Can you be a leftie and use private schools? Are people prejudiced against the privately educated?

[SpoonsAndForks]

I've always been into equality of opportunity and on that basis, think that it's wrong that our country allows private schools.

But then my son's state primary went into special measures and I pulled him out and put him into private school. Now he's being offered a really great scholarship to stay on and I'm considering going private all the way. So I'd rather private schools didn't exist but now they do, yes I'd like my child to benefit from them.

I came across this book yesterday - www.amazon.co.uk/Posh-Boys-English-Schools-Britain/dp/1786073838/?tag=mumsnetforum-21 - the intro to the book sets out the 'public schoolboy' as the most horrible creature, misogynistic, egotistical, generally a posh hawhawhaw uncaring horror (usually a nasty MP). Yet the intro also sets out some interesting statistics about those in top jobs always being from private school (which makes me want to give my child that opportunity). But makes me sick at the thought of educating my child into a guffawing posh MP.

I'm keen to explore:

• whether you can sit politically to the left and square it with yourself if you use a private school
• whether children who go to private schools will experience judgement and prejudice against them
• whether children who go to private schools are all at risk of turning into posh uncaring brash misogynistic MP types.

I don’t think there is much difference between academically selective modern private day schools and state grammars. The main draw to both is a good chance of excellent behaviour and attitude to learning. Get that right in comps and people will be less likely to seek out alternatives (whether those are by state or independent means).

Through the 16 years of kindergarten, pre school, primary and secondary that we have experienced in one child's educational progress, we have seen both private and state education systems. During that period, I also did a PGSE.

I don't have a political outlook, beyond understanding that parents feel they should do what's best for their children at the time, as much as they can.

FWIW, some parents micro-manage and bully teachers and schools, more in private schools where paying several sets of fees gives leverage. And some parents, in lower rated establishments, really don't give a stuff about the education, but weigh in when the childcare element fails to meet their expectations of having the kids safely occupied elsewhere to free up their time for work or other activities.

I think MousseMouse is spot on in saying that the UK does a poor job for the lower achieving end of students, but I wonder what would be seen as a great, even satisfactory, outcome for such students. Is it that we fail to turn them all into brain surgeons, or that we don't have enough satisfied happy bricklayers and chefs to fill the skills shortage in those fields?

Karl Marx sent his kids to South Hampstead. He wouldn't have it any other way for his kids. That doesn't mean he didn't care about other kids, just that he didn't want to compromise on education. His daughter grew up to be an important social activist in her own right. Or left.

Is it right for the state to dictate exactly what sort of education a child should have? Or is it right for the state to make education available free, but leave the decision over where a child is educated to their parents?

I fundamentally disagree with the idea of banning state schools because I believe people should have the freedom to spend their money as they choose, because the upshot would be a massive increase in private home-schooling or a totalitarian requirement that all children are educated by the state, in which case some families would leave.

The oldest schools in this country are fee-paying schools. For the most part they have had provision for 'poor scholars' since their foundation.

The oldest state schools in this country were founded by the Church of England before the state got involved in the provision of education. These schools continue to be partially funded by the Church. Secular state education is a relatively recent phenomenon.

It is obviously frustrating that your local state school is in special measures. Only you can decided whether you think it can be turned around by the measures that will be put in place. Only you can decide whether your child is socially happy there and whether you are pleased with their educational progress to date. Only you can decide whether you can justify your prejudices against private schools and private school children while also allowing your child to benefit from what independent fee paying schools do well.

Lastly, it is a misunderstanding of politics to think that the left is egalitarian and socially-minded and the right is selfish and uncaring. Both the left and right attract rich and poor voters and both sides of the political spectrum have voters who are selfish an voters who are caring. The major difference is on whether you believe in a big government or smaller government, and on whether you believe that higher taxes will bring in more tax revenue or whether you believe higher taxes drive successful businesses and high earners overseas, leaving the exchequer with less money to spend. None of the political parties sit neatly in one place on the political spectrum and their position moves with each party leader.

sorry typo - I fundamentally disagree with banning fee-paying schools.

I vote Labour and my child goes to an Independent school. I don’t believe I’m right or wrong to do this.
I want my child to have an opportunity to have what I can afford to give her.
I’m left leaning because I feel most comfortable voting for a party whose priority is to support the vulnerable. I’m happy to pay higher taxes in order to do this.

Currently, we looking at secondary schools in both sectors. It is obvious, there is a massive gap between state and private education. As my DH said after a tour at the best in our area part-selective school :” Children look less self-motivated.”
I presume, only at the top grammar schools there is a chance to get a fortune.
Yes, there are exceptions but it is very very rarely.

We loved one of the private schools we visited but I just couldn’t live with myself sending my child to the private sector in the end. Yes I want what’s best for him, but I definitely don’t want to uphold a hugely unfair system that locks inequalities in for the next generation. I think the more important thing I want my son to learn that principles hold, even if they’re personally inconvenient.