'Why I send my child to a private school' Guardian piece...

[PollyParanoia]

Is there no thread on it? Surely there must be.
www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jul/23/why-send-child-to-private-school here
It's just so badly written with lots of fatuous unsupported statements. She's been so suckered by that clever thing that private nurseries do to encourage parents to sign up until 11. Our local one makes the nursery children buy and wear the uniform in the pre-reception year. Especially if the uniform has an expensive boater as hers does (I always notice that the most prestigious schools around us have the least pretentious uniform).
And as for 'Katy's exceeding national expectations', well, a good section of children in a state school will do the same, doh, as you'd know if you really were an educational expert.
And that bit about how lots of children would thrive in a non-academic environment/technical school. But not her child of course.
Oh and she lives in Kent so I think we know the answer to her point about her going private if she's not happy with the secondary school provision.

Wow, quote polarised views... Thought people would be happy with other peoples choices? Doesn't affect you so why the hostility?

I had a bit of an awkward conversation with a Mum the other day. She said that she'd been 'forced' to go private as her DS hadn't got into the church schools despite her 'going to church to get him in'. And 'since the other schools are just sooo scary, we had to go private. It's crippling us but the sacrifice is worth it.... It's just such a terrible system isn't it? That I have to pay to get a decent education for him? But we just thought the sacrifice was worth making. Education is so important to us." Then we change conversation to talk about her forthcoming luxury holiday and the problems they've had choosing a new car. I was just dreading the moment that she asked what school DS went to and I would have to tell her that he's at one of those terribly scary state primaries where they let ANYONE in (as long as they're five years old ) owing to my DH and I choosing not to make sacrifices which in our case would be food and rent because we clearly don't value education very highly despite investing masses of time in our sons education.... and... Breathe!

(DS is achieving above national averages too. As are most of his class - there are a high proportion of children who arrive not speaking any English, and quite a few with learning disabilities and behaviour disorders which brings the SATS averages down. Which is clearly very scary indeed... for some people.)

The article really reminded me of her. Just a bit clueless. But if you write for the Guardian, surely you should GET a clue? Isn't that part of the job description?

If you have the resources why shouldn't you send your child to a private school? My partner and I work very hard to ensure our ds can get all the help he needs... He has a visual impairment and needs smaller class sizes and teachers who understand his difficulties. What is wrong with that? I have also paid ridiculous amounts of money to help him with therapy... Am I clueless?

Sounds very much like jealously if you can't live and let live when they aren't actually impacting you in their choice plus they are paying for state education as well as private.

Oh god I read that article the other day. Badly written ill thought out crap

Education is one of the most improtant things you am give your child, so surely we should respect everyone's wishes...

ES, it DOES affect people though. If some kids go to private school, they have advantages that others don't. So other kids (who may be just as bright/talented) are not getting the same chances that privately educated ones are.

I am 100% opposed to all private education. I think it is horrible.

Well, it's life, every child should be the best on offer to them. My ds had medical issues, if I had relied one nhs, he would be severely impaired. I paid to go private and he is now able to enter mainstream school. I don't regret it for a nanosecond. I'm sure if you were in my position you wouldn't either. The state does not offer the best case scenario to some children... Economic crisis and austerity being factors. I'm not going to settle for my son going to a special school if I can find the resources to help him enter mainstream and have more opportunities and choice. You have to pay for uni education. Education is crucial.

Actually, I don't pay for university education, I am from Scotland.

In practise, things are never simple. I pay for private counselling, without my life would be much worse. I would never begrudge anyone who sent their child for private medical care or to a special school. There are mitigating circumstances in my opinion.

I do begrudge people who use their money to perpetuate an unfair system solely on the basis of their money though.

To be honest, it's really not anyone else's business how much money i spend on my son. I really couldn't care less if people think private education is horrible. What I care about is his future.

ES, fine. Let's all just ignore all the shit things that happen in the world and concentrate solely on our own little bubble.

Oh. That's what everyone does and the world is an utter shithole. What a pity.

What a load of shit. Of course I will do my best for my son, asking anything less is ridiculous IMO.

Excellent debate, ES. I'm glad we had this conversation.

How will stopping private education help those who can't afford it?

Do you have children yellow?

I don't, and I expect you will use that to say that I'm not allowed an opinion and when I have children I'll understand.

But that's ok, because I've already said it for you, so you can save your typey types.

Well, you can't really judge someone until you have walked in their shoes. I really hope you don't ever have to walk in mine.

ES, I haven't JUDGED you FFS. I am allowed to have an opinion without being accused of judging.

I wager you wouldn't fancy walking very far in my shoes either so let's quit the victim stuff.

Eclectic, abolishing private education would help those who can't afford it by levelling the educational playing field quite a lot, by eliminating an unfair advantage based solely on parents' ability to pay.

You said private education was "horrible". Is that not an all encompassing judgemental statement? But your a state school teacher so I guess your biased.

I'm not a state school teacher actually, not sure why you think that.

Is horrible a judgemental statement? If you take it to be so, I take it back. I don't see it as such.

Very self involved article. Do people actually care where other people send their children to? I couldn't care less where my friends send their DC to school. My child, my choice.

Having had a brief but painful encounter with an independent school, I am really pleased we found out early how dreadful some can be, well, certainly the one we experienced anyway. We tried a private school because the hours suited us and DS is so hyperactive and needs a lot of attention. Is there a stupid emoticon?

I'm sure there are really good private schools. But with my bitter experience of private schools(teachers and parents) at the moment, whenever private schools are mentioned, is thank goodness those parents and their DC are at a private school that they've picked, safe and far away from my DC. But I couldn't care less which school when someone says their children go to so and so school. What a strange thing for her to think that people would judge her. Do people really do that??

It is the way in which people like the author of the article justify their changing of position that gets me.

I don't have a problem with private education although I cannot afford it and possibly would prioritise other expenses ahead of it anyway. I have several friends who were very disparaging about private education before they had children, and who are now justifying it on the basis of their special circumstances (they are SO gifted/nervous/fragile/intelligent/blah blah). Do they not realise that everyone feels the same way about their precious children? They seem to be under the impression that other people's motivations in opting for private schooling are suspect and elitist, only their motivation is ethical. It pisses me off.

'The comprehensive system is built on the premise that every child has the same needs'

That's a silly thing to say and quite untrue IMO.

Finland has a maximum class size of 20 pupils. The USA has around 25 in a class. England has a greater differential between state and private class sizes than anywhere else in the developed world. Class size matters. So in that sense I think she's right, that time and attention make a difference. All the research apparently shows there's very little difference between 30 children in a class and 60 (this was told to me so I'm not going to try and link, sorry) but there is a MASSIVE difference between 20 and 30.

I do think she should say more openly 'When I faced the reality of socialised education, I realised that i was not prepared to take the consequences of my beliefs, and so I am setting out to convert all Guardian readers to the value and importance of a diverse education sector'. Good luck with that, by the way.

I agree Polly- your last sentence says it all. (I know that you shouldn't judge something so unimportant, but who on earth thinks it appropriate to dress a 5 year old in a blazer and hat? a hat - in this day and age!)