Private school fees up 43%

[UnquietDad]

story here

Deliberate, do you think?...

So if only "18 professions" can now afford them, and they don't include teachers, architects or police officers, what are they? Any offers?

spot on uqd

with serialisation rights in The Lady

custy was answering her question

Another of those amusing "well-paid journo lives in the real world for 5 minutes" articles, like the one who had to shop at Lidl.

I want to know why Custy thinks it is not OK for her to spend her hard earned money as she wants on school fees, seeing that we all can spend our incomes as we wish.

'Nope', is not a clearly reasoned answer.

am journo with lidl at bottom of rd..but don't take offence uqd

and what y'gonna do if i don't?

eh?

I must confess that I have spent half an hour today looking at state school websites. My DS1 has been offered a scholarship worth a chunk off his £14,000 per annum fees for sixth form. This scholarship is conditional upon him attaining 8 As and 2As in the GCSEs he has just sat. If he doesn't get the scholarship and they raise their fees we will be sailing very close to the wind financially. I live in Harpenden and there are three senior state schools. They all acheive over 75% at GCSE (5 at grades A -C) and they all do very well at A level. The best one gets 931 A level points on average per pupil and none are lower than 800 points per pupil. These are what many people would call good schools. I don't think they are even nearly good enough and it's absolutely nothing to do with wanting to avoid the types of children who go there.

Right, UQD, I still don't fully get why you're so interested in the ways that the parents of kids at private school manage and will continue to manage the fees when you are so obviously against private schools and assume that these parents are all snobs anyway unless it's from a ghoulish pleasure at their suffering or from some sort of sour grapes because after all it doesn't concern you does it?

You say,

'but I've always said I'd be interested to see what would happen if people found they had to use state schooling, including those who would not normally have considered it.'

But I continue to wonder why you don't just ask that question directly to those parents here who do send their kids to private school.

As for those who 'would not normally have considered' state education, I don't think there are too many of those. I have certainyl 'considered' it. I live and breathe state education I just have chosen something different for my own kids.

Custardo, what pisses me off is the way that people jump down my throat when they think I am judging the way they spend their money (e.g. on facials or weddings) which I'm not even doing and then say that it's no ok for me to spend my money in the way I see fit (i.e. on my kids' education). I consider it the best use of my money in my circumstances in my area and it's just tough if that doesn't meet with your approval really.

And actually what would happen if a small percentage of the already small percentage of parents who use private schools suddenly had to use state schools because they found they could no longer afford the fees is

not

very

much

don't ask the question - and you won't get an answer my dear

skips off to look at tartan

Well, I've asked the question generally and opened it up for debate. And I think people have answered it variously and colourfully.

Still looking forward to that article.

thats
not
true

Actually I think I'm the only one that really answered the question that you have only just really posed. Really this thread has just been an opportunity for certain people to air their usual prejudices and stereotypes.

UQD and Custardo are what I would describe as chippy.

so
not
true
(still
no
answer)

thats chirpy swedes

what's
the
question
i
forgot

Custardo - No, definitely chippy, my dear.

you always have the arse on with me swedes - dunno why.

sure you don't mean hippy

How about both chippy and chirpy?

What do you think would/will happen then Custardo and iBundle?

To clarify the question is what would happen if a small percentage of the small percentage of parents who have chosen private schools for their children find they can no longer afford the fees.

Obviously there would be a great deal of distress in the families of those affected oh and a few more children would join the waiting lists of schools which are probably already over-subscribed. And yes, there may well be an article or two about it. Big deal. But in the grand scheme of things I maintain not much will happen.

there will be an over abundance of tarten in local charity shops

The question is why you think fivecandles can't spend her income on her dcs education?

why do you think it's ok to have a two tier education system?

It already is 2 tiers or more without private schools. Faith schools, grammar schools, schools in leafy suburbs vs schools in deprived inner cities.

TBH if you are against private schools in principle why the hell are you on a thread which is about school fees going up?? What do you care?

My sons' independent school uniform consists of any grey trousers, any black or brown lace up shoes, any white long sleeved shirt, a school tie (stripes) and a polyester blazer with a school badge. I didn't choose the school for the uniform funnily enough.