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Education

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Would you rather spend money on private education for your children, or gifting them with a mortgage free house?

120 replies

Amyk01 · 26/02/2018 15:05

My husband and I are not wealthy by any means, but are fortunate to be mortgage free meaning we save the vast majority of our income. We are planning what to do with the money we are saving, and can’t decide whether it would be more beneficial to:

  1. Spend this money on private education for our 2 children throughout primary/junior with the hopes of them getting into the local grammar for senior. Should they not get into grammar, it would be private school for senior too.
  2. Send them to the local state schools (which really aren’t all that great), and after university gift them with the money we have saved in private school fees to allow them to purchase homes mortgage free?

I have looked into private school fees and I’m confident that with our income we would be able to afford it. My feelings are that with private education, our children would ‘hopefully’ turn out to be very well rounded individuals which will stand them in good stead for life. Where as the mortgage free home would ensure they don’t have any significant financial worries for the remainder of their life. Each has its pro’s and con’s but I’m not sure which route to take?

OP posts:
Amyk01 · 26/02/2018 15:22

I also wanted to add, that I'm aware that just because a school is private, it doesn't necessarily mean it is any better than the local state. The private school we are considering is the top in our region and produces outstanding results

OP posts:
mamamalt · 26/02/2018 15:23

Mortgage free house by a mile. You sound very generous and your children are very lucky

goingagain · 26/02/2018 15:25

I would probably go private education, assuming the school is excellent and better than state alternatives

Stpancras · 26/02/2018 15:28

Definitely private education. Broadly speaking the most successful in our society are still those who have been privately educated. And I'm not sure I believe in giving more than a leg up financially - I live in a very wealthy place and there are lots of aimless people who have been given everything and now lack drive and ambition. Equip them to make the absolute best of their own lives.

Jdabbers · 26/02/2018 15:28

Interesting, my DP and I have just had this conversation.

We are going with option 1 and will do everything to support them getting into a grammar school. We have quite a few here so I'm hoping the plan will work!

My parents did option 2 with me wh

Either option your children will be very grateful

Jdabbers · 26/02/2018 15:29

Sorry fat fingers!
My parents did option 2 with me!

afrikat · 26/02/2018 15:36

I think I'd go option 1 with the view that private education statistically means they will have a higher earning potential in later life so will be better able to support themselves. Of course there are many variables but I would prefer to invest in education rather than material stuff

bengalcat · 26/02/2018 15:39

Private education

snozzlemaid · 26/02/2018 15:41

I'd go for mortgage free house.

taytopotato · 26/02/2018 15:42

My concerns in a mortgage free house would be- divorce, bankruptcy, debt.

highlystrung · 26/02/2018 15:44

If your children are able and the local state schools are not terrible then I would definitely buy them a house. Havinf that security could provide security for life, and an income if they rented it out to pursue higher education etc. It's not hard to find examples of privately educated people who can't afford to buy their own home - I know several personally (and all under 30).

HamishBamish · 26/02/2018 15:45

It totally depends on the available state school provision. If it's good then I would go for the mortgage free house, if not then private education.

Iloveacurry · 26/02/2018 15:46

Mortgage free. Just because someone goes to private school doesn’t mean they going to achieve more in life than someone who didn’t.

Donotbequotingmeinbold · 26/02/2018 15:46

Option 2 which is priceless and will give them financial security and a roof over their head for life. This will allow them to do whatever they want with their lives and choose careers that interest them rather than having to be money driven whether the job is empty and stressful or not.

freelancedolly · 26/02/2018 15:50

I know several successful people who attribute their drive and determination down to the fact that they've had to work for it. I also know some people who were bought houses by their parents and haven't got a career at all because they've never HAD to find their housing costs.

In your shoes I'd go for private education and the knowledge that they need to make their own way in the world - it's the making of people.

TieDyedBumhole · 26/02/2018 15:57

Maybe privately educate one of them and buy the other a house and see which one turns out the best? Grin

ReinettePompadour · 26/02/2018 16:07

Definitely private education. They may not want to buy a house, they might prefer to travel and move around frequently . What if they divorce that house wont be protected from being sold to fund an ex partners half of the assets.

