Opinion's On Private School?

Do you think that there should be private schools? I personally don't think that someone should get better opportunities in life (through education and what other things private schools offer such as trips and speakers etc.) because their parents can afford it. I personally think that the government should raise the level of public schooling and get rid of private schools, so everyone has more equal opportunities, and they themselves can decide on how they use those opportunities, rather than their parents handing them everything on a silver platter.
Please don't tell me that I don't understand schooling systems or anything like that because I attended a public school until year 9 and my mother wanted me to go to private school for GCSE and 6th Form (against my will might I add).
What are your opinions?

Reply 1

TenOfThem

18

I think that the removal of public schools would not result in equality ... people with more money will still provide their children with extras

I agree that state school provision needs improving but public schools flourish even where there are excellent state schools

Reply 2

Arbolus

13

Better to make everyone equal by pushing the bottom up than by dragging the top down. It's not the fault of the private schools that they provide a better education than state schools, but instead the fault of government and the state school system that they aren't able to match that level of good education.

Bear in mind that even if private schools were abolished there still wouldn't be any extra funding for state schools. All you'd be doing is denying opportunities for the select few (although their parents would probably find a way to get there anyway), and not giving any to anyone else.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 3

UCLEmily

Original post by Little_Shrimp

Do you think that there should be private schools? I personally don't think that someone should get better opportunities in life (through education and what other things private schools offer such as trips and speakers etc.) because their parents can afford it. I personally think that the government should raise the level of public schooling and get rid of private schools, so everyone has more equal opportunities, and they themselves can decide on how they use those opportunities, rather than their parents handing them everything on a silver platter.
Please don't tell me that I don't understand schooling systems or anything like that because I attended a public school until year 9 and my mother wanted me to go to private school for GCSE and 6th Form (against my will might I add).
What are your opinions?

The problem is that affluent, educated or aspirational parents will always be likely to want to help their children forwards in life (as do other parents) with advantages - even if you closed all the private schools and banned them, they would find a way - sending children abroad, getting private tutors, setting up "pretend" state schools that had "extra charges" for things - I could go on. It's very hard to legislate against privilege. I went to state school until sixth, then private, so I've seen both worlds like you.

Reply 4

Dr00n

13

Private schools are completely fair game.

If you have the money, then you deserve an advantage because you're parents have worked for the money, and would like to spend it buy improving the education of their child. I don't see the issue in that.

An analogy would be sprinting. Someone who goes to private school is like a person who was born Jamaica. Jamaicans, from research i've done (admittedly not huge amount), have a genetical advantage when it comes to running fast. Does that mean they should not be allowed to compete? Aweful analogy to be honest, but its late and i couldn't think of another one. But i think Private school are fair

Reply 5

UCLEmily

Original post by Dr00n

Private schools are completely fair game.

If you have the money, then you deserve an advantage because you're parents have worked for the money, and would like to spend it buy improving the education of their child. I don't see the issue in that.

An analogy would be sprinting. Someone who goes to private school is like a person who was born Jamaica. Jamaicans, from research i've done (admittedly not huge amount), have a genetical advantage when it comes to running fast. Does that mean they should not be allowed to compete? Aweful analogy to be honest, but its late and i couldn't think of another one. But i think Private school are fair

I think the issue is that in the long-run, the divided system sets up social classes which lock people in and can't be bridged. So the society stops being a genuine meritocracy. For example, the best universities have a big majority of students from upper-middle class backgrounds. This is at least partially to do with privileged education, although not completely.

Reply 6

SneakyDoug

10

Is it an unfair advantage? Yes. Is it really an advantage if you work hard and are smart? No. They only really help the middle people do better I think, but smart people will do well anywhere.

Reply 7

LadyHaha

7

If the government improved schooling so much that it closed down all private/ public/ fee-paying (depends on how pedantic you want to be) schools, then it would soon run out of money... oh, wait...

Reply 8

Greyhoodie

8

I have been at a private school for nearly 5 years. I went to my local state school for 2 years and I felt as though I wasn't being pushed hard enough and was forced to endure lesson after lesson of poor teaching.

I think it is just the fact there are smaller class sizes, more individual care and generally, a better work ethic among students at my current school. My parents have worked hard to send me there so I guess that motivates me too.

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 9

PreciousStripes

3

If the parent can afford it, yes private school should be an option but it's the government's job to improve standards in state schools. There ARE good state schools but you must live in an affluent area to attend one. Certain state schools aim for the 'good' grades whereas public schools aim for the 'best'.

There's a major difference between the mindsets of a privately educated child than a state educated one, those who attend private school are prepared to become the shop owner, the CEO, the EMPLOYERS. Whereas state educated children are to become the shop assistant, the EMPLOYEES. To be honest, it's down to the individual and teachers, a child in a state school is as capable of earning the same grades as of their privately tuitioned rival, depends on how hard they're willing to work for it. :biggrin:

Reply 10

Sambo2

10

Original post by Little_Shrimp

Do you think that there should be private schools? I personally don't think that someone should get better opportunities in life (through education and what other things private schools offer such as trips and speakers etc.) because their parents can afford it. I personally think that the government should raise the level of public schooling and get rid of private schools, so everyone has more equal opportunities, and they themselves can decide on how they use those opportunities, rather than their parents handing them everything on a silver platter.
Please don't tell me that I don't understand schooling systems or anything like that because I attended a public school until year 9 and my mother wanted me to go to private school for GCSE and 6th Form (against my will might I add).
What are your opinions?

Actually private schools improve state schools. The capacity absorbed by private schools is substantial and saves the government millions.

