arabella weir on why we must send our kids to state schools

[nowirehangers]

Arabella on why she would never send her kids to private schools
What do people think?
Fwiw I find the tone unbelievably smug. I also disagree with a lot of what's being said. I don't think all parents send thier kids to private schools so they can avoid the great unwashed, though some do. I would love my dcs to go to a state school for the reasons she mentions.
What puts me off is the fact the teaching is so often mediocre - as the Chief Inspector of Schools admitted this week. Of course there are so incredible teachers in the state system but I fear there are a lot of second-rate one too. I went to a state primary where the teaching was awful then was moved in to a private school and couldn't believe how much more stimulating the atmosphere was and how much more inspirational the teachers were. I dislike the idea of my dcs mixing only with posh kids, so I'm going to put mye experience down as an unlucky one and give the local state school the benefit of the doubt but if I feel they're being taught badly I will remove them and remortgage the house or whatever to make it work. Anyway, that's my opinion, interested in others.

Yes, quite, hula. The system as it stands entrenches and reinforces the inequalities.

FWIW that wasn't our catchment and not why we chose a private school for DD. Our catchment schools - primary and secondary - are bth very good, at leats on paper. But when we went to visit the local state primary, it just didn;t feel right for us at the time. We visited a few schools and, as said before, made the right choice for us and our DD, for many, many reasons. No snobbery involved. We just had a range of options available to us, which we looked at all, and made a decision from thos.

Getting rid of private schools won;t change the current state system.

Always wonder how come HE parents don;t get all the same arguements (as those thrown at private school users) thrown at them too. After all, they are shirking the state system too.

why don't you just let them join in with everyone else?

SEA - ? Not sure what you mean, or who question was asked towards.

'Getting rid of private schools won;t change the current state system.'

That's very much a matter of opinion - and one of those things that's impossible to demonstrate one way or the other without actually doing it. And it would almost certainly never happen in this country anyway, so we'll probably never know.

Why don't parents say in some form or another, 'Oi, Gordon, we want what that lot have got over than there', rather than the usual bollocks of 'my daughter's school is doing wonders for her social skills, she actually has friends who are working class.'

But if you're intent on characterising those with different beliefs as smug and dishonest, you're never going to understand their position, are you?

Are you talking to me supercollider?

Only about 7% of children go to private school. And if there were no private schools those parents would just do other stuff instead - buy expensive houses in good catchments - so the whole good/bad school divide could get worse, or they'd look elsewhere such as HE or setting up own schools with other groups of people, or private tutors, etc. So, there would still not be a level playing field.

cissy - yes

i think all children should go to state schools. look at china a common interest in society is good

You are proper nuts.

Righto.

And please stop saying things like 'don't you understand' and the like. I'm not thick you know.

Your use of insults in the place of debate would suggest otherwise, cissy.

Surely if the 7% of children currently at private schools were educated in the state system it would be under much more strain with bigger classes etc

I don't see what the benefit is in going to school with people from different backgrounds/classes/incomes

Sending DD to the local state school would probably have meant I couldn't keep my current job. No after school care. No childminders wih vacancies. Not an option for us. Plus, it just ddn;t feel right. I didn;t feel comforatable with it when I visited.

it benefits the community children need to belong and rather it was in their home town than some poncey named school out in the country

Ok, I'm not thick but I am confused

DD's prep school in middle of town, not rural. Also no poncy name either. Very much part of community. Strong links with local church and other events to.

Also, as said before, DD doesn;t live in a bubble. She had several friends from beyond her school, where we live and further afield. She mixes with a large number of children, infact more from state schools than private schools. She has friends from different groups of scoiety.

Do other people's children really lve in a little bubble nbly consisting of their own school and local neighbourhood? I am sure not.

The Blonde - Well you have to collide with real life at some stage. I would have thought it was better sooner rather than later. I send my children to an independent but it's not a fussy, concerned about its blazer, sort of independent.

But RL is all around you anyway

SEA "Look at China."

You what?

I think no children should go to state schools. All schools should be independent. Since when have politicians been educational experts? All they're doing, whatever their hue, is peddling their own particular party political line (social inclusion, children and teachers are cleverer than ever, blah-de-blah).

Cissy - your comments are worth sticking around for on this thread!

The reason private school parents are criticised but home educating parents aren't is the reason we banned hunting with hounds but not fishing, pure left wing bias presumably.

And why is there this huge desire to educate children with thick disruptive working class children from bad homes - why do so many people think this benefits their children? It's a ridiculous idea and even state parents try to avoid those children by selecting school by house price anyway which is morally more pernicious.

Would be good if all schools were private, for sure. The state makes a mess of most things it does.