Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?
Discuss issues that have a social and cultural impact, including but not limited to issues such as racism, teenage pregnancies, the social impact of religion, and the state of the education system.
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Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?If you were in a position where you could afford to send your child to an independent school would you say it's selfish to do so, or selfish not to do so?
On the one hand it seems wrong not to provide the best education that you can for your child, but on the other, it seems somewhat selfish to effectively support a system which lowers the standard of education received by 92% of children in the country and thereby reinforces a two tier system.
So what do you think? -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?If I had the money, I would send my children to a private school. On the other hand, even if I had the money and there was a state school which had a record of achieving very good/excellent results, then I would send them to that instead.
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Make them work at a state school. If they work hard enough, they can get there, where they want to be - and they know they've done it all themselves with no advantage except their attitude.
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?If I could just about afford to, then I wouldn't. I mean sure, I'd encourage them to apply for grammar schools, but I wouldn't send them to a private because I won't be able to give them the same lifestyle as a lot of their friends will undoubtedly have (best clothes, latest technology) if I just had enough money to send them. Also, there's nothing particularly wrong with state schools, good students will perform well no matter where they go.
However, on the flip side, if my household income ends up being so much that my children will be significantly richer than anyone at a state school (and I mean 200k - millions) then yeah, I'd send them to a private. I would just want my children to be wherever they would fit in best; there's more to a well-rounded development than better school facilities/smaller teaching groups. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?It's a moot point really. Send them to a state school, and you could be seen as selfish because you are most likely to sacrifice the more cosmopolitain and diverse education that children can benefit from. Send them to a public school and you could be seen as selfish because you sacrifice an education that is almost invariably better.
Ideally, I would send my child to a good state school. If I couldn't do this, I would send my child to a public school. Rightly or wrongly, they get a better education and on the whole do better in life because of the privileges bestowed on them in their youth. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Well I would have disagree with your initial premise. For one thing, independent schools can afford to pay teachers a much higher salary then state schools, thus they are able to hoard the most talented and passionate teachers, thereby depriving state school pupils of the services of those teachers.(Original post by Nick100)
It doesn't lower the standard of government education therefore it is not selfish to pay for a better education for your children. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?I wouldn't send my child to a private school (assuming the available state schools are at least adequate - which they mostly are) because I wouldn't want them turning into a snob. I don't think it's "selfish" either way though.
As someone else said - if the teachers at the state school aren't forcing them to work hard enough then I'd simply do so myself (and if seriously required, get a private tutor).Last edited by callum9999; 17-06-2012 at 19:46. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Even if private schools were outlawed, there would still be a two tier system, i.e. the top performing state schools/grammar schools against the crap comprehensives.(Original post by Torpedo Fish)
If you were in a position where you could afford to send your child to an independent school would you say it's selfish to do so, or selfish not to do so?
On the one hand it seems wrong not to provide the best education that you can for your child, but on the other, it seems somewhat selfish to effectively support a system which lowers the standard of education received by 92% of children in the country and thereby reinforces a two tier system.
So what do you think?
In fact, doing so would make the top schools less accessible for those who can't afford to move in the areas where the good schools are. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Why?(Original post by TheCurlyHairedDude)
Growing up in a state school, if I had the money I'd send my kids to a state school, no brainer. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Then raise teachers' salaries in the state sector?(Original post by Torpedo Fish)
Well I would have disagree with your initial premise. For one thing, independent schools can afford to pay teachers a much higher salary then state schools, thus they are able to hoard the most talented and passionate teachers, thereby depriving state school pupils of the services of those teachers. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?The way you can prevent that is by parenting.(Original post by callum9999)
because I wouldn't want them turning into a snob.
What a way to generalise! There are snobs at state schools. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?(Original post by Iron Lady)
Why?
Understanding the streets and hood life, appreciation of people from different background, REAL preperation for life. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?And where does the money for that come from? If you hadn't heard, this country has been, and continues to be, run on a deficit as it is.(Original post by im so academic)
Then raise teachers' salaries in the state sector? -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?BS.(Original post by Torpedo Fish)
Well I would have disagree with your initial premise. For one thing, independent schools can afford to pay teachers a much higher salary then state schools, thus they are able to hoard the most talented and passionate teachers, thereby depriving state school pupils of the services of those teachers.
Surely the most passionate teachers wouldn't be in it for the money and therefore wouldn't (for the most part) be swayed by the private school wages. Also they'd see state school kids as more deserving. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Then what's your solution?(Original post by Torpedo Fish)
And where does the money for that come from? If you hadn't heard, this country has been, and continues to be, run on a deficit as it is.
If everyone sent their children to state school, the government would need to build new schools, hire new teachers etc etc and this is estimated to be worth billions of pounds. -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Yeah and private schools ease the financial burden on the state sector.(Original post by Torpedo Fish)
And where does the money for that come from? If you hadn't heard, this country has been, and continues to be, run on a deficit as it is.
The parents of private school kids still pay the same taxes they would of if their kids went state sector but no tax payer money is spent on these kids. The money that would of been spent on them is spent on others.
Get rid of private schools and the same ammount of tax income has to stretch further -
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Re: Selfish to send your child to private school, or selfish not to?Does it? Are you not surely reducing the burden of the state, after all, you still pay the taxes that cover the education of your child, but your child is not taking that place. Though I know the impact of this will be little to nothing I don't think it emphasises a two tier system either because on a bigger scale this has a measurable impact.(Original post by Torpedo Fish)
it seems somewhat selfish to effectively support a system which lowers the standard of education received by 92% of children in the country and thereby reinforces a two tier system?
