Education superclass?

[Amber2]

blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/iainmartin1/100245274/it-is-much-worse-than-sir-john-major-says-a-new-superclass-is-being-created-in-london/

This is interesting coming from John Major ...sounds like more lobbying along the lines of the Sutton Trust but do people really think it's much worse than it ever has been..? and this is do with with the inexorable rise of London...and the global money flowing in there...and so to creating an elite superclass of private schools also ...not just any old private school but a small handful of elite ones, applications to which have reached record numbers, presumably more and more from London and from overseas with over inflation rises in fees pricing out the traditional middle classes that used to be able to afford these schools.

rabbbit we have friends in France, fluent French, excellent spoken English, being sent to Sweden for 6 months to become totally fluent since Dad is Swedish (they are already nearly fluent)
he is only 8!!

of course you couldnt do that at State primary in the UK you would loose your place

Bonsoir you are saying some things so well
'child is a project' and the bit about the way the system is being set up

I'm still not quite sure I know who qualifies as global elite. Who are we talking about? Those I know who I think might qualify are not, on the whole, as careless of others and if the planet as is being suggested here. Often quite the opposite.

But they used to be dotmania!
I have acquaintances that spent a good chunk of time abroad, arranged by their (state) schools around ages 16, 17, for language and culture immersion (and not just France and Germany either), but people my age and younger had little opportunity for that sort of thing unless one's parents had a network abroad.

Dot, in my experience, the push to study abroad is from parents. The schools are responding to their clients' requests rather than driving it.

Slipshodsibyl - Often quite the opposite in their business dealings, or often quite the opposite in terms of using energy saving lightbulbs?

Arohaitis - yes, I suspect you are right that you would lose your state school place back home.

rabbitstew Yes, swap kids for a year.

With the programmes I am talking about, and VERY often used in Germany, the kids simply go to a family they have never ever met before.

Dotmania I did those exchanges myself... one with school, the other privately (as above), and in two different countries. Gives you an international outlook in life. I actually find many British colleagues here in the UK rather provincial...

bsc

In Europe, they have programs in place whereby you do not need to know anyone abroad.

Organisations find and screen families, and your kids go there. Period.

I was meaning to stick up for business dealings Rabbit, but I realise I can't really

rabbit ye 6 weeks is all they will keep here and since you cant get a place for love nor money to start with...........

Tas those more programmes are much commoner elsewhere Australia too I think

The funny thing is, I think families in the UK host such children - they just don't do the being hosted bit... The closest I got to it at school was a couple of exchanges with people in France and Germany, but these were for no more than 2 weeks at a time. One involved a bit of work experience in a French bank, too. It was quite good fun, but 2 weeks isn't going to get you fluent in French or German!

Just to give you a taste. This is a copy and paste (and rewriting countries into English names) from one of the organizations arranging the 'international experience' for high school kids (i.e. going abroad for up to a year, staying with a family and going to high school). Look at the list of countries they offer:

• Africa
• America / USA
• Argentinia
• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Chile
• China
• Costa Rica
• Denmark
• England & Scotland
• Finland
• France
• India
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Canada
• Malta
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Sweden
• Spain
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• USA

Some of my contemporaries went to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Italy. All of them for a year.

I can shed a bit of light on applying for USA universities. I bet they have little to say because hardly anyone actually goes. A lot look. The prices are very steep. For DD it was £75000 a year living costs and tuition fees. You might get a scholarship needs blind but only Ivy League offer these. So 3 or 4 years worth of undergrad education can be yours for £300,000. Only the super rich go! And a smattering of the super clever! It is simply just too expensive. Lots of our friends talked about it, but none even applied. Mine did, got a place, but scholarship was £6000. Wonderful if you were in the UK, but a drop in the ocean there. She is happily at University here.

LittleSiouxieSue

It depends on how much they want someone to go. I knew people who virtually went to Princeton et al. for free.

I also knew someone who went to a non-Ivy league uni, but was a better-than-average soccer player in Europe (translates to fantastic in the U.S.)… and went to the American uni without his parents paying much at all.

Tas went from the UK or from elsewhere?

Arohaitis - only came to the UK to go to uni. So my contemporaries all went from elsewhere in Europe.

I'm just saying that there are programs out there that do not cost the world (but maybe a Renault Clio or something) that can give kids a big advantage. You might just have to look outside the UK.

My (French) DSS1 went on a home stay to Melbourne for 7 weeks during his summer holidays when he was 15. My (Australian) cousin's DC each did a three month home stay in Europe - one to France and the other to the Netherlands. And I know DC who have done year long stints in the US (though IMO these cause lots of problems).

Yes, yes, yes- we know these programmes exist, but the point that is being made upthread is that really in UK only the elite access them, whereas elsewhere it is commonplace and available to all state educated or otherwise.

Oh Bonsoir can we sidetrack into what kind of problems briefly please?

tas absolutely I think we are saying the same thing, my point was that it is more common when coming from outside the UK (maybe the influence of language here too)

the way i see it now to go on similar to learn a language would be worthwhile I can't see myself being so enthusiastic if it was US/ Oz etc (for My dcs)

xpost with bsc

The unfettered access to food, perhaps?

bsc

If you know these programs exist elsewhere. You can access these programs elsewhere despite being in the UK. Hint, hint.

That's the great thing about the internet. When you and I were younger, the internet was probably not that efficient, but it is now. Some people even contact schools abroad directly these days...

Aro

I am assuming there may have been problems with host families. As it goes, I was pretty lucky when I went to the US - got a well-to-do family in a posh neighborhood where the mum cooked healthy food. My health-conscious friend got a fast food-loving family that wasn't the most cultured… hence, change of families had to happen. Sometimes, the chemistry between child and family just ain't right either.

Also - if staying for a year, the UK school the kid will go back to has to play ball...

erk- bonsoir, forgive me... that sceptical face was intended to be a good natured wink!

Tas- I was actually thinking about other children, dare I say those less privileged than mine. Those that really require that sort of leg-up will never get it.