie, re your post yesterday, I didn't say I thought state schools are crap because middle class parents all leave. But I don't think it helps if they do - certainly not those left behind anyway - the ones who can't afford to go private or travel to the best state school which isn't so close etc etc.
And I certainly wouldn't blame private schools for the problems in state schools. The problems in most state schools have nothing at all to do with private schools - I just don't think it helps, that's all!
And of course kids are going to get better results in private schools - if you only have a 10/1 pupil/teacher ratio, all the resources you could ever wish for, less influence from outside forces and lesser-able pupils overtly or covertly weeded out, what do you expect?! I would be seething if I'd paid for an expensive education and didn't get value for money. But that doesn't mean the state school has less able teachers or less able pupils. Just, generally speaking, less room for manouevre.
We'd all like to think our children get the very best we can offer, and that if we fail to make sure they do better than little Johnny or Annie then we've failed them in some way. The trouble is that, if we take that view to its logical conclusion, other children are going to miss out through no fault of their own or of their parents. I prefer to think that the time, effort and money spent ensuring that my child could step over his or her less fortunate friends, could be more productively spent on trying to create a better school for all the children.
I don't believe the Government has it totally right. I only have 15 months' experience of the state school system as a parent to inform me - I may totally change my mind by the time my kids get to secondary education - but I don't beleive private school is the anwer. It helps to perpetuate a divisive society and anything we can do to avoid that should be considered, IMO.