Ah, The Grauniad in full spate (or should that be trickle?)
This article is so tired and lame. Notice the careful preface (Oh we're in the position where we can afford private education but choose not to use it). Most of the time I hear that, it's embarassingly obvious that the parents in question really can't afford it. Of course in this case she may be telling the truth. There again, she may not.
Let's deal with her points one by one:
(i) Private schools produce children who are less socially and emotionally capable. Sez who? Any empirical evidence to support this assertion? No. There's rather more evidence to demonstrate that private schools produce more independent (relatively there is an extremely low proportion of people on benefits who have been privately educated, for instance).
(ii) There is so much more diversity in state schools. Nonsense. My local state primary schools are almost exclusively white working class. There is nothing wrong with being either white or working class of course, but there is nothing diverse about the local state schools. My DC's (private) schools have a massive range of colours and backgrounds.
(iii) There is an inherent tolerance and kindness in state school educated children. This isn't a point worth discussing IMO. My children are the kindest children I know bar none. They don't have a nasty bone in their bodies. Again another unsubstantiated assertion from old Groany.
(iv) State schools would be just as good as private schools if they only had the money. No they wouldn't actually. The reason my DC's school scores an average of 1150 points per pupil at A and A/S level against a national average of 731 is because they are selective schools. This means they only take above average pupils. You can throw all the money in the world at a dim child, and it won't get them good A level results (witness Prince Harry).
(v) The world is very unfair because privately educated children are overrepresented at top universities. No dear. Bright children go to private schools in disproportionate numbers (because their parents scrimp and scrape to send them there to get better teaching) which is why private schools are overrepresented at top universities.
We send our children to private schools so that they get good teaching, at a level that is appropriate for their own ability levels, to mix with a diverse range, to benefit from the sporting, musical and dramatic opportunities available, and so that they get good academic results.
Not to avoid the great unwashed. Mind you, there is the added bonus of avoiding Arabella Weir's children, which until I read the article, I hadn't appreciated.