Why on earth would you go state if you could afford private?

[Schmedz]

This thread is for Maisie and happygardening . I like dares!

Maisie- one person has said that about one school! Stop looking for insults where there aren't any!

"offensive ignorant tosh."

1805 - and at my older son's boarding school the boys really dont care who you are - they all wear the same stuff, trousers and jeans need a good pull up (what is that fashion to show your pants!). They just want to know you are up for a game of football, to watch Arnesal v whomever.

Interestingly my DS has just come from a History trip. Clearly on the same flight when I met him at the airport were the local grammar school (they had a card up saying all xxxx school meeting in this place). They looked and acted exactly the same. You couldnt tell the difference from hearing them speak to the way they dressed.

Sorry, that was supposed to have "What is?" written after it!

Loads of reasons.

Fear that the money may dry up one day.

Socialist convictions.

Great state school on your doorstep.

Children clever enough to get into a very exclusive super-selective, so why pay, when those are so fabulous? Why have apartheid by income when you can have apartheid by ability? And your kids get to go to school in a beautiful old red brick building in surrounded by beautiful grounds, and have the best teachers and it's FREE!!!!

You would prefer to spend the money on holidays, handbags and a facelift.

ds's state primary is lovely. Why would I pay?

People thinking they know why I use private education. I am not posh, I am happy being working class, I like my dc's friends. I do not intend to use any people for social/work reasons. I find it offensive that some people think I am like that and socially selective as a person.

Just because I dont agree with you Second Coming - there's no need to be rude.

FN- Would love to know how strong socialist convictions are if children were of average-ability/narrowly missed superselective place and alternative school on doorstep was rubbish....

Love the 'apartheid by ability' comment...genuinely brilliant observation about GSs. So much more socially responsible than dividing on basis of income....

Are some people being just a tiny bit touchy perchance?

Because I teach at the local state school and I want my children to have the best possible teaching .

LOL Rose...that's exactly how I feel about my DDs going to our indie!

Oh, and sometimes it really doesn't matter how much money you have, there is not a private school that actually wants your child. They can choose. Some people don't realise that. They think that all you have to do is pay, and you're in.

And actually neither am I posh 1805. I am from a single parent background, went to a bog standard school but happened to get lucky - and no it wasnt marrying a rich man! Been in the same company for years. Married just the once, children late in life, always worked full time. Parents were life long Labour voters and during elections the red poster always went in the front room window.

But things have moved on, my mother always worked although she was quite unusual. No expensive hobbies, no time for huge amounts of interests. Have missed some things my children have done over the years that I really should have attended. They seem to be turning out confident and articulate young lads so hopefully something is going right.

We could afford it without having to cut back, it would just mean less money going into savings and investments. But local state schools are good enough, I'm a bit of a lefty and I'm tight. We would probably consider it if we had awful local schools.

Because, when we looked at two private and two state primaries near us, one of the state primaries met all our requirements a million times better than the other two

maisiejoe - we must be the only two 'normal' families to use private ed then.

Other three

I've lost count of the number of friends I have whose socialist convictions started to look very shakey indeed when the very real prospect of their child not passing the 11+ rears its head. It's worse in areas where the grammars are not super-selective to be honest. If the grammar school is taking only the top 5% then the non-selectives (in the leafy MC areas) are inundated with bright kids from nice homes, and are usually very 'good' - whatever that means. personally I have yet to see a failing school in a nice leafy MC area. It's when you get a 30/70 split it starts to get messy......

Loads of "normal" families go private.'Just not poor ones!

And four...

fellatio I think the 11+ argument is a bit of a red herring to be honest. There are only, what, 3 counties that have grammar schools? For everyone else the option is simply comprehensive or independent.

Please define rich and poor seeker.

Thesecondcoming - please tell me why you think that way of me.

Yes, malinois, and I have lived in two of them, so I know what I am talking about.