Does private schooling help to get a nice career?

Geenie

Woby_Tide wrote: »

Without putting a downer on it but many state educated children will turn out with exactly the same 'worthwhile' attributes but at a fraction of the cost

This is true, but I will never know. Just have to go on gut instinct at the time.

barnaby-bear

poet123 wrote: »

I agree that if your child is not that bright,then a smaller class size and more personal attention may benefit them. However,in general, for those who are academic they will shine in a good state school. As I said, I have experience of both sectors, and my kids obtained almost identical results,but they were academic.

But what if the local state school isn't that good or is really bad. Or your kid wants to be a scientist/doctor and needs good science A-levels but you live in a small town and your choice is two schools specialising in drama or sport? There's a national shortage of physics and chemistry teachers what if the local state school doesn't have someone who's done the subject to A-level themselves teaching, even if they do what if your kid can't get on with that teachers style even if they do or what if your child's class has a particularly disruptive element?

All the examples of my school was good or this kid at my school was successful in a certain job is a bit like saying no-one should have a car and everyone should use the bus because I live in a big city with great 24 hour transport - irrelevent if you live in a small village in mid-Norfolk.... I find the persistent use of the word snob by some a bit odd, very judgmental - if a parent finds a particular state school offers the subjects, ethos etc suitable for their child that's great but I would have thought most parents opting out of the state sector are talking the decision more seriously than based upon what their friends think. Education provision doesn't do one size fits all and I would have thought most parents would do what was genuinely thought best for their child knowing their child.

Spendless

barnaby bear- what's your view of state schools that specialise in science?:)

barnaby-bear

Spendless wrote: »

barnaby bear- what's your view of state schools that specialise in science?:)

In general great, they seem to do what they say on the tin but if your child is rubbish at maths but exquisitely fluent with language and loves Shakespeare it's a shame if your local school is designated to focus on their weakness.

State grammars seem to produce fantastic kids with a good wide range of traditional subjects (decent science, a language, bit of drama/sport/art). The problem is education provision is so patchy and hit and miss for most people.
Specialising at 16 seems early enough to me. Let kids do a decent range of traditional, basic GCSEs.

For a lot of parents the choice available is limited by the catchment area, where they can afford to buy a house, militant LEAs who don't implement streaming, rural transport issues, where teachers can afford/want to live etc. I deal with high-achieving kids and I see a lot of kids who are doing ok or well but aren't quite able to access their full potential or the full range of choices they could have had because they've had sketchy teaching/subject advice etc. I can fully understand a myriad of reasons why parents use the private sector to widen choice when local situations limit it.

Most bright kids will do OK in mediocre schools but I think parents want their kids to be able to have as wider range of opportunities and be a successful whatever by choice not because it was something they did as second choice... and don't look back thinking I wish I could have got that grade to get onto the course to do....

Amanda65

I’m sorry but I really don't have time to read all of this thread so hope I'm not repeating anything but thought I'd throw my two-penneth in .

We have chosen to educate our 3 children privately from age 11 - 18. DD1 is 17 and takes her A-levels this year, DD2 is 15 and takes GCSE's this year and DS is in year 8. They are at single sex schools (the girls school was my old grammar school, which went independent the year after I joined, although our education was state funded to 16).

We thought long and hard about whether to do this - I was of the opinion that we had to offer them all the same opportunity so couldn't just do it for one or two of them. I won't pretend that it hasn't been a struggle financially - not least because in the 7 years that DD1 has been there the fees are now £1k per term more than when she started - but we don't regret our decision at all.

My children are all bright, but not geniuses by any stretch of the imagination, and have definitely benefitted from being in an environment where there is an expectation of hard work and behavior from staff and their peers. They want to achieve, get congratulated for good results and have been taught in smaller tutor groups than they would have been in our local state school.

They are all well rounded, polite children (and I agree this is more to do with parental input than the fact that they are at a private school – I expect well-mannered children) and DD1 has just got a place on the art foundation course she wanted to go to in preparation for a BA in fashion design.

We chose their schools very carefully, avoiding the ‘elite’ private schools in our area where we knew that we would struggle to compete financially with other families. Although both the schools the children are at have the ‘very rich’ families, they are in the minority and most of us are just working very hard to give our children the education we want for them.

And finally, to answer the question, I don't think private school will help you achieve a better job necessarily, but does give you the confidence to chase your dreams.

morg_monster

My opinion is it is more down to your parents and what you do outside of school, how they encourage you and help you learn the skills that school can't teach you. On the whole I would say a child of average intelligence with parents who are keen for them to make the best of themselves will do well wherever they go to school.

