Private school vs. State School ?

Education is different because it's the key to the child's future. If you're buying all your food from tesco then it tastes a bit crappy and you probably have to try harder to make it good nutrition-wise, but it doesn't affect a child's future. If you're buying designer clothes you look basically the same as people buying primark, you just pay 20 times as much. If you buy your child an education that child stands a better chance of achieving top grades, getting into top universities and professions and generally succeeding in life.

As for the class divide in state schools, yes it's there, but the point is you get a melting pot of people. You do get people "sticking to their own" but you also get the experience of being forced to get along with people from different social backgrounds.

I'm not saying necessarily being best buddies and we all go around holding hands singing about equality, but in the end at some point in your time at a state school you will have to work with someone who comes from a completely different background to you at state school.

At private school you get different people again, but if there were only state schools these private school people would be in the state schools so you'd mix with them too

Education is different because it's the key to the child's future.

If you're buying all your food from tesco then it tastes a bit crappy and you probably have to try harder to make it good nutrition-wise, but it doesn't affect a child's future.

If you're buying designer clothes you look basically the same as people buying primark, you just pay 20 times as much.

If you buy your child an education that child stands a better chance of achieving top grades, getting into top universities and professions and generally succeeding in life.

As for the class divide in state schools, yes it's there, but the point is you get a melting pot of people.

You do get people "sticking to their own" but you also get the experience of being forced to get along with people from different social backgrounds.

I'm not saying necessarily being best buddies and we all go around holding hands singing about equality, but in the end at some point in your time at a state school you will have to work with someone who comes from a completely different background to you at state school. At private school you get different people again, but if there were only state schools these private school people would be in the state schools so you'd mix with them too

It is perfectly possible to be "educated" although really poor. In fact, if every parent instilled their child with discipline and moral values, the state education system would be a hell of a lot better.

Not directly.

Really?

So surely you are for grammar schools?

Is that really a good thing?

Really?

What has this got to do with anything?

This is sort of the point. Why should children be punished for having ****ty parents?

Pretty ambivalent towards them really.

In my area the state school I go to gets WAY better grades than the private school.

Why pay for something that isnt even worth it?

So you call schools trying to instil discipline and moral values "punishment" then? It is necessary for children to be disciplined and moral - and that should be the responsibility of the respective parents of the child. It is such a shame that the situation at present means that for many schools it is about "crowd control" rather than actually giving them an education.

Theoretically speaking, the state education system could be better than the private education system; but if the children do not value the meaning of education because of their poor socio-economic backgrounds, what is the solution? Banning private schools?

Really? I'd imagine you would be in full support of grammar schools. It means that poorer children, although bright children can receive a top-quality education irrespective of their parents' financial circumstances. And if there were enough all around the country, there would not be the issue of "increasing house prices around grammar schools".

You have a simplistic view of private and state education system from reading your posts.

Who attends what, and whats is your reasons for choosing either?

There are plenty of people who go to private schools who don't have the best parents (I know plenty), but because of smaller class sizes and the general positive working atmosphere they end up doing better. I'm saying that this inequality is the problem, and banning private schools is not the answer (yet). What we need is a good state school system that manages to provide the environment for people with less educationally leaning parents to achieve their full potential.

I don't think that brighter people should have better education. I think that everyone should have the education that suits them. I also don't think that saying to an eleven year old "You did badly in the 11+, you're stuck in the dumdum school now" is good. What if people don't realise how to work with their education 'til they're 13? What if non-grammar schools or less good grammar schools become marks of having already failed so their's no point trying?

The solution to both of these problems is consistent and constantly dynamic use of sets in schools so that every term or so the sets are jumbled up and the people doing better move up sets and the people holding a class behind move down to a set that suits them better. This allows people to work at their own pace with the ability to move around should problems arise and they need extra support to keep up or extra support to be stretched.

Oh, sorry...some pointless sport activities as well, and a couple more colouring crayons to use. Do not care.

Personally if I could afford it and there was no other reasonable alternatives I would send my children to private school, just because it's what any parent would do. However I believe that private schools create a class divide by not allowing poorer children to have the same opportunities as rich children. One of my main political philosophies is that every child has a reasonably equal opportunity at life and it will never happen with private schools. Luckily though, in the UK, most state schools are fairly good in reality and if you are clever you will get into a good university, get a good job e.t.c. Still I don't like the statistic that about 40% of Oxbridge students are from private schools... It is pretty sickening really.

In my area the state school I go to gets WAY better grades than the private school.

Why pay for something that isnt even worth it?

If you come from a family that instilled you with good morals, compared with one that didn't instil any, which would have better opportunities in life?

Remember, there are differing abilities between sets. They are not the solution.

Of course, but if people have the money to afford such luxuries, shouldn't they?

Also, sizes of class is irrelevant UNLESS all students are well-behaved and keen to learn. And the general positive working atmosphere? Good luck finding that in certain state schools. Is it a wonder why some parents end up going private?

Like I said, the state school system could be better than the private school system, if students aren't bothered, how will they be able to fulfil their full potential? People mature at different rates, and with that, there are some slackers.

Remember, many grammar schools do have entry tests at 13 and 16. Is it fair that certain students may be kept from their full potential as their school is not pushing them hard enough? Also, what if people don't realise the value of education until 19? Is it right for that individual to keep the rest behind?

I don't know what you mean by the last question.

Remember, there are differing abilities between sets. They are not the solution.