Does private schooling help to get a nice career?

tinkerbell84

hellyboo wrote: »

I didn't go to private school and I'm a GP. I love my job!
My brother went to the same school and is a Head Rugby coach - he loves his job too!

I guess it depends on what you want to do. It was a grammar school though so we were pushed harder than alot of schools. My daughters are going to go to private school as we don't have any grammar schools here.

Many of my doctor friends did not go to private school but I guess the majority in my year did.

Did you not want to be a doctor before grammar school then?

Lunar_Eclipse

tinkerbell84 wrote: »

Did you not want to be a doctor before grammar school then?

Interesting question. My 8 year old daughter wants to be a vet, she is currently at our local state school. I have told her that it's hard to get into, but possible if she really wants it and works hard enough for the important exams that she needn't worry about now! I'm currently debating state vs private for secondary.

tinkerbell84

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Interesting question. My 8 year old daughter wants to be a vet, she is currently at our local state school. I have told her that it's hard to get into, but possible if she really wants it and works hard enough for the important exams that she needn't worry about now! I'm currently debating state vs private for secondary.

in my experience certain career paths are chosen by people very very early in their lives. doctors, nurses, vets are among those.

generaloneill

juno wrote: »

I went to a private school. I work in retail.

epic. Money money well spent, you work with the real people, cool.

barnaby-bear

hellyboo wrote: »

I didn't go to private school and I'm a GP. I love my job!
My brother went to the same school and is a Head Rugby coach - he loves his job too!

I guess it depends on what you want to do. It was a grammar school though so we were pushed harder than alot of schools. My daughters are going to go to private school as we don't have any grammar schools here.

Many of my doctor friends did not go to private school but I guess the majority in my year did.

Ideally I would like to be able to send my kids to a state grammar where any kid could go if bright enough, the candidates I see are well prepared with lots of extra-curricular activites and have a diversity of backgrounds. In my area there are none though. I suspect many parents would prefer these selective and/or single sex schools and choose private or to buy into a catchment for a good state school (where the postcode ensures the parents are professional and possibly a genetic intelligence(?)).

Private schools dominate the applicants offering science and further maths applicants disproportionally.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-567169/Universities-backlash-soft-subjects-accounting-A-levels.html

Ultimately the biggest factor is parents - articulate, intelligent, successful, supportive parents generally find a way to ensure their kids opportunities are maximised. Whether that be ensuring they get into the good state school, a grammar, finding the means to go private if the alternatives unpaletable, ensuring their kids choose the right subjects, get the support if they struggle early etc... There are always exceptions, anecdotals etc. but the general trend is there.

What's frustrating is when kids slip a grade at A-level in chemistry precluding doing medicine probably because they did double science rather than single chemistry at GCSE or when a bright computer science applicant doesn't have maths because the school suggested they did computer science instead - these disadvantages seem to happen int he state sector more. Private education isn't an option for me but I have sufficeint knowledge to know what needs to be done outside of the school and to recognise bad schools, subject offerings - for kids who parents don't it's more hit and miss and I think the grammar school system by focussing on academic selection did offer mobility for kids and support where parents didn't have the experience or knowledge to go it alone.

barnaby-bear

hellyboo wrote: »

I didn't go to private school and I'm a GP. I love my job!
My brother went to the same school and is a Head Rugby coach - he loves his job too!

I guess it depends on what you want to do. It was a grammar school though so we were pushed harder than alot of schools. My daughters are going to go to private school as we don't have any grammar schools here.

Many of my doctor friends did not go to private school but I guess the majority in my year did.

We did a sample we asked first year medical students how many had a doctor parent - statistically it should be something like 3% - the result was something like 80%. I suspect early exposure to medicine influences this and having parents who know how exactly what is need subject and grade wise and have the experience of the subjects to offer homework help.

barnaby-bear

3plus1 wrote: »

I don't think private school is necessarily essential for success - but I do know my life would have turned out differently if I'd gone to the local state school.

At private school, I was able to study the languages I loved - French, German, Italian and even a bit of Latin. I wouldn't have been able to study them at the local state school - and I certainly wouldn't have been able to take half of them as 'crash' subjects. Having the academic freedom to explore the subjects I wanted to encouraged me to study modern languages at university. Oh, I would have gone to university regardless of which secondary school I went to, but I'd have done a different degree and I don't know what I'd have ended up doing with my life.

I think languages is a sector like science where the state sector is struggling, recently languages have become optional and as a result of less (possibly unwilling though) applicants pupils the schools can't offer the choices.

lolababy

Hi Im lucky both of my children are very clever . My eldest plods along but flies through exams and his primary school wrote to his high school telling them he is a genius. My dd is very motivated and top in her class. My point is that Its how the child is taught,how they grasp things ,and if their parents are supportive. Even public schools have children who struggle and dont pass exams.
I personally think that we should not have this two tier education system. Every child should have the same chance in life. In saying that I am realistic and as long as people are willing to pay then we will always have private schools.

shirlgirl2004

My DS1 is extremely academic. He went to state schools and was never pushed. He could get top grades without trying. When he got to Uni he didn't know how to work and dropped out after 2 years. He now works in Mc D's. I'm now sending my DD to a private school where she will be pushed and where she'll learn how to work. Unfortunately she doesn't seem as academic as her brother but at 4 she had a reading age of 8 so she isn't exactly struggling either.

The difference I notice between state and private is the manners of the children. The money is worth the extra just for that.

The parents aren't elitist in my DDs class the parents are doctors, social worker, youth worker, nurse, teachers, journalist and lots working in the finance/insurance sector. In fact some of the nicest parents are the ones with the most money. The person that seems to look down on people most actually moved her children from a state school but I think maybe she has issues about not fitting in or something I'm not sure.

poet123

shirlgirl2004 wrote: »

My DS1 is extremely academic. He went to state schools and was never pushed. He could get top grades without trying. When he got to Uni he didn't know how to work and dropped out after 2 years. He now works in Mc D's. I'm now sending my DD to a private school where she will be pushed and where she'll learn how to work. Unfortunately she doesn't seem as academic as her brother but at 4 she had a reading age of 8 so she isn't exactly struggling either.

The difference I notice between state and private is the manners of the children. The money is worth the extra just for that.

The parents aren't elitist in my DDs class the parents are doctors, social worker, youth worker, nurse, teachers, journalist and lots working in the finance/insurance sector. In fact some of the nicest parents are the ones with the most money. The person that seems to look down on people most actually moved her children from a state school but I think maybe she has issues about not fitting in or something I'm not sure.

Sorry,but manners are taught at home,by the time they get to school the basics should be there. Similarly,the (state)schools and (private)schools my kids attended were equally hot on using manners,manners which we insist upon at home too. So whilst the school has a part to play,I don't believe any parent can/should, blame a school for that aspect.