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Why the private school hate?

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I agree. Ironic that state school people judge private school people so much.
Original post by I don't know
Because it often leads to students of average intelligence feeling special because their parents paid for their education.


I can assure you that we don't feel special because we went to private school. We don't see ourselves as different from people who didn't go to private school
Original post by I don't know
Because it often leads to students of average intelligence feeling special because their parents paid for their education.


I assure you it doesn't.

More often it leads to people of, as you call it, 'average intelligence' feeling inadequate because they aren't as driven or academic as their peers and feeling like a failure when they get say ABB at A level (which is extremely good by national standards) when their friends get A*AA or over. I've seen it happen to a lot of people.
Reply 23
Original post by 333allicsirp
I think people wrongly believe that people who are privately educated automatically have everything everyone else wants - money, job prospects etc, but without the 'struggle'. Not exactly jealousy, but a sense that privately educated people are out of touch with 'normal' people.


True.

I went to a private school and remember another girl saying to me 'everyone thinks our parents are so rich because they send us to private school. But because they send us to private school, they aren't!' which is generally the case in the lower-cost private schools. No one I went to high school with was super-rich, although obviously no one was extremely poor either. Parents made sacrifices; a lot of us didn't go on foreign holidays, most people's parents drove lousy cars and we didn't get a lot of name-brand clothes or super expensive toys/games. I know these are middle-class sacrifices, but our parents chose to go without nice things for themselves to be able to pay the school fees.

I have found the most 'jealous' are those whose parents are fairly well-off, yet choose to spend the money on themselves rather than school fees. Which is their free choice to make, of course, but some of the kids get very bitchy and want to play down any advantage we might have, because they know if their parents had made different choices they could have had it too.

My biggest hate is when people who have moved house or faked religion to get their children into a good state school act as if they are superior because they aren't being 'snobby' and paying. Personally I feel that lying about your faith, or pretending that you intend to permanently live in an area where you are only renting to get your child a school place, doesn't really put you on a moral high ground. Several members of my family have abused my parents for simply opting out the system whilst they cheated to get the best for their own children.
Reply 24
Original post by Historophilia
Some people do have a negative reaction to it. I've told people where I went to school and they've been surprised and said stuff like 'Oh but you're not in the least stuck up!' or 'But you aren't that rich!', as if they immediately expect all private school kids to be completely up themselves and rolling in money.

They're all just normal people, what your education was doesn't define you as a person.

There's also some kind of perception that if you go to Private school you get three A's and a place at Oxbridge handed to you on a plate. The reality is very different.

oxbridge isnt exactly worth that much

> they don't do dentistry
> it's irrelevant where you go to for medicine
> they are not first place for 40% of subjects
> people may hate the course structures


oxford and cambridge are also two very seperate universities, specialising or famous for two very different genres of subjects.
For most I don't think it is jealousy, I have to generalise here but many private school students mainly the ones at the really expensive ones, do think they are above us. My cousin went to Westminster and some of his friends were incredibly arrogant and annoying.
I've never been asked what kind of school I went to. Weird question for someone to ask, IMO!

I went to state, FYI.
Reply 27
Original post by chronic_fatigue
For most I don't think it is jealousy, I have to generalise here but many private school students mainly the ones at the really expensive ones, do think they are above us. My cousin went to Westminster and some of his friends were incredibly arrogant and annoying.


And I'm sure they view you as intolerant, selfish and jealous .. Its a two way street, When you think something about someone in 99% of cases they are going to think something right back just because of your attitude towards them or your views upon them. It's how society works :tongue:
Original post by Somerandomstudent
You really should get that problem seen to. ^^ jk


Very funny :P
Original post by justdoit1
oxbridge isnt exactly worth that much

> they don't do dentistry
> it's irrelevant where you go to for medicine
> they are not first place for 40% of subjects
> people may hate the course structures


Your opinion not mine and not that of many other people.

