Private School

[davieG]

Not sure what you're saying. People who get paid more don't work harder for it? Obviously there are always exceptions to everything. There will always be many reasons that people state why some people do better than others, but IMO generally hard work is what gets the rewards, and that is the message that I send to my children.

Everybody I know that is doing well financially has generally worked hard all their lives, whether at school, uni, career or whatever, and more often than not have also had to make many sacrifices along the way. I personally don't know anybody that has got something for nothing in their lives.

The implication you gave was that people that don't have the money to pay for private education don't work hard, I'm saying it's much more to do with the natural intelligence they were born with, sure they need to work hard but there's millions of people that work extremely hard but get paid a pittance because they weren't fortunate to have been born with the natural intelligence or ability to learn a skill that would get them a high paying job.

I just get frustrated when people use the phrase working hard as if it's exclusive to well off people and the reason they became well off.

[Monk]

I went to a private school in Lincolnshire in the 90's. My parents sent me there mostly because I'm >50% deaf and figured smaller classes, more attention would work better, plus less chance of bad bullying. They're not well off, and borrowed to do it. It's not just rich families who send their kids to private school - often scholarships are given to bright kids who can't afford it. The school did have its fair share of tossers but I came out of it pretty well, and I'm 100% sure I did better than I would have at state school.

It's sad that not everyone gets the best education possible, but to say that you shouldn't be able to pay extra to get it is a stupid notion. If the state gave everyone a Ford Focus and said you could no longer go out and buy an Audi with your own cash, it's pretty much the same argument

Guess what, I also have health insurance, driven on toll roads, and have a private pension.

However, sad to say I'm not a rampant marxist like some of you.

[cambridgefox]

I went to a village college and got decent enough o levels( yes I am that old)

The odd thing about my education was I was lucky enough to have a dad who did earn a decent wage but he gave me the choice rightly or wrongly to go to the Kings school in Ely ,a what I consider a very expensive private school which could do better,I. Could have regretted it but I don't.

However if I had the money I don't think I would give my kids that choice and would send them.

[Rincewind]

I know somebody that needsa operations on his knees. The NHS cannot do both at once forsome reason. Have to be a few years apart. Anyway his consultant who would do the ops told him that he'd do it within a week if paid £15.000 privately. The bloke has turned this down. He said he'd prefer to wait but it may have something that if he has it done he will be fit for work.

If he has to wait 5-10 years how much disability will he get?

My point here is the surgeon makes more out of his pwivate work than the same ones in the NHS yet because many people do not have the money they have to wait and suffer.

With schooling where would a decent teacher prefer to be? In a class of kids who dont want to learn or in a classroom where the kids are house-trained.

[fleckneymike]

I know somebody that needsa operations on his knees. The NHS cannot do both at once forsome reason. Have to be a few years apart. Anyway his consultant who would do the ops told him that he'd do it within a week if paid £15.000 privately. The bloke has turned this down. He said he'd prefer to wait but it may have something that if he has it done he will be fit for work.

If he has to wait 5-10 years how much disability will he get?

My point here is the surgeon makes more out of his pwivate work than the same ones in the NHS yet because many people do not have the money they have to wait and suffer.

With schooling where would a decent teacher prefer to be? In a class of kids who dont want to learn or in a classroom where the kids are house-trained.

The reason the NHS don't do both your knees at once is that if they did you wouldn't be able to walk.

[Daggers]

These are my friends for life and I couldn't be happier when you consider that in an equally parallel situation it could be drug dealers, murderers, etc. Private schools nurture their pupils as well as possible to keep them on the straight and narrow. I couldn't thank my parents enough.

[Rincewind]

Is thatso? Not sure what the bloke means then. He says he'd rather have both done at the same time so either not listened to his consultanrt or usuing it as an excuse. I can understand the reason you stated but never gave it much thought in that respect.

[Guest ttfn]

I'd do it in a flash. Ludicrously expensive though. Full fees for the better ones are £20k plus per year per child.

[Rincewind]

No single mum chavs send their kids to them then?

[fleckneymike]

You may have no choice judging by whats been done to English GCSE results

http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/597792.aspx

[Libertine Dream]

Ah. Not so much over here.

My own Catholic roots have prevented me being Prime Minister or being the King. Shame really as I quite fancied doing either.

You have to have an ounce of positivity for those things, Mike.

[fleckneymike]

You have to have an ounce of positivity for those things, Mike.

It's because I've been oppressed that I appear so dour. Just because I was raised to believe in transubstantiation shouldn't prevent me from holding the highest office in the land.

[ousefox]

I would never ever consider sending any children i have to private school, despise the whole idea. Thankfully where i live, my state school was just as good if not better than the private schools so the idea would be stupid too. We've also had people from private schools coming to our school that have not benefitted from it at all and have ended up getting poor A-Level grades.

We had 6 Oxbridge students, and about 8 doing medicine out of just over 100.

I don't mind people choosing to send their children to private school as it's their own personal decision, but there is now way private schools should be registered charities.

[Charl91]

I would never ever consider sending any children i have to private school, despise the whole idea. Thankfully where i live, my state school was just as good if not better than the private schools so the idea would be stupid too. We've also had people from private schools coming to our school that have not benefitted from it at all and have ended up getting poor A-Level grades.

We had 6 Oxbridge students, and about 8 doing medicine out of just over 100.

Alright for some, but I seem to remember that our school had two oxbridge students in it's entire history - in the four years I was there, I don't think there was any. If the state school near you is really poor, why shouldn't you be allowed to send your child to private school?

[Guest]

I've clicked "yes".

I'm very much in favour of state education for all, and raising its standards but I must admit that certain state schools are not desirable. Furthermore I think the term "Private" school is a term that covers a variety of different types of school. sure there are schools for the rich, there are schools for religious reasons and then there are "specialst" schools.

As you know we now live in France, which has a very good education system, better and worse in many ways than the English system. I happily paid a little extra 1 year to send my son to a "private" school rather than the local state school simply because the particular state school was having a lot of violence/drug problems at the time whilst the "private" school was a caring institute where the teachers thought of more than teaching knowledge. The atmosphere and the "morality" of the school was outstanding.

If we hadn't then changed area I would have searched for a similar "private" school the following year. As it was he went back into the state system which if I could re-do I'd probably have looked for another similar private school.

nd I"m a State paid University Prof.

[davieG]

The biggest problem with state schools is the continual interference by politicians of all shades.

That applies to nearly all state run enterprises and probably why they aren't always successful.

Probably why the Country's in such a mess as well being run by incompetent know FA, led by party dogma rather than knowledge and experience politicians.

[ousefox]

Alright for some, but I seem to remember that our school had two oxbridge students in it's entire history - in the four years I was there, I don't think there was any. If the state school near you is really poor, why shouldn't you be allowed to send your child to private school?

If you read the sentence after the one you put in bold, you wouldn't have had to ask that question.