AIBU to hang onto a place at the best state school in the area even though I don't want it, just in case?

[fishnet]

Title says it all really. DS1 has been allocated a space at the best state school in the area. It is massively oversubscribed and some of the other local schools are awful. We don't want the place since he's also been accepted to a very good selective independent school. Part of me feels like I should say we don't need the place so that someone else can have it but then what if economic circumstances change and we need a state school place after all.

What would you do?

How senior is he?

Fishnet - cyclical, yes. But we haven't had a financial situation as bad as this in years. This particular slump is likely to go on well beyond another 12 months...so why does the next 6 months feel so crucial to you as an indicator of whether or not your DH is likely to stay in work and be able to afford DS's school fees?

But once firms get to their fighting weight they should be able to weather quite a few years. It's happened before.

herbietea don't be ridiculous - of course poor people aren't entitled to an eductation. We need to keep them down so they will clean our houses and breastfeed our babies.

fishnet What did you want people to say to you on this thread?

Exactly Litchick.

Gosh you are lucky someone local to you doesn't get wind of this I would thing they would be ringing the council as we type.mega selfish

I wanted views and debate. As I said that's fine and I will respond. But some people are just rude and judgmental.

Sorry x-post fishnet. I see the logic a bit more now.

I can see why some posters are getting a bit uptight, but that's just because you've posted honestly.

Not everyone is in, or would ever find themselves in your situation, but I don't know very many who would put a summer of angst from an unknown family above their own childs education.

In your shoes, I would probably still take the state school place. But as you're only going to consider that if DH gets made redundnant, you should hang on to both - absolutely. It doesn't make sense not to. What happens if DH IS made redundant - you've lost a place at the best state school and to quote yourself in another post, you'd probably go as far as moving to remedy the situation. It's a no brainer.

fishnet - is it you or DH who is nervous about the redundancies.
Is he a partner involved in the decisaion making?

If there are redundancies happening at your dh's firm surely he'd know if he is in the firing line. It will be the usual billable hours billed and collected plus clients. Not rocket science ime.

Although Molli - some places are taking the opportunity to get rid of the twats

Take the state place, pay for extra tuition and sports clubs as and when necessary and use some of your wedge to sponsor the education of a child in the developing world or something....bingo, everybody's happy. Next!

rah rah, BOF! Good post.

I don't mind admitting to the fact that I put my childs eduction above where I live. Why should I?

Fishnet - you don't seem to quite get this.

From a purely self interested perspective you are doing what you perceive to be for the best and it is fanciful to suggest nobody else would take the same stance if in your shoes. Your main priority is your child and you want to keep as many options open as you can. I can understand that and have some sympathy with your position.

But nobody else posting here has YOUR child as THEIR priority and so will weight up on one hand the small benefit your child has by this insurance place versus the benefits that another child will receive by your giving up the state place now - having no personal interest in either child, objectively the best use of resources is for the state place to be relinquished now.

And this is why if I were you I wouldn't have posted this.

But Herbie I have a mate living in a council flat. She has been saving to buy a gaff of her own for years. Now she's not sure 'cos her job doesn't feel safe.
She's staying put for a while.
Yet there are loads of people needing her flat.
People can't help feeling nervous.

Would you be paying fees solely out of his earned monthly income? Do you work as well?
I think this is very dangerous to rely on one income and you need at least a year or two of fees stashed away to consider this option.

So, this will only work if your DH is made redundant bwtween now and the cut off date (ie before Aug/Sept). You won't be able to keep the place past then.

So is he likely to be made redundant in the next few weeks??

susie that's right - which is why I've asked a coupl of times how senior he is. If he's been doiung the job 20 years he has more than enough stashed. If he's a five year qual, then private school is a pipe dream.

But i didn't ask what should I do I asked "what would you do". And it appears that practically everyone else would act selflessly. That's fine.

Very true Litchick, I was giving the OP's dh the benefit of the doubt

In your position what I would do is let the private place go, no question.