Has this board always been dominated by questions about private schools?

[minifingerz]

... and the Education board?

I'm sure I remember this board being relevant to most parents even as recently as last year.

Wouldn't it make sense to have a separate board for private education, rather than having these ones silted up with queries about fee paying schools, given that it's of no relevance to 93% of UK parents?

MN is a business.

It's not a public body which has a duty to be representative of the public at large.

It is directed at a certain section of the public, offering them a place to chat. That's it.

Fillybuster

I’m intrigued as why you think the OP was objecting to the thread you had started or that they felt you should have got their permission before starting it.

Personally I understood that they were asking if it would make more sense to have a section specifically for discussions on private secondary education. Whilst you obviously have taken great offence to this suggestion (not entirely sure why tbh) it might be worth noting that there are other website that do exactly this.

ThroughThickAndThin01 - No I don't agree on a separate board. Many people look at all options and I think it's better to have the whole inclusive topic.

I'm inclined to disagree on the basis that most people believe they can't afford the private otion so don't even consider it. Other people can afford it but feel they are more than happy with the state options they have available to them. However, if your comment is made purely on the basis of MN users, then yes you are likely right. However, I do suspect that a relatively large number of people posting about private education on MN have not set foot in a state school or at least since leaving school themselves.

Unless they are the rabid state school parents who like to rip the shit out of those tho chose private education. Those ones have no issues posting whatsoever

^
Yes soupdragon

Well yes SoupDragon totally agree with that statement.

mumtryingherbest the OP is vocally anti-private school and has absolutely no hesitation in joining private school threads to state her abhorrence of them and the parents that use them!

Soupy

EricNorthmanSucks I see, if you don't like what someone has posted on on other threads, you should treat all their threads with the same level of contempt?

Whilst you may not like the way they phrased it, the suggestion they have made is not entirely ridculous which is why there are other internet forums that have done exactly what they have suggested.

Fair enough if people find it more useful to keep the forums as they are. At the end of the day the real consideration is if the amount of work required to make the change is offset against the benefits to be gained. Likely not.

Private school parents really are incredibly sensitive. Us state school parents have to be a bit tougher. It must be living with our chair throwing, knuckle dragging underachievers. Or with our potential high achievers who are constantly bullied by both peers and teachers for being clever, and who have to "dumb down" to fit in...................

There are a lot of similarities in all secondary schools and secondary school pupils. No need for different threads.

It was requested by some private school parents a few years ago as the threads kept being gate crashed by anti private school posters. It was decided that it wasn't a good idea by MNHQ at the time.

England has a market for education. There isn't a Berlin Wall dividing state school and private school users. People consider both and both sectors inform thinking about education in general. This is a Very Good Thing.

Sensitive my arse!

I've never seen a thread from a private school parent suggesting separation of the boards because we find it so intolerable to mix discussions.

These requests come up regularly. Generally from those who are offended by the very existence of threads with the word 'independent' in the title!!!

Lots of people have DC in both sectors, I do.

Indeed, GoadyFlattery. I went to school in both sectors (and another sector still, overseas) and our DC have been in three sectors in France. The idea that there is some private school world out there, entirely separate from the state school world, is ludicrous. Plus nearly all DC, sooner or later, get sucked in to national examination systems which are pretty similar across sectors.

Indeed.

When my DC did their GCSEs, there was a long running, much loved thread peopled by mums of GCSE-ers.

We were from all over the UK, in both sectors.

I think there's a good mix tbh, if anything it seems a bit southern focused rather than private.
There seems to be lots of questions about 11+ too, and agree the focus seems to change throughout the year.
i don't think a separate board is needed because the questions are all pretty similar like "Can we afford private"?

It would be discriminatory to exclude private school users from a conversation about state schools.

"Wasn't there a survey that showed that 50% of mumsnetters use private schools?"

I very, very much doubt that.

A lot of the threads focus on London, and there are some part of London where the number of children in independent schools is far far greater than 7%. Based on this data London has almost 20% of children in independent schools, with over 17% of Croydon pupils, 30% of Richmond children, 25% of Hammersmith children, 32% of Westminster, 50% of Kensington and Chelsea and 80% of City of London children attending independent schools. I'm not therefore entirely surprised at the number of SW/S/W London schools named in threads on independent schools.

"I think that posters who send their children to state comprehensive schools feel like they can't post on here. "
I don't think that's true at all - I've benefitted from lots of threads, my own and those started by others. There's always plenty of threads about questions to ask when looking at (state) schools, choosing options, dealing with bullying, you name it. As others have said, it does vary a lot by time of year - get to the end of the summer holidays, and it'll be nothing but 'what school bag should I buy my yr 7' / 'where can I buy indestructible school shoes'.

""Wasn't there a survey that showed that 50% of mumsnetters use private schools?"

I very, very much doubt that."

I'm sure there was. It was a while ago. Does anyone else remember?

I would like a "Private" board, if only to keep away those people who suggest their local state options when people as about private.

Mumsnet is not dominated by private school threads. Just look at all the yawn threads about levels and what type of backpack.

OP, in the interests of helping MNHQ to carry out your wish for separate boards, where would you suggest they place this current thread?:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2575014-Sending-DD-to-different-school-to-friends

Gruach OP, in the interests of helping MNHQ to carry out your wish for separate boards, where would you suggest they place this current thread?: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2575014-Sending-DD-to-different-school-to-friends

Bit of a no brainer really, don't you think?

DD has been fortunate to have some independent school offers for year 7. All are excellent and academically selective but one has the edge... However, none of her friends got offers there so if we pick that one she'll be on her own. The others have opted for a school that will take up to 40 mins to get to (many options for getting there though). It's also more expensive.

You do realise that the OP is trying to choose between a private school that her DD got into over another private school her DDs friends got into?

However, she thinks differently and feels quite determined to go to the one her friends are going to (there will only be a handful of them as the others are going to the local comps).

I do indeed realise that MTHB. But it isn't an issue that is relevant only to parents in one sector. There are helpful replies from parents whose children attend state schools - should they have been barred from responding?

Gruach Really? How many parents with children in state education have a choice of schools? I think the majority will only realistically have a chance of getting into one (unless going the 11 plus route).

Maybe where you live it is differnt and you would be able to get your DCs into a state school 40 minutes away so they can stay with their friends?