Reply 11

UCLEmily

Original post by Sambo2

Actually private schools improve state schools. The capacity absorbed by private schools is substantial and saves the government millions.

I wonder if that's true? When you factor in that many of the best teachers want to work in private schools because the pay and conditions are better (at least in the better schools) - also they take the resources that middle-class parents would plough into state schools if their children were in them. Not to mention that the top private (public) schools are charities that get all kinds of tax reliefs. Probably they have a negative effect on the state sector overall.

Reply 12

Miss G

12

My parents have worked hard to be where they are today. They have made the decision that, instead of investing in expensive holidays and designer clothes, they want to give their children the best possible chance to excel. I don't think that there's anything wrong with that. I attend one of the top tier private schools here in Dubai, where all expats attend private schools due to lack of public ones, and I work extremely hard to do well, because I know how expensive my education is, and how much I will benefit from it if I give it all that I can. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Reply 13

Morgasm19

11

Original post by Dr00n

Private schools are completely fair game.

If you have the money, then you deserve an advantage because you're parents have worked for the money, and would like to spend it buy improving the education of their child. I don't see the issue in that.

An analogy would be sprinting. Someone who goes to private school is like a person who was born Jamaica. Jamaicans, from research i've done (admittedly not huge amount), have a genetical advantage when it comes to running fast. Does that mean they should not be allowed to compete? Aweful analogy to be honest, but its late and i couldn't think of another one. But i think Private school are fair

1. How do you know that someone's parents worked for their money and didn't just merely inherit it? Quite a few of the people I know at private schools have parents that are 'unemployed' but yet they can afford to send their kids to an expensive school.

2. In my opinion, it's not fair game because no one deserves an advantage in education because of their parents' wealth, no matter how hard their parents worked. Success in education should be down to intellectual merit, not how much money your family has.

Reply 14

Miss G

12

Original post by Morgasm19

2. In my opinion, it's not fair game because no one deserves an advantage in education because of their parents' wealth, no matter how hard their parents worked. Success in education should be down to intellectual merit, not how much money your family has.

But Private school simply provides you with better facilities, better teachers and a generally more motivated student body so that you can develop your intellect to its full potential. It doesn't award grades based on your parents financial status. That's up to you to achieve.

Reply 15

Morgasm19

11

Original post by Miss G

But Private school simply provides you with better facilities, better teachers and a generally more motivated student body so that you can develop your intellect to its full potential.

Exactly. People at private schools are given a much better education in every sense purely because of their parents' wealth, and in my view that isn't fair, as everyone deserves the same standard of education. Education is probably the most important factor when considering social mobility, and if people aren't receiving a good standard of education and are surrounded by unmotivated people, they aren't ever going to be able to improve their standard of living. Thus the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Of course there are exceptions but I personally find it appalling that the percentage of state school students at Cambridge is around 60%, when around 90% of people in this country attend state schools. Clearly you have a higher chance of admittance to Oxbridge if your parents are wealthy, and that just simply isn't right, in my view.

Reply 16

Miss G

12

Original post by Morgasm19

Exactly. People at private schools are given a much better education in every sense purely because of their parents' wealth, and in my view that isn't fair, as everyone deserves the same standard of education. Education is probably the most important factor when considering social mobility, and if people aren't receiving a good standard of education and are surrounded by unmotivated people, they aren't ever going to be able to improve their standard of living. Thus the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Of course there are exceptions but I personally find it appalling that the percentage of state school students at Cambridge is around 60%, when around 90% of people in this country attend state schools. Clearly you have a higher chance of admittance to Oxbridge if your parents are wealthy, and that just simply isn't right, in my view.

Then the issue isn't the private schools. The issue is that the public schools need to improve their standards. Is it fair then, in your opinion, that everyone should receive a low standard of education? Is it not better to strive for improvement of the public system as opposed to abolishing the private school system? I agree that everyone deserves a chance to excel, especially bright children stuck in public schools. Where I go to school, there is a full tuition fee scholarship awarded each year to one student who shows exceptional results. I'm sure that other schools offer similar scholarships. It is not ideal, and still not everyone can have access to private education, but that is why you should strive to improve public education, not bash the private school system as unfair- it simply provides good quality education.

Reply 17

Morgasm19

11

Original post by Miss G

Then the issue isn't the private schools. The issue is that the public schools need to improve their standards. Is it fair then, in your opinion, that everyone should receive a low standard of education? Is it not better to strive for improvement of the public system as opposed to abolishing the private school system? I agree that everyone deserves a chance to excel, especially bright children stuck in public schools. Where I go to school, there is a full tuition fee scholarship awarded each year to one student who shows exceptional results. I'm sure that other schools offer similar scholarships. It is not ideal, and still not everyone can have access to private education, but that is why you should strive to improve public education, not bash the private school system as unfair- it simply provides good quality education.

But how is the state system just supposed to magically improve with no funding? :/ Why should it have to match up to the standard set by private schools? Why can't we create a system whereby everyone receives a decent standard of education, at least a system that's a level playing field in which everyone gets the same standard, and then if the standard is low we can work on that.

If we were to abolish private schools, you'd have a better distribution of good teachers and wealth, basically I guess I'd aim for every school to be voluntary-aided, so that the school would receive both government and private funding.

I know private schooling is a key feature of the British education system and nothing is likely to change anytime soon, but this is just my ideal scenario.

Reply 18

Morgasm19

11

Original post by Sambo2

Actually private schools improve state schools. The capacity absorbed by private schools is substantial and saves the government millions.

They give De Jure improvement but not De Facto. The standard of education in state schools is significantly less than in private schools. If private schools improve state schools then why is it so much easier to gain access to university coming from a private school?