I also think it is more down to the university you go to as well. That may possibly be influenced by whether you go to a private or public school; BUT all schools should be encouraging children to go for uni if they are suitable candidates; and Oxford and Cambridge aren't the be all and end all of uk uni's. I would say if you end up at a Russell group uni and come out with a 2:1 or better you have a very good likelihood of getting a good or excellent job.

I think all the majority of children need to fulfil their potential is an averagely good state school and they will do the rest for themselves (with the help of encouraging parents). Some children of course do thrive in the private environment however.
All of the privately educated people I know have done well for themselves; BUT I believe they would have done equally well had they gone to a half decent state school. They had parents who had probably gone to university themselves and had good jobs, and were interested in everything they did and encouraged them to ask questions at school and bug the teacher if they hadn't understood something. There was enough money to pay for activities out of school like sports and music; they didn't need an after school job so had time to do homework and lots of reading. they would have been a success whichever school they went to.

KarrieBee

I think it is very hard to generalise as the education provision in different areas varies so widely. I agree that the expectations and encouragement of parents and teachers plays a vital role so if you feel that would be lacking in your local state school then private may be a good option.
From a personal point of view I went to a grammar and OH went to a non streamed comp and he, being very bright, struggled with a bring everyone down to the lowest common denominator attitude from the staff there. But it didn't seem to have an adverse effect on his achievement or his sisters. SIL went to Oxford and has recently completed a PhD in chemistry, OH is a senior lecturer at a university. What helped them was parents who despite not having been to University themselves or having money to pay for a private education, encouraged them to be the best they could be. Equally my parents had very little money, I was the first in my family to go into HE but they gave me the opportunity to visit galleries, I grew up in a house full of books and music, I was encouraged to debate and be a critical thinker. I now have a postgrad degree and a professional job.
My parents considered putting me in for the scholarship exams for our local public school but decided that i wouldn't benefit more from a private education as I was naturally pretty bright. In retrospect I agree that it probably wouldn't have made much difference either way.
As a final point - i think "good job" means different things to different people, OH and I don't earn massive salaries but we both enjoy what we do and feel sucessful and stimulated.
Sorry for the ramble - essay over!

fluffyb

I have a friend who went to private boarding school and has never worked as she married young and had a family and is very happy with that choice.
A friends son and daughter went to private school too - the girl also married young and is now a stay at home mum with no plans to change that. Her brother has never had a 'proper' job and drifts from one mundane temp job to another.

My hubby went to a state school and is very successful in his career. His 2 brothers are also very very successful in their chosen careers and went to the same school.

Another relative went to state school and is a real high flyer for an American company and has homes abroad and a very luxurious lifestyle.:rolleyes:

It really all depends on the individual and I know many people who attended state schools who have gone on to be highly successful

If you have the ability and the drive you can do equally as well whichever school you go to

barnaby-bear

morg_monster wrote: »

My opinion is it is more down to your parents and what you do outside of school, how they encourage you and help you learn the skills that school can't teach you.

I disagree slightly. University entry and thus entry some career paths is dictated by exam results based on exams taken based upon specific, rigid syllabus. Parents generally are limited in their knowledge of a syllabus and the criteria they are marked upon. The skills and ethos you learn outside the classroom can be great for writing an essay on local history, art, geography etc but when you need the marks for analysing a molar titration in chemistry to get your grade to be a doctor you are reliant on the schools ability to deliver the syllabus. Analysing an organic ester/aldehyde reaction isn't going to start "My parents took me to a great local art gallery and read with me lots... ". If a school doesn't have the teachers to deliver a sylabus or problems in doing it effectively options are limited. The same child will probably be perfectly successful in a different career but education provision by the school and not just the parents affects choice.

KarrieBee

barnaby-bear wrote: »

The skills and ethos you learn outside the classroom can be great for writing an essay on local history, art, geography etc but when you need the marks for analysing a molar titration in chemistry to get your grade to be a doctor you are reliant on the schools ability to deliver the syllabus. Analysing an organic ester/aldehyde reaction isn't going to start "My parents took me to a great local art gallery and read with me lots... ".

I'd agree with Barnaby here, both OH and I have a more social sciences/ arts bent - him in psychology, me in linguistics and we benefitted from parental imput in terms of develpoing our general knowledge and debating skills. However my SIL who wanted to pursue a scientific career needed a private tutor to get the As she needed as the school she attended was very weak in terms of science provision and the level they were taught to was just inadequate for her needs.