I send my child to private school because....?

[jabed]

Well, I don?t actually, I just work in one. But it seems to be a constant source of questioning on MN and given the current news articles (I have been reading the DM and Tory graph online) about how many of our left wing leaders hypocritically claim to be egalitarian and socialist whilst buying education for their children , or have had education paid for by their own parents. I just wondered, what is it we expect from education, and why is it some of us are willing to pay for whatever that is and how they see that as worthy of their money.

There you go. :)

Ooh a parlour game!
I send my child to private school because it is advantageous.... Next?

Mine go to the best state schools i could find. Having worked in schools I think behaviour in many is a big issue. I think smaller classes and better behaved chiildren is a key factor in the success of independents. I'm happy with DD's secondary, but have become slightly disillusioned with the discipline/ behaviour of children in DS's primary. Ah well, only one year to go - and he has one of the nicest teacher's for it

TOSN - you dont your send your DC to private schools ....

No I know. Just the structure of the thread title sounded like a game.

MrsCamp - yes yyou are probably right, but it did sound like a jealous swipe .

Everyone has their own reasons. Soem just because they have the money, some because they feel its better for their children, some because someone else is paying, some have been privately educated themselves and it would not occur to send their own children to state schools. And each to their own.

Just checking :).

I doubt if we all want the same things - everyone is different. I looked at private schools twice, once for DS1 and then we moved and I didn't need it, and once for DS2 who is dyslexic but the school got their act together and I didn't need it.
I wouldn't consider a Steiner school - except possibly as a last resort.
I wouldn't expect other parents to have exactly my criteria.

"I doubt if we all want the same things"

Exactly. I chose DS1's school partly because their pastoral care was "Second to none". I thought; "I'll give you two weeks". Two years later, I can confirm their pastoral care is, indeed, second to none.

""2 bit school"

The only way I read this is jealousy, otherwise you would not comment."

Jealousy? How bizarre.

What I was saying was that there are, obviously, many fantastic independent schools. But many of them are average- to put it mildly. And there is a mindset that believes that any independent school must by definition be better then any state school. Which is not true. And anyone thinking that just by going to any independent school you are conferring advantage on your child is mistaken. Which is what I meant by "2 bit independent schools"

Seeker - I have never seen any post by anyone on MN where its been said that "any" independent is better by "any" state school. That would be a crazy assertion, including private schooling parents believing that if you go to "any" independent school they are conferring advantage. Utter rubbish!

Well, you haven't read many education threads then! "I would never use the state system" and similar posts abound!

Because the best local schools are private and we can.

It's nothing to do with avoiding oiky shoulder-rubbing but it is wholly to do with avoiding rubbing shoulders with can't-be-arsed -and-if-u-can-be-arsed-u-suck attitude. The local indies are in the top ten in UK. Learning, contributing, concentrating, excelling are all prized by every student and teacher. If they weren't, if it were just posho segregation my own precious oiks would be going to the comp down the road.

I think a lot of it really depends on how you will measure whether how your child is a 'success' in life. I went to grammar school, achieved straight As, went up to Girton College, got a Masters... I now work part time in a Spar and am the happiest person I know. My parents are horribly disappointed with me.

What am I trying to say? I think that the answer is that if you earn enough money to afford private school, you are probably hoping that your children will be well educated enough to afford private school. It's all about the money.

And for the posters who say they want their children to be with children who want to learn - I really don't think that paying for a child's education is any guarantee that they'll want to learn. But at least they won't be not wanting to learn with the council estate kids, eh?

I send my children to Private school because I'm considerably richer than you.

Because, in the end, what do we mean by a good education? We don't mean that our children will know loads about the Tudors or glacial formations or the periodic table. We mean that they'll get the grades to get a job that earns lots of money.

usualsubject, you are spot on.

I really don't think that paying for a child's education is any guarantee that they'll want to learn. But at least they won't be not wanting to learn with the council estate kids, eh?

Well, isn?t it more of a case of those who do not want to learn making sure no one else gets an education either? I don?t care if they don?t want to learn down the local council school but I do care when they want to stop others learning. At least in a private school, in my experience at least, no one will disrupt others even if they can?t be bothered themselves and that is a key factor.

Seeker. Entirely agree with your last post. I have the means to send dd to a private school but my personal opinion is she would not gain a better education

The local council school?

Because the one advantage is that the private school can ask them to leave and they are no longer their problem. ( not very good for the problem child though)

I was replying to jabed.

The local council school?

Local Authority School. State school. Havent you ever heard that phrase used before?

Nope, never heard them called council schools in my life.

Because the one advantage is that the private school can ask them to leave and they are no longer their problem. ( not very good for the problem child though)

That is spot on.

But it kinda says a lot really.

It is Local Education Authority.