How do you reply to this? Private school hatred.

[Elec]

Ds goes to swimming, in the class is another boy who he likes. I was chatting to this boy's mum, who I have not spoken to before. She asks me what school ds is at so I tell her. It's a private school and she replied - I don't agree with private schools.

What should I have said? I cannot believe how socially acceptable this sort of prejudice is, she just said it in earshot of plenty of other people so clearly she didn't mind who heard.

I imagine if this had been the other way round and I asked her what school her ds went to and then said, well I don't agree with state schools (not my view obv!) that she would have had a go at me and probably so would people overhearing!

"I once made an unfortunate remark about wearing fur only for it to slowly dawn on me the woman was wearing a fur coat and the more I tried to make it better the worse it got ... It wasn't intended as personal but could easily have been construed as such"

lol if only there was a "preview message" button in real life in one's brain.

I thought this discussion had moved on. Everybody said yes, she was rude, how about saying X?.

yes it had moved on but at a tangent [hgrin]

I have been lurking, I confess.

I'm a blurter too. I say things I cringe at afterwards, often from trying to do too many things at once.

As we will consider it at some future point, I've no problem with private schooling - just the parents who make that choice then go around 'warning off' other parents from the local school. Without their DCs even having attended! Each to their own, no need to spread nasty rumours. Can you tell I'm bitter about this?

This sounds like a case of inverted snobbery as this person obv knows nothing of your history or otherwise (ie; your DS might have a had a terrible time in state education as some of us have, but its none of her business anyway) I would say "I dont agree with people who make sweeping value judgements". Actually I might only fantasise about saying that but it would be nice to say it aloud on those occasions.

"Actually I might only fantasise about saying that"

also, unless you're much faster than the rest of us, you'd only think of it when it was too late :)