Would you send your child to independant school for the social contacts?

[LadyMacbeth]

Because two people I know have recently said they would. I must have my finger off the pulse or something because this has never even crossed my mind as a reason for going private. (Well, that and the fact the local state schools are fab - and we can't afford it. )

Is this a done thing or do I just have two very 'socially aware' friends?

My son goes to independent school. His friend's parents are teachers, nurses, dental hygienists, chip shop owners, SAHMs, and Military types

All useful contacts, but not in the same vein as your friends, I fear!!!

By the way, his opinion of state school educated children or support staff is in no way superior (same applies to every independently educated child or adult I know )

It was not one of the reasons why we chose independent school for DD.

I have had the intresting experience of working at a v. famous Berkshire independent boys school (non teaching role) & unless you can afford it and are fortunate enough to get your children into a very posh one where they are going to mix with types who do pretty much run the country then dont do it for this reason. Pay for a school if it is the right school for your child

Message withdrawn

Were they suggesting that they would get the better social contacts, or were they thinking about their children?

Unless you can afford one of the major public schools the chances are you aren't going to make amazing "contacts" from your private school. Seems a strange reason to me. If I were to send DD to a private school it would be for the resources private schools have, for the smaller classes and for the academically selective nature of such schools.

She won't be going private though as I have watched the parents at the gates and the idea of hanging out with them makes me want to scream.

Wasn't a reason for picking my kids school either.

I end up with house envy from a few of them (only a few and I'm being rather tongue in cheek). My kids are largly oblivious to it all.

I'm just interested, that's all... I'm seriously not implying that this is the reason most parents choose independant school. Just hearing it twice in the last couple of weeks has made me question some people's reasonings.

I went to both a public and state school and didn't feel in anyway bestowed with better, more interesting friends with more lucrative contacts than those I met at state school.

I just made friends, that's all!

Sobernow, I work in a stateschool and some of our kids treat TAs like dirt (not when I'm around I hasten to add, at least they don't do it twice!)

Many kids treat TAs like shit, because in some warped way the kids think the TAs arn't 'real' members of the staff. (some staff do the same in the state school I work in, but that is a different and IMHO a worse issue)

Ladymuck, I think they were more concerned about their children's contacts, not their own.

Given the selective nature of independent schools, the smaller classes and the ability to request that children who misbehave leave, I would say in that sense I have chosen to educate my child independently for the contacts he will make.

His "contacts" are more likely to be reasonably behaved, non-violent and more quickly reprimanded if they do break the rules.

Whether they grow up to be politicians, leaders of industry, or social climbers is inconsequential and probably very little to do with sharing a class with my ds!!

I was just going to eacho MB sad statement that mnay kids do try and teach TA like shit, I have even witnessed the odd teacher do it as well.

Moving it some years down the line...

I have a friend whose mum told us to have wanted her DD to attend the University we were attending because unlike other local universities, that one offered the possibility of finding a well breed husband...

haha. What she had not anticipated was that one of the hidden adventures of attending that uni was to pay a secret visit to one of the worst places in the city, where there was some some good poetry read weekly between the regular drunkards and the usual prostitutes... Friend met her husband there! 10 years on they are still living happily ever after, although mum got in a pretty bad shape when she learned about it.

Obviously, that university didn't do much to improve my grammar

Not for social contacts, though perhaps to avoid anti-social ones. Also, education and extra-curricular opportunities.