>Dentistry is just one subject, doesn't stop them being amazing at what they do offer.
>Again medicine is just one subject out of many and they are still near the best in that.
>Oxford or Cambridge are top in most subjects and if they aren't first they are usually top 5 or 10. And anyway League tables don't mean much.
>Then Oxbridge isn't for them and they shouldn't have applied.
Reply 30
It's nothing to do with jealousy, it's the air of arrogance and the self important attitude that most people find hard to tolerate. it makes you a bit of an ass. i know not all public schoolers are like this though.
I didn't go to a private school but I certainly have no generalised bad feelings against anyone that did.

I think some people forget that inverted snobbery is still snobbery and is just as offensive and ignorant.
Reply 32
Original post by Historophilia
Your opinion not mine and not that of many other people.

>Dentistry is just one subject, doesn't stop them being amazing at what they do offer.
>Again medicine is just one subject out of many and they are still near the best in that.
>Oxford or Cambridge are top in most subjects and if they aren't first they are usually top 5 or 10. And anyway League tables don't mean much.
>Then Oxbridge isn't for them and they shouldn't have applied.


i don't deny they are good, but away from the top 20 universities, it really makes no difference.

it depends what subject you do too.

ofcourse, if you like bragging/name go for it. you'll go far in life:smile:
Original post by SpamBa
True.

I went to a private school and remember another girl saying to me 'everyone thinks our parents are so rich because they send us to private school. But because they send us to private school, they aren't!' which is generally the case in the lower-cost private schools. No one I went to high school with was super-rich, although obviously no one was extremely poor either. Parents made sacrifices; a lot of us didn't go on foreign holidays, most people's parents drove lousy cars and we didn't get a lot of name-brand clothes or super expensive toys/games. I know these are middle-class sacrifices, but our parents chose to go without nice things for themselves to be able to pay the school fees.

I have found the most 'jealous' are those whose parents are fairly well-off, yet choose to spend the money on themselves rather than school fees. Which is their free choice to make, of course, but some of the kids get very bitchy and want to play down any advantage we might have, because they know if their parents had made different choices they could have had it too.

My biggest hate is when people who have moved house or faked religion to get their children into a good state school act as if they are superior because they aren't being 'snobby' and paying. Personally I feel that lying about your faith, or pretending that you intend to permanently live in an area where you are only renting to get your child a school place, doesn't really put you on a moral high ground. Several members of my family have abused my parents for simply opting out the system whilst they cheated to get the best for their own children.


All very true.

Also, when there is an excellent state school in an area it drives up house prices in the cachement area as people badly want to get their child in. Many people then can't afford to live in that area and go to that school. It's just buying your education in a different way.
Reply 34
Original post by Ham22
It's nothing to do with jealousy, it's the air of arrogance and the self important attitude that most people find hard to tolerate. it makes you a bit of an ass. i know not all public schoolers are like this though.


This is such a sweeping generalisation, and more of a stereotypical view! How many Public school people do you actually know? very few if any I bet
jealously
mzybe it's percieved as some sort of unfair advantage.
Reply 37
Original post by ritchie888
I've never been asked what kind of school I went to. Weird question for someone to ask, IMO!

I went to state, FYI.


True :tongue: I don't know why it happens so much to me. Maybe I do give out 'private school' vibes.
Reply 38
Original post by Historophilia
I assure you it doesn't.

More often it leads to people of, as you call it, 'average intelligence' feeling inadequate because they aren't as driven or academic as their peers and feeling like a failure when they get say ABB at A level (which is extremely good by national standards) when their friends get A*AA or over. I've seen it happen to a lot of people.


Yeah this is very true, the competition at most private schools is very intense...whilst this is good cos it leads to people working very hard...it does mess with some peoples' minds.
Original post by justdoit1
i don't deny they are good, but away from the top 20 universities, it really makes no difference.

it depends what subject you do too.

ofcourse, if you like bragging/name go for it. you'll go far in life:smile:


I think there very much is a difference. At Oxbridge you will be taught by world class academics, the people who wrote the books you might have read or studied from in school. It is also extremely academically selective due to the admissions process, you have to do far more than just get good A levels to get in. You also get far more face-to-face tuition than at other Uni's due to the Tutorial system.

I personally am applying to Oxford due to all the things I've mentioned. In addition as for History you get huge choice in what you study right from year one and whatever you study it will be under the best.

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