Private education should provide everything they need to succeed and do well in life including buying their own property. Education is worth far more than a house.

sirlee66 · 26/02/2018 16:10

Oo what about mortgage free but pay for loads of extra tutoring and try to get into a grammar school anyway? Best of both worlds?

swivelchair · 26/02/2018 16:19

Can you do both? BTL with the income funding private school?

LadyLance · 26/02/2018 16:30

I think I'd go with the house as it would give them the freedom to pursue (almost), for example working in the charity sector on a lower wage. If you pay for private education, they may well do better academically and have lots of doors open, but they will still be limited as adults having to find careers that will pay mortgage/rent as well as everything else.

The house gives them financial security for life- e.g. if they have an accident and become disabled. If they want to travel, they can rent it out for an income. If they want capital to start a business they can release equity etc.

Would you let them have any say in choosing the house? Would you keep it in your name for a certain period so that they don't sell it at 21 and blow all the money?

I think private education can obviously give children huge advantages, but I actually think these advantages are greater at secondary age. You also get more networking benefits at secondary age, which I think is one of the real advantages of private school. Going to a grammar school for secondary school may be better for your children than going to the local comp, but it probably give the same financial security that a mortgage free house would.

Taffeta · 26/02/2018 16:35

I personally think you’re throwing your money away if you have great state provision and your DC can get in to outstanding grammars.

I’d pay for private secondary if they failed 11+. Seems a total waste of money round here to send them to private prep if they are reasonably bright and you have a good state primary nearby.

FaFoutis · 26/02/2018 16:38

House. And move near to a good school.
Instead of 'gifting them with' you could use 'give them'.

Taffeta · 26/02/2018 16:39

I’m also slightly thrown by the comment that a private education somehow makes a child “well rounded”.

I went to a boarding school aged 11-14 and it did anything but. I left with absolutely no idea how to talk to anyone that was from a different social class to me.

Not “well rounded” in my view.

Palavra · 26/02/2018 16:39

I would send them to a state primary, and then reconsider again at secondary age. I honestly believe that for primary school, parents make most of the difference - if you can take your kids to museums, galleries, historic sites, talks, science events and do arts, crafts and stuff at home, they’ll succeed and have a great time. Kids who go to a private or grammar school from a state school are likely indistinguishable from private prep school kids with the exception of better sports provision at prep schools, sometimes better MFL (although usually the U.K. is bad at both regardless of school...) and music. However those can be provided by a parent, especially if they’ve got more money to do so.

If when they are coming up to secondary school age, they want to go to the private or grammar, I would pay for tuition for their entrance exams. At that point you can make the choice - they may well not choose private or grammar, or might prefer one or the other.

A private school may be massively beneficial for a child with great musical talent, for example, or a child who might benefit from the focus of small classes, whereas another might not want too academic an environment like a grammar and could do better in larger class sizes. And again, it can change for the 13+.

Money you don’t spend on private school doesn’t have to go straight to the house, but could allow you to pay for summer schools, MFL tuition (or exchanges abroad), revision courses for school holidays, memberships to societies, sports equipment, music lessons, educational holidays, trips to different historic sites etc. I would prefer to keep the money, put it towards the house but for smaller than is exactly necessary so that there’s money for special extras such as that.

With parental support + supplementary and fun education, theh will almost certainly succeed and do brilliantly, I know very few kids who haven’t succeeded in such circumstances. However I know many people who have succeeded academically and with many other talents and interests who have not got financial stability.

Financial stability/security allows for them to focus on developing their career and themselves as a person - to take a less well paying internship because they know it opens more avenues in the future, to go for a masters degree, to start a family at a younger age, to volunteer more because they don’t have to work as much (or at all) at university and in the summer holidays.

It does depend on the state school though. Our catchment school has ‘well below average’ progress 8 scores, 21% Grade 5 or above at GCSE English and Maths. I would send my child to private instead. But the eldest will be going to an Outstanding state primary and we would likely be able to get a place at a different secondary, the two nearest who usually have out of catchment places have average or above average progress 8, GCSE results etc and I would send them there as I believe the environment would allow for them to succeed academically even if they’d be pushed less.

highlystrung · 26/02/2018 17:09

Why do people assume that you can only get an education in private schools? That attitude drives me insane.

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