Do you think it's worth it? Private schooling at what cost?

[indiechick]

this page
I'm intrigued by this woman, I think it's a bit contrived and apparently she has four children. But do parents really bankrupt themselves in this manner for private schooling?

Why are people so scared of state schooling? Does she have so little confidence in her children's ability?

SWC - as I've mentioned above, I haven't even read the article about this woman and have no intention. My comments are based on others' comments. I must have picked on yours as being particularly prejudiced. You seem blind to it. Let's leave it at that. Glad to see you are polite enough to keep your views from your friends. Good for MN that you can let go.

Typical Daily Mail article. Wonder if she is REALLY that broke. I personally would not send my kids privately unless I could comfortably afford it for all of them. As I couldn't I didn't. But my kids are bright, self starters, so did fine in the state system, so I guess I was lucky!

she also wrote this

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article708825.ece

crazy facebook photo
www.facebook.com/people/Shona-Sibary/648961696

Tikitikitembo, I don't think that's their house in the photo, I think it's the very posh school.

I had to laugh when I saw that one of the girls is wearing the same school jumper as my dd wears at her failing state comprehensive. Perhaps I can sneak dd in and they won't notice.

'mummy please move me! They don't even do mental maths here!'

Oh dearie me. I don't think she's raising her children to have much confidence and resilience to deal with the world!

Mater, es amentior.

I asked Ds (6.5 at private school) what mental maths was. He had no idea. Am I wasting my money with him? Would it be better to send it to Shina so that Monty could have the education he deserves?

Mater, nonne insanis?
(Learnt that at my state school.)

Since these perfect manners she keeps going on about appear to involve fraudulent behaviour, I'd rather my dcs stayed a little less polished.

smallwhitecat Thu 25-Nov-10 18:12:02
"I am genuinely intrigued by this. Why is a willingness to make financial sacrifices to obtain what you believe is a better education for your children - never mind for the moment whether that's true or not - evidence of "awful values"?"

Because on her own admission it involves diddling other people, not paying her bills, letting her cheques bounce. Imo that is truly awful values.

I think it's written for effect and none of those things are really true. If they are then her and her husband are truly very stupid because fairly shortly they will be called on their debts and have to pull their girls out of that school anyway in what may be very embarrassing circumstances. And then they will have to go to state school with their brother (and baby Dolly too). Oh and if they are so stupidly in debt why did they have another child, which being a girl will no doubt need to go to a private school too. I'm wondering if they are hoping that their ever so Naice mannered girls will hook a rich man to get them out of the mess they seem determined to dig themselves into (perhaps a minor member of the aristocracy, as that seems to matter so much to them).

The other articles really underline how much of an entitlement issue this woman has (especially the 12 au pairs in 10 years) I was however surprised to see that every single Daily Mail Comment slated her, which surely has to be a first. The Times article is quite amazing in that it has a little bit at the bottom all about how to manage changing schools, most of which had not been followed by the parents (or at least the mother) in question.

Anyway, I checked out the Facebook link and judging by Shona sibury's favourite reading material, I'd say her own parents wasted their money on her private schooling

lol @ "Mater, es amentior"!

Nothing wrong with scrimping & saving for public school if you wish to do so. However, to "divide & conquer" your children like that? Not on imo.

How long does it take to teach a times table? Can it not be done in the kitchen when preparing dinner? Or even whilst eating? Add to which, if they bloody children can't even read a book on their own at the ages of the girls public school ain't gonna help!

private school doesn't seem to have done a lot for her own maths: "school is where they spend most of their time"

even assuming she means most of their waking time, that can't possibly be true

It could be true. Ds spends more of his waking time at school than at home. That is the advantage of a good wraparound care provision that simply wasn't available at our local state schools.

cory - with the ridiculously short terms which many private schools run, I doubt it's true either.

She's also pretty bad at either budgeting or family planning(a 4th child, when they've clearly been struggling with debt for years?!) she writes (rather badly) for the Daily Mail, and treats other people with a remarkable lack of respect (bouncing cheques etc)

Hmmm... great product of a private education!

I know quite a few people cut back to afford fees, but you would be crazy to put your family into such perilous financial staits to pay fees.

They have lost their house and still struggle to pay the fees. They are serously up shit creek financially. This must have a very bad effect on their home life.

Better to move to an area with good state schools and keep the house.

We find the fees a bit of a struggle and have considered downsizing the house to free up some money to ease the pressure, but in the end decided that we like our house and want to keep it.

We will cut back a bit for a few years and keep the house.

If we were in such a desperate situation as the author of this article we would definitely go state, get tuition if needed.

A lot of the factors which affect success in education are actually found in the home.

Children with a secure home life and supportive parents will almost always do well even if the school facilities are not great.

That article made my teeth grind, too. So many things wrong with it I don't know where to start. Most of all I don't care about her choices, and I can't believe that many people want to know or identify with or anything she has to say. Otherwise, her blanket assumptions and conclusions about state vs. private (I have DC at both) are ridiculous.

The best educated and most polite children I know, getting the most diverse and enriching educational experiences are Home-Ed'd. If you really want to read about incredible self-sacrifices and brute determination to make sure your kids get the very best education, I'd vote for articles about HErs.

Whether it is worth it or not depends on the child and other schools available.

However, this article (as previously pointed out) is very firmly traditional DM fruitcake. (see: lauren cherie's sister and that woman who wrote about her marriage and used to edit Marie Claire).

They seem to have drifted into private schools via a private nursery without really thinking about it (because that is such a common mistake that anyone could make - not!) and she would rather run out of petrol with her children in the car than check her bank account.

I can't criticise her for making money out of writing nutty articles for the DM - we all have to live - I just wouldn't take it too seriously.

what a daft twat

ok what can we learn from this article: one person claims to be running close to the wind in order to fund private ed for two of their 4 children.

I don't want to critique it beyond that as it would invoke the variety of woman-bashing the DM loves. Let us be fair on this point: her husband is at least aquiescent.

...in answer to the OP - is the return in value worth it?

well. If the local state school was a crap hive, rife with bullying, which would make any child sent to it either the thug, or victim of thuggery, well i suppose it could be worth it. But that isn't the case with the above article - and you could HE instead (although i think that is very hard to do at secondary level if you are to teach a full syllabus)

if you are looking in terms of a cash return from private school...hmm. there must be stats on average lifetime earnings state vs private somewhere...

oh and before i get a-googling, lay off Boris Johnson! He is a man of immense intelligence, who unfortunately allows his love of vocabulary to override his better judgement. Or fortunately. I hate the blandness of modern politics.

I feel sorry for the othrodontist and HIS cash flow.

Can they not get dental care on the NHS for kids ?