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

[Schmedz]

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

[maisiejoe123]

There are plenty on here trashing private schools and their results. Let them. As if complete strangers are going to change your views and decisions.

People love to say that the private schools dont offer anything their state school doesnt. I beg to differ. Realistically the privates are getting lots of money to give pupils, the squash courts, tennis courts, gyms etc and for the more creative great art depts and theatres that wouldnt look out of place in the West End. Also the smaller classes and a confidence that I just dont see in SOME state schools (not all - some) where the expection is that you will see your time out ready to be thrown out into the world totally unprepared for the real world.

Some on these threads have never looked around a private school, they are just going on what they have read, their own socialist views (and there are plenty of socialists sending their children to private schools!) etc.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

I haven't been in a private school in the context of a customer, but I've been in plenty.

And yes, if the question is 'why would you do X thing' and the answer is 'because I'm a socialist', then that's an ok thing to say in answer to the question!

[adeucalione]

I agree nit - fine to reject private education on ideological grounds, or because your local state school is good enough and you'd rather spend the money on other things.

But some of the comments about private education being inferior are honestly, to anyone with a child in a well regarded, successful private school, just a bit of a joke really. We know what we're getting for our money and it isn't teachers who couldn't hack it in the state sector, victorian teaching methods or peers that bully the poor children for their accent. A school that wasn't able to impress its customers on a daily basis wouldn't remain open for long.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Adeuce No, it wouldn't. I do think it's fine also to observe that the private schools in a given area either don't appear to be up to much, or don't offer significant enough 'added value' to have made posters think they'd be worth the money.

[Owllady]

I have started to wish I hadn't posted on here now being referred to as you people how bloody rude

maisie all those facilities are great, but that is not say they are needed. I did an arts degree at a designated art school following my state education and it didn't hold me back at all that we just had textiles and art classroom, one potters wheel and a kiln

[TotallyBS]

at all the 'social climbing' comments. Our parents include a couple of accountants, a few IT people, an estate agent, an owner of a small industrial cleaning business and a couple who renovates old houses before selling them.

This is your idea of social climbing???

[adeucalione]

Nit - yes, that's what I said when we sent ours to the state school, that the private schools didn't offer enough extra to justify the cost.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

I haven't seen the social climbing comments, but I haven't read the whole thread yet...

I suppose there may be people who think they're going to do a bit of social climbing and are then disappointed!

[Arisbottle]

I don't see it as a flaw that private schools employ teachers who could not hack it in the state sector. If they are not in the state sector it doesn't matter does it? If they are doing a good job in the private sector and not fucking it up in state schools everyone is happy.

Equally there are teachers in the state sector that could not teach in the private sector, again if they are serving their pupils well it does not matter.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Ah, seen one now.

Ok, here's a question: if you don't especially want to 'social climb', and it isn't your intention or your idea that your child attends school with children who, with the exception of those on scholarships I suppose, have parents with between £9 and £34K spare a year - does that ever bother you? Do you ever worry that your child might get a slightly partial view of the world?

If you think the fact that you have to pay is a shame, and you wish the opportunities you are paying for are worth it, and you genuinely wish all children had access to similar - do you view the inevitable social segregation within the school day as a bit of a shame? Even if it's just an occasional niggle you have?

[maisiejoe123]

So, now - are their private teachers and state school teachers and never the twain shall meet! Some of the posters are teachers having taught in both sectors. Maybe we need to listen to their views as opposed to views of people who have NEVER attended a private school, had any children that have gone through the private system but somehow seen to know more about the system that we do.

[motherinferior]

Because I want to spend my cash on gin and fags and flash cars (no Beaten Up Volvo for me, ooh no) and send my kids to a monoculturak school and have a BLOODY GREAT FLAT SCREEN TELLY. Obvs.

Or wot the Nit said.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Fill your boots, maisie! But that's not the constituency addressed by this thread, is it?

[maisiejoe123]

Its not spare money just lying around. Do I want a mortgage well into my 60's when others have already paid them off long ago! But I choose to spend my money this way, what has it to do with anyone else? Do I tell others what to do with their income?

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Maisie - don't get so cross! Nobody's 'telling' you what to do with your income (lucky you to have so much of it, though! ). They are responding to the OP's question.

[FlouncingMintyy]

I frankly cba to answer in my own words, but this articule more or less reflects my thoughts. If you can be bothered to read it.

[adeucalione]

I think I would see it as a flaw if private schools were stuffed full of exhausted has-beens who couldn't maintain discipline, or differentiate properly, or teach engagingly, or whatever it was that they couldn't quite hack in the state system - so jumping ship because they were essentially failing.

But if they just got to a stage where they just wanted to spend more time teaching their subject, or got fed up of the government interference, then that would be fair enough I think.

[FlouncingMintyy]

That would be article, not articule, for even a lowly comprehensive-educated Mumsnetter like me is not immune to fat finger typing.

[maisiejoe123]

And my children will not have a partial view of the world. London is just around the corner with everything it has to offer. For me giving a partial view is actually living in the middle of nowhere where kids have to be driven everywhere. Some people's choice but I do think that kids growing near big cities do become streetwise and able to hold their own. We both work, how is that giving them a partial view?

[ThinkAboutItOnBoxingDay]

Because i went private (on a scholarship which may have made a difference) and i hated school. I got a great education, had wonderful teachers and missed all the disruption of Baker days (yup, that old) but the other kids were mostly not very nice. Very entitled, cliquey and snobby. Really met the stereotypes. I'm sure many grew up a lot and are now fine adults but i didn't stick around to find out.

I think it's the size of private schools as much as anything, those smaller class sizes the parents pay a premium for also mean fewer kids who you might get on with and more cliques.

[maisiejoe123]

And stop insulting private school teachers when you have never expereinced the teaching your self. How do you know they cannot hack it in the state system.

[maisiejoe123]

Some people think that private schools are still in the dark ages. Bertie Wooster anyone?

[adeucalione]

Nit - the social segregation does bother me actually.

I don't want my children to avoid children who are poorer than them, I just want my children to avoid those children who have more interest in mucking about than they have in learning.

As an aside, I was probably the poorest child in my year at secondary school, so it would be a sad thing if I couldn't recognise that money has absolutely nothing to do with how nice, kind, hard working and aspirational a child is.

[maisiejoe123]

I wish I did have a lot of it tbh. But I dont have stacks of money lying around waiting to be spent. Yes, we are higher earners but that hasnt happened by luck or worse by mistake. To afford private school we both need to work full time in professional careers. Not always ideal and not particularly flexible but it does pay the fees so I feel worth it.

Its not everyone's choice. Some like to stay at home in the early years, some never go back to work, some never start work, what your choice is fine with me (its nothing to do with me anyway!). But I am comfortable with my choice.

[BlatantLies]

Why,

Coz it's bloody hilarious when your DS is at a top Uni studying medicine and you didn't have to pay any private school fees to get him there. We didn't spend any money on tutors or music lessons either. Lol. It makes us laugh and it makes him more proud to be there as he feels he got there through his own hard work. ( ie he had to arrange everything himself and self teach himself some of his courses)



Joking aside,
We would have sent our DC's to private school if our local schools were bad or if our kids had any educational issues.