Are Private Schools worth it?

Zziggi

black-saturn wrote:

What is the whole point in learning Latin?

I was not taught english grammar nor had spelling drummed into me at school. So my english is terrible. I was taught french and german at school and learnt other languages (european and non-european) after school. If i had been taught basic latin at school then i think it would have provided the foundations for learning foreign languages and also the foundations of english. I wish i had been taught basic latin. Not very fashionable to talk of learning latin but i do think a basic understanding of it would help - certainally the top class kids (sorry to sound elitiest - but there you go...)

David88_2

Don't you think that going to a state school lets your child mix with a wide variety of people like those that they would meet through life, rather than just meeting people from rich backgrounds? Surely these life skills are as important as academic ones? Maybe your local comprehensive is 'rough', but by the end of it your child should be able to handle themselves in the real world.

There are some truely brilliant and dreadful teachers in state schools, but its the same in private schools as well.

Also a lot of defenders of private schools are saying they are better academically. What about children who aren't going to be brilliant academically? gilly41s son is a perfect example, theres no shame in being a builder or plumber, just because you don't get a high paid job and a school doesn't give you the connections for overpaid city jobs doesn't make it bad.

Don't put too much pressure on your child by sending them to a private school, send them to a state school, if they do academically well then good for them, if not they will have picked up the life skills for a wide range of careers, none of which are in anyway inferior to a job they would have got by taking the academic route.

Wings

Latin will cetainly improves one's English vocabulary and grammar, and it is a fantastic "umbrella" challenging subject, that involves problem solving, mythology, literature, history, philosophy and architecture. Children/students enjoy the accuracy, for one has to be spot on, and once they crack the "codes", they are switched on to Literature.

Latin is intended to train the brain, and started at an early age, when a child is growing at a fast rate and absorbing so much, the child will learn to process information in a logical way, and assists in understanding how other languages work.

Look at the guys who make the real money in the City of London, at the top merchant banks, most are all "classicists", their success achieved because they know how to process information properly.

hobo28

OK, gonna spk frankly here and maybe people will flame me for not being PC.

The way I look at it is that academic qualifications are only part of the equation.

Another thing which cannot be overlooked is the quality of the "ingredients". If you send your child to a school which is struggling, chances are it is doing so because the kids are not being given the right sort of environment at home and the local community. Typically these are schools with REALLY bad discipline.

My kids currently go to the same school as mumstheword and the council in their infinite wisdom have changed the rules so that there is a chance my kids will end up going to a school on special measures, has its own fulltime policeman and a "benefits" shop.

I fear that if my kids go there, they will end up having their classes disrupted, falling in with the wrong crowd and spending time simply "surviving". Against that backdrop I can't see how they achieve their full potential.

If you go to a private school, the fact that parents are paying means they are more likely to be interested in their kids progress and behaviour. Smaller class sizes means teachers can control the class easier.

OK, that all said I am not totally in favour of private schools either. Not because of cost but because University's now are pressured into being biased towards state schools. So your cherub after 7 years of private education gets A's across the board but will still prob. be passed over in favour of a child in a state school with maybe a couple of A's. Fair? Hell no but with the current onslaught against private schools by the govt, thats the way it is.

tomstickland

There is a lot of variety in ability in private schools. Some pupils are thickos with rich parents etc. Not all are rich though. My parents were never rich.

I think that a good grammar school can match a private school. Local councils don't like grammar schools much though - they've been trying to wind the Gloucester grammars down for years. A good comp can do as well too.

Sadly though, in some areas the schools are not up to much. My parents moved me to private due to extensive problems with the local primary and their pathetic expectations for me and my brother. We were being held back by their low expectations.

David88_2

Look at the guys who make the real money in the City of London, at the top merchant banks, most are all "classicists", their success achieved because they know how to process information properly.

Your opinion is that being in the city is a success. Why is this better then getting any job you love, even if its as a P.E instructor or a bus driver? Money and qualifications really aren't everything...

Wings

Agree with the contents of your post, "each to their own".

Zziggi

I can see where you are coming from hobo28 (& mumstheword).

I personally am not in total favour of private schools, however if, as a parent, i was faced with a choice (hobson's choice) of all local schools being abysmal, i would try to afford to send my child to a private school. I guess it's OK having principles but would any parent want their little darling to be the victim of their principles? Not me, sadly. My princples aren't that strong.

Savvy_Sue

David88 wrote:

Also a lot of defenders of private schools are saying they are better academically. What about children who aren't going to be brilliant academically? gilly41s son is a perfect example, theres no shame in being a builder or plumber, just because you don't get a high paid job and a school doesn't give you the connections for overpaid city jobs doesn't make it bad.

Don't put too much pressure on your child by sending them to a private school, send them to a state school, if they do academically well then good for them, if not they will have picked up the life skills for a wide range of careers, none of which are in anyway inferior to a job they would have got by taking the academic route.

I think that's a very sensible contribution to the debate. Although not all private schools are selective, some are, and pushing a child into one of them seems a bit on the cruel side to me.

But another thing to remember about private schools is that the fees is just the start of it! Socks at £7 a pair from Harrods, for example (and that was a few years ago, and not for my kids!) Yes, there may be lots of extra opportunities, but there may also be lots of extra charges for them - I can't imagine that flying, which was mentioned earlier in the thread, would be free, for example.

If you can just about scrape the fees together, is your child then going to miss out on anything extra-curricular because you can't afford the rest? Or will they be teased and picked on because they can't join in everything? Or will you just feel guilty because you're saying 'no' and 'everyone else is going!'?

If you do go for private, check out which one will suit YOUR child, and also ask about scholarships and help with the fees.

FWIW, I went to a boarding school where fees were assessed on parental income, and you didn't get in if your parents earned too much. I believe they've had to change that since I left and let in a certain number of rich kids because many pupils went on to be so successful that they earned too much to send their kids there.

But I wanted to go away to school and was very happy there, much happier than I would have been at home. DH vetoed private education for our boys, not that I know how we'd have found the money, and we didn't want them to go to my old school, and they didn't want to go either (although the uniform may have had something to do with that!)

So our boys have been to unpopular primary schools, and done very well there. And they've been in a good faith-based secondary school, where they've also done very well - it is comprehensive, although they do 'set' the children in some subjects, which is definitely worth asking about! It's quite possible that with smaller classes and more 'pushing' they'd have done even better, but to me it's always been more important that my children are happy at school and doing 'well enough' rather than doing brilliantly and unhappy.

nearlyrich

Wings wrote:

Having received both state and private education, I can strongly recommend private schooling. Private schools offer opportunities that your child would never receive from a state school education, for example travel, flying airplanes and connections.

Most schools offer trips even at primary level and the air training corps is a great way to learn to fly;)

Not knowing the state school’s secondary syllabus, your child will have the option of studying several languages, Latin as well as the classics along with the standard required subjects. On top your child will have the possibility to learn how to play musical instruments and several sporting activities that will give your child an advantage when applying for University.

They teach latin at many state schools, my son did it for a year, it's a great basis for the study of English and other European languages...I don't know any school that doesn't offer musical instrument lessons and sports.

Mixing with those with money will open doors!

Not to mention you wallet to keep up with the Jones LOL

The best investment you can give your child is to educate them to their full potential,

I agree wholeheartedly but some children thrive in really bad schools so how do you know they have done better because you spend £10K per year on fees?