Sometimes it seems that the very people who decry the 'class-divide' in this country are the most classist amongst us.
We have a situation where some children are able to experience a very good education, whereas others get a far more average or poor education. The idea that the best thing for society is to remove the opportunity for many children to experience the best eduction is ludicrous. It is justified by the idea that it is the 'rich' children who get lucky, whereas 'poor' children have to make do. This, they say, entrenches inequality and perpetuates the class-divide. Why should a rich child get something a poor child cannot? This logic only works if you assign a class to a child from birth. It is the thinking of class hatred.
Just think, if we had the same number of the same quality of schools, but admission to each was completely random, far fewer people would have a problem with it. But is this really any fairer than the randomness of birth?
To me, a child is a child, no matter who their parents are. I want the largest number of children to experience the best education possible. Private schools, with the generally high quality of eduction they provide, contribute towards this aim. It is unfortunate that not everyone can experience so good an education, but to remove private schools would help precisely no one.