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.

Apologies - misread your name peteneras.

Of course you can. I'm very left wing I went to an independent school. You can recognise your privilege and still want all people to get a fair deal.

I understand the argument. I didn't until my dds went to school and I moved house to a better schools area. I know that perpetuates the sink school issue but my dds arnt guinea pigs.

Thanks to everyone else with all your constructive and well articulated viewpoints, plenty of food for thought for me.

As the day wears on I'm leaning towards our state option rather than continued private... mainly so I can afford the champagne to enjoy my champagne socialist viewpoint. (In case it's not clear THAT WAS A JOKE).

"I'm very left wing I went to an independent school. "

I'm sure the OP was asking from the pov of a parent.

"I moved house to a better schools area. I know that perpetuates the sink school issue but my dds arnt guinea pigs."

Only other people's are?

Would all the people who would never send their DCs private also turn down an inheritance for them, as it's unearned money that puts them far ahead of others? Or, as you are clearly wealthy beyond immediate needs, accept massively high taxation on both income and wealth a la Norway?

I went to an independent school on a scholarship and it changed my prospects immensely beyond my crappy local comp, with no teachers who would have been willing or able to provide the extension or support to get my career going, and parents who were too busy keeping our heads above water to provide that support at home.
We can't afford to educate our DCs privately in any case - and as a leftie, I'd prefer to see the entire private and faith based school system abolished (also a la Norway). However, while those schools do exist, I don't think it's unfair or hypocritical for parents to want to give their children the best start possible - just like many of us would want to pass on our savings and property, even though that is just as significant an unearned advantage to our kids Vs those with less fortunate parents.

The whataboutery is magnificent!

There are private schools and private schools op. For every Eton there are five schools you have never heard of quietly getting on with providing a solid education that ought to be available to all, but isn’t. Your decision won’t change that. I don’t know what will, but I know if people wanking on about the injustice of private schools was going to make a difference it would have done so by now.
Make the best choice for your kid. The end.

State schools are all too often stifling and parochial, and anything but academically ambitious. On that basis, you choose any other viable opportunity for your child. It’s called responsible parenting.

" anything but academically ambitious "

well that is funny, because our local comprehensive has just sent 6 children to Oxbridge..

State schools can’t win- they are either stifling and parochial or lawless bear pits!

Not typical that though is it.
If it were this thread would never have starred because the problem it’s talking about wouldn’t exist.

State schools can’t win- they are either stifling and parochial or lawless bear pits!
OMG we've converted Bertrand!!!!

lawless bear pits In our area, so wouldn't touch one again.
Such a shame we had no choice for 2 of our dc.
Must be nice to live in areas with such good state schools, maybe they are just darn souff.

no Gillybeanz, it is a genuinely comprehensive school in Wales..:)

@bertrandrussell the whataboutery? As plenty of pps have pointed out on here, there is no guaranteed financial/personal upside to sending a child from being privately educated that puts them ahead of a state educated one. However there is a clear financial (and often personal) benefit of getting left a very large chunk of unearned money.
So why is so much more hating on people who spend 200k on sending a child to private school Vs sending them to state school, buying a nicer house and leaving it to them later, or helping them with uni fees or a deposit?
As I said, my kids are state educated and I think the best outcome is abolishing the private system. But I also see a lot of class anger in all this, and would not blame other parents (including Diane Abbott) for choosing the best of currently available options for their child.

I think Namechange makes a very good point about passing on inheritance, also the poster who mentioned private health. Are they all selfish and uncaring about the poor?

Bertrand I seem to remember the debacle with your dc who failed to get a place at the grammar school? Your dd also went to grammar school. I remember you being absolutely gutted he didn’t get a place and came up with some interesting reasons why he just had to go to the grammar and not the secondary modern he went to in the end.

People are very right on about private school if they can't or don't use it. It's peculiar because in every other way people will give their dc any advantage possible regardless of what other people can afford.

Do people live in tiny houses in problematic areas when they can afford bigger in a better area? No, not even when others can't afford it.

Do people Not pay for their dc to have swimming/music/whatever lessons because other people can't afford it? No, they do what's best for their DC.

Don't over think it op, if you can afford it and your dc is thriving then carry on as you are. Many of your critics would do it if they could .

I can't afford it but would if I could!

We chose a private school for our dd because the schools in our area were/are massively over subscribed. I sat in on a class one morning a few times and the teacher was fantastic but there were just too many kids to do any quality learning. The majority of the time was taken up with getting the kids attention and a million other things other things other than study. There was 30 kids in the class

I found an small independent rural one with four kids in ithe appropriate year for dd - it was a no brainer for me

If you believe in good state education for all in principle but in your area, the schools are poor, you have to do what is best for your child and that may be a private school. Plenty of 'leftie' people have the same dilemma but you can't sacrifice your kid's education for the sake of a principle.

Well done to him for being offered a scholarship!

I have several friends who have done this. Professed their left wing/socialist views about the inequalities of private schools verses state. Then their children come of age and almost overnight they decide they have to do the best by their children.

But so far they have all had the decency to admit they are hypocrites.

Its exactly the same as protesting that everyone should pay more tax to support Schools the NHS etc whilst quietly paying their wages into a bank account in Panama, not because they 'dont want to' pay tax on it but because their husbands company prefers to do business that way

So of course you would be able to call yourself a leftie and use private schools but you would be a hypocrite, just like Diane Abbot.

@Gwenhwyfar yeh other people's kids are guinea pigs....that's exactly what I wrote.

There are a couple of posters on MN I really admire for for doing their best to stick up for what they see as right. Bertrand Russell is one of these posters. Thank you Bertrand for speaking for me when I haven't got the energy for prolonged debate.

Lol

Quite simply if there were enough grammar schools to go around , there would be few private schools !...
The only ones left standing would be the Public Schools..

That's why I actually believe the 'uber' lefties love private education. They love a two class education system, on one hand able to spout out bile about elitist state schools destroying communities . on the other indulging their offspring in the same Public School education enjoyed by themselves .

Simple want to get rid of Private schools , make them surplus to requirements . This by offering a grammar school to every child that is worthy of one !

I believe all children (in the world) should have plentiful good, nutritional food. They don't. Doesn't mean I'm going to give my DD one meal a day/cold MacDonalds for lunch/no veg to make things fair.

Do you?!

Why is school any different?