if private (independent) schools are the best option for out kids

[germyrabbit]

how come our country is in the state it's in

Private schools produce idiots as well as intellectuals. Depressing isn't it.

most children are state educated.

Because only 7% go to independent schools?

Not sure I understand your point. You have to pay fees to go to private school. Lots of people can't afford that.

I realise that, but I don't agree that independent schools are necessarily the best option either- it depends where you live.

Independent schools aren't necessarily the best for all children though. that is a very blinkered view. Education is not one-size-fits-all.

Going on our local schools, private education (at primary level, so far) was not the best option for our kids. We looked at two private schools, two state schools, and chose one of the state schools - based purely on what we thought was best for dd1.

So SoupDragon is correct....

Because only 8% of chidlren go to them. If 100% did we would be doing much better. Clearly maths was not something taught well at some people's state schools.

What's maths?

It depends on whose teaching them!

If 100% of children went to private school, a large% would be going to a crap one and we would be in exactly the same position we are now.

where there is no state funding of schools, most children are not at school
and there is therefore NO social mobility
free schooling is the ONLY guaranteed way to ensure that each child has opportunities based on their own merits (rather than their parents motivation and funds)

I've experienced good & bad state & private schools.

Truly depends on the child & the school. If you ar able to get the best fit via the state option then you're a lucky parent!!

Isn't the OP's point that, given the enormous over-representation of privately educated people in positions of power in this country (esp govt), one might hope for slightly higher standards?

Debora, that was my reading too. What state would the country however be in if none of the politicians went to independent schools?

Devora and OP - but we wont know exactly how "high" standards are unless you have govt made up of majority state educated people and in power for a good while inorder to make a comparison.

You're assuming the grass is greener....

Excactly, Gunznroses. Perhaps the country might be even worse off if none of the politicians were independently educated.....

Rachel - uhum! It would be interesting to try it though.

I'm assuming nothing. Just clarifying the OP's question.

Surely a school is only as good as the kind of people it educates and not responsible directly for who they are and what they become?

All the proliferation of leaders and politicians from independent schools shows is that certain parents and families who are politically inclined send their children to certain types of school.

It doesn?t matter what school you go to its all down to the attitude of the parents and child. There are children at our (private) school that don?t do any homework or revision therefore they?re bottom of the class. Just because their parents can afford to send them to private school it doesn?t mean that they will have a better education than a state school especially if the parents are not prepared to encourage their child to work hard.

We have just moved DD from an independent (private) school to the local state primary. The staff turnover at the pvt school was ridiculous in the prep (primary) part of the school they regularly took on teachers in their first post so they could pay them very little. Needless to say many left as soon as something better came up.
Such schools are totally guided by whatever the ethos of the owner is.
At DD's school he did not like technology or the internet so there was no/little provision for it. They also had a poor library, highlighted in several inspections and they decided to do nothing.

DD was bullied and had stuff taken, the teacher didn't like her and she struggled. The head tried to tell us it was because she is too mature for her age, but that she needs to grow up!!

Final insut was a letter from the head saying that he likes DD, but she suffers the disadvantage of being an only child.

We are hoping that DD will be able to disappear into the background at her new school and make up lost ground.

So I would say it's horses for courses, but I'm still a firm believer in private education and will be looking into other senior schools.

jabed, sadie, do you really believe that?

jabed, sadie, do you really believe that?

Yes, I do. I cannot speak for sadie of course.

Was it so very different when the State educated Margaret Thatcher or John Major were in charge? And will it be when Ed gets his chance?