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Original poster

Where you were educated from age 11 has bearing on career success

51 replies

Swedes2Turnips1 · 18/12/2007 12:07

Over half of today's leading figures across five different sectors were educated at independent school, even though these account for just 7 per cent of the school-age population.

The Sutton Trust news is here - it makes interesting reading

OP posts:
Reallytired · 18/12/2007 16:08

Confidence breeds competance. If you believe that you can do something, you often manage it. For example doing well at university/ job interviews gives opportunities. Private school children are often very polished.

Many children leave private schools with their heads being so big that they can hardly get out of the door. Whether this artifical confidence is a good or a bad thing depends on the person.

It has to be remembered that most private schools are selective. Also half of today's leading figures went to state schools.

coby · 18/12/2007 16:26

Sorry I left private school with a normal sized head and so did the majority of my classmates.

Above all we were taught how to behave in formal adult company and how to have good manners and dress appropriately for certain situations (interviews for eg). The vast majority of us found good jobs as a result of these abilities not due to big headedness. My year was not particularly good academically but we still managed to find good jobs on building sites etc - no one likes a big head on a building site but they do like people who know how to turn up for work on time and be polite to the boss and customers etc.

I am NOT saying state schools don't teach this. I'm just saying that my private school made a pretty big thing about all this and was incredibly strict about appearance, manners and behaviour compared to the local state schools at the time.

lalaa · 18/12/2007 16:46

I can't understand why this is news.

spokette · 18/12/2007 17:06

Next they will be saying that it is also an advantage to be a healthy white male with no disabilities.

Reports like this are designed to remind plebs who have the misfortune of being inflicted with a state education not to get ideas in their head.

Thankfully, there are many state educated plebs like me who ignore those sentiments (and who also know how to dress appropriately for certain occasions as well as speak properly) and who have plenty of confidence that has enabled them to rise to senior levels in their profession whilst quite often surpassing many of the mediocre, privately educated drones whose self-confidence is as brittle as a dried out twig.

coldtits · 18/12/2007 17:13

Well, what on Earth did you think would happen if you take the top 40% of an already privileged group of children, and give them a really good education? ReallY? Was there even a chance that a large proportion of them would land up working on the fish counter at Morrison's for 50 years?

plumandolive · 18/12/2007 17:14

We never thought we'd send any of our kids to a private school- but circumstances change, and we find we have. Our daughter isn't particularly academic- but is at a quite well known liberalish school - which gets very good results.
The thing I found amazing is that they don't stream,(except in yr 8 for maths/french- but nothing else) the teaching is of a consistently high standard- the kids are taught to the highest denominator- some of it is a bit hard for my daughter- they have done two Shakespeare plays from yr 7, they do three science subjects from age 11 too- some of it is GCSE standard. The kids are very happy, there is a tremendous respect for the children- they are listened to, not told to shut up and behave- and they respond.
I disagree about the smart uniform being importeant- at this school they are really quite scruffy.

pinetreedog · 18/12/2007 17:22

yawn. ain't news

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 18/12/2007 18:00

Did somone get actually a grant for research to produce this un-earth-shattering conclusion?

TenLordsaLapin · 18/12/2007 18:01

nope, normal sized!

SantaBabyBeenAnAwfulGoodGirl · 18/12/2007 18:03

if education didnt have a bearing then it might be news

but isnt networking what a lot of it is about

and now with technology and social networking sites that is a lot easier for everyone and there for more egalitarian

dayofftomorrow · 18/12/2007 20:11

I went to bog standard comp in inner london and now job share with someone who was at a major public boarding school so in my case it did not make a difference (I know you can't do statistics on a sample of one or two)

Original poster
Swedes2Turnips1 · 18/12/2007 20:40

Reallytired - "It has to be remembered that most private schools are selective. Also half of today's leading figures went to state schools" Yes but the other half of leading figures are independent school educated in spite of making up only 7% of the population. Also, there are as many selective state schools as there are selective independent schools. And lots of state schools that are apparently non-selective but are - by house price etc.

OP posts:
TheodoresMummy · 18/12/2007 20:46

Plumandolive - liberal is what i'm looking for and not finding very easily.

Would you say which school ?

FluffyMummy123 · 18/12/2007 20:47

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Swedes2Turnips1 · 18/12/2007 20:49

icod - LOL - not yet. I suspect she will be along in a moment to sing the praises of the state education.

OP posts:
spokette · 18/12/2007 20:49

She's probably polishing her halo.

manchita · 18/12/2007 21:01

The reason most of them do well is the confidence that private schools breed and of course the old boys network which is still prevalent in today society.
They don't make good freethinkers though, but are rather good at oiling the wheels of the existing system.

TheodoresMummy · 18/12/2007 21:05

"They don't make good freethinkers though, but are rather good at oiling the wheels of the existing system."

  • this is more how I view state educated TBH...

(hides)

manchita · 18/12/2007 21:08

Really? The state educated are not the ones who make up the Government are they?

llareggub · 18/12/2007 21:09

I think the biggest problem with my secondary education at a bog standard comp was the low expectations it had for its students.

I don't remember ever being encouraged to aim high. There was no university advice. Universities were mentioned but I didn't even know that things like masters degrees even existed. I was the first from my family to go to university so my family knew nothing about the system. Now I wonder what I would have done differently if I'd gone to a different school with higher expectations.

I often say that I have done well despite my school. They certainly never contributed

manchita · 18/12/2007 21:14

llareqqub, that is very interesting. I feel the same, and had a similar experience. Apparently, people like you who are the first generation of a family to attend university don't get as good a chance at the best jobs either as the families don't have the necessary connections. Do you think that rings true?

TheodoresMummy · 18/12/2007 21:15

That's true of course, but they are the ones who benefit from the system not changing too much.

State education (comps) train the majority of their students to fit in and make do.

Private schools try to train all of their students to aim high.

Obviously this is only IME...

Mincepiedermama · 18/12/2007 21:18

I don't feel that reports like this keep plebs down. I feel it confirms much of my disappointment with the state system and increases my determination to do something about it and try to give my kids a leg up some other way.

I know they're being badly failed by state schools even with great teachers with brilliant intentions. The classes are too big, the herd mentality is obvious. It IS different at private schools.

I doubt I'd ever be able privately to educate all four of mine but I'd certainly try to give them something extra at home or perhaps send one or two of them into private education (of course the others would love me for that wouldn't they?). I'd also have little hesitation in educating them at home if I thought, from age 11, the school was still failing them badly.

TheodoresMummy · 18/12/2007 21:19

That was in reply to manchita 2 posts ago

Mincepiedermama · 18/12/2007 21:23

Looking back my so called education was an absolute disgrace. A total waste of time and I feel it has adversely affected my career chances and my general aspirations.