is private REALLY better?

[ChuppaChups]

just out of interest, i would appreciate some OPINIONS on this area as i am seriously considering the move to private from state. The main reason being is we are now financially able to do so.

So, is it better and why?

Thanks

ST - I think you know you've been rumbled.

Well, I know where you teach, FC. I don't expect you to give me chapter and verse on your students' progress.

All children are entitled to a good education, including those with learning difficulties. LD children are born into more well off families, as well as to poorer families. Those families love their children and want to do the very best for them within their means. Some of these children will find their way into independent schools, and they will likely do very well in terms of CVA. Is this so hard to believe?

Not at all, but you're still avoiding the question.

Don't knock successful teaching. Try to improve your own.

A question about specifics of my school is unreasonable and I won't answer.

"All children are entitled to a good education, including those with learning difficulties."

But Janeite plainly believes this too, and could back it up with hard evidence. So why insult her?

Me thinks the lady doth protest to much.

too much. Me too.

I have a feeling that if we asked ST about her A* rate she would oblige.

ooops!

How did I insult her, Feenie?

You implied she had low expectations of her pupils, which was really shit of you.

You belittled her frankly heroic achievement of getting a student from a P6 to a Grade E GCSE.

You said she wants to hold them back.

All very unfair and insulting to someone who, as is plainly obvious to anyone else in the profession on here, works her arse off to do the very best for the children.

Unfortunately some people can not understand that getting an E grade is just as sucessful as getting an A* for some. If a pupil has worked their socks off for that E grade what right do some have to sneer and critise their teachers?

I agree. And believe me, this attitude filters down to the students as well. It's incredibly difficult trying to explain to a disappointed 15 year old that an E grade really is a fantastic achievement, when they themselves consider anything below a C to be a fail. They certainly don't learn that attitude from their teachers.

Hi, would just like to say as a parent of children who move around a lot that I appreciate the efforts that teachers on here have talked about making for those kinds of children. I have felt a certain "write off" element sometimes because we will not appear on results, so whether they do well or no makes no "public" difference to the schools they attend.

So some of what I have read I feel reassured by.

thank you karise. But our children don't need waking up as they are usually buzzing. Do you teach all subjects or are you a specialist?

disappointed to come back and see that this thread is heading down the usual road.....

"Unfortunately some people can not understand that getting an E grade is just as sucessful as getting an A* for some."

You have to be using a VA definition of success for this to be true.

Unfortunately, in the real world, absolute rather than relative measures of success will get you places at university and jobs.

It's a bit like effort: schools can and should reward effort but in RL results, not effort, are what are required.

For a child with Specific Learning Difficulties an E grade is a huge success in real life especially if parents have been told from an early age to expect nothing and while they may not go to university or become a doctor lawyer or Indian Chief they will be able to function independently in society.

My observations:

-Some (many?) PS parents want to know that PSs are better than local state alternatives; otherwise we have made the wrong choice and perhaps wasted our money. So we spend much time seeing all that is bad about state schools.

-Some (many?) state school parents suspect that we are buying privilege for our children and despite all that is said about PSs our children have better educational and career chances. So they spend much time seeing all that is bad about PSs.

I agree,TDiddy. I also think that there are people (like me) who object to private education for political and philosophical reasons, and I don't think there are people who object to state education for the same reasons (well, I hope there aren't anyway!). I think it's sometimes hard for private school people to get their heads round anybody thinking like that, and they suspect people of having hidden motives. So they start talking about jealousy and it all goes down hill from there!

"I also think that there are people (like me) who object to private education for political and philosophical reasons, and I don't think there are people who object to state education for the same reasons (well, I hope there aren't anyway!)."

Certain forms of state education can be highly objectional for political and philosophical reasons. I hate the French state system that doesn't practise any kind of (official) streaming, setting or selection before the age of 15, on ideological grounds.

Yes, but you can't say I am politically and philosophically opposed to tie idea of the state providing universal education, can you? Or can you? Please tell me you can't!

No, just as I really don't think you can say that you are politically and philosophically opposed to people purchasing an alternative to state provided education (unless you are a communist) .

seeker- i understand your point of view and can relate to it.

However, I have a black friend who dislikes (hates is too strong a word) the state system for son as so many black boys underperform there even if they are from good backgrounds/stable homes. So there are lots of nuances to arguments about state vs private. These discussions are doomed when we only talk in generalities.

I also know that a FEW PS parents see PS as a status symbol but not worth talking too much about those shallow types and I am sure that they are not part of our MN discussion.