Private school fees (merged)

Tim_L

This is why this subject is so emotive really. Parents want to be doing the best they can for their children, and where they can't do the same as others for reasons of money or mobility or whatever, sparks will be struck. You can see that sort of thing throughout the arguments on this thread.

It's pretty unusual for a parent of a child in a private school not to be very supportive of their child's education. You can't extrapolate from one person what others do.

I suppose it's a bit like being stuck on the Titanic watching people rowing away in lifeboats. You can choose to get angry with the survivors for getting places, or you can choose to be angry with the designers of the ship for making the lifeboats necessary.

Discodee

Tim_L wrote: »

Well setmefree, if that's true, then let us all know where you're living - I think you can expect a massive influx of parents.

In Brighton, it's crap. Two decent schools out of about seven total, massively oversubscribed, open warfare between groups of parents in the urban centre who feel they have a poor choice and who are trying to have admittance rules changed in their favour, and suburban parents feeling they are being squeezed out.

There are probably islands where this sort of thing doesn't happen, but I think it's the norm.

And spare me the emotive rubbish about apartheid. Apartheid was evil - separating people by race, many of the victims of apartheid were murdered or tortured. There is no equation at all with a streaming system, which is what Grammar schools provided.

Get used to it: the world streams you by ability. Grouping all children together and attempting to educate them equally may be great from a lofty egalitarian view, but the practical result is that the able children get held back and are bored, because disproportionate resources are spent bringing the rest up to a minimum standard.

But Tim, sorry that is so untrue!
Kids get to grammar school because their parents can afford to tutor them, simple as.
Luckily my daughter is very gifted and passed without any, but there are a lot of above average kids out there whos parents feel they wont pass without tuiton, which they cannot afford, so they dont bother.
In fact i was told by several people that my DD would NOT pass the 11 plus unless I had her tutored!
As I've said previously ( and will answer another posters question in a mo as I feel Ive maybe not made myself properly clear and caused misunderstanding) there are many kids in year 8 not as clever as myyear 4 son. Thats true!!

Discodee

setmefree2 wrote: »

Hi Tim,

I appreciate the time and effort you spent on your post and the many good points you have made. However, you spoiled it all IMHO by saying that the state system is crap.:rolleyes: You seem to base this opinion on your experience with your children's state primary school. Maybe your children's state primary wasn't very good. However, this is not my experience of the state sector - my kids' schools (primary & high schools) have not been crap. Indeed, we had many good states to choose from. My children are having an excellent education and I would not change a thing and, no, if someone offered me a place at a private school I would not take it, even if you paid me a million pounds;).

All the Best

SMF2

Oh now SMF2

For the one and only time I have to disagree

If someone offered me a million pounds to put my kids in private school I think I would have to take them up on it :eek:

emsywoo123

Who would have thought that when this thread started, it would turn into what it has?!

Discodee

Tim_L wrote: »

And on the first point, I think I got a better education in the 1970s from the state sector than is available now for anyone. comprehensive she'd get a pl

yes I do agree with that, but that's across the board

Schools these days do not seem to pick up on spelling, grammar, punctuation. I know my typing is crap, but if needs be I can write very well, with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. My DD (13) can do the same. My DS 9, can mostly, but there may the odd error.

However, you only have to look at these forums really and see the difference in the grasp of English the younger generation have.

How many people cannot differentiate between your and you're, there their and they're, where were and we're?
Listen to any soccer programme and there is always one fellow who "seen him take the ball, but he's took his shot well, he done well" blah de blah.
I know my kids have said they have TEACHERS who use incorrect English, some of them in grammar school. My neice has qualified as a teacher and her grammar is AWFUL! (She's on hubby's side btw lmao!!!!!:rotfl: )

My DD says that her teachers never correct the bad spelling and punctuation of her peers.

I have always corrected my children's mistakes. True, there were never many as they're clever and do see you couldn't correct every mistake if there was one in every 5 words or it would co pletely demoralise the child. But that is how mine have learned. That and lots of reading.

We all knew our tables back to front as kids too. I taught mine their tables as they don't put the same emphasis on them these days

emsywoo123

sjaypink wrote: »

sorry to butt in here but ive somehow jumped onto this thread twice now by reading posts about benefits/ low income then selecting to read other posts by the postee. surely someone in receipt of IS couldnt b payin private school fees?

Oooo I wonder why you have been reading through my posts?! How exciting, somebody out there in cyberspace reading my thoughts and musings.......:D

Tim_L

It's a complete myth to say you need tutoring to pass the 9 and 11 plus. Most of my peers weren't - I wasn't, except for doing lessons in verbal reasoning in primary school which introduced the ideas. Actually the ability range in my school was very wide indeed.

It has become the case that marginal children from the middle classes are tutored where grammar schools still exist, because it is cheaper to tutor a child than pay for private school. But this is a gross distortion of the Grammar school ethos, where far more places were available. Grammar schools did a very good job of providing an academic route for children based on ability regardless of social background. But this is no longer possible on a broad base because there are very few of them left.

Discodee

katherinedrex wrote: »

Discodee wrote: »

What on earth are you doing on a money saving forum with all your dosh??
And for goodness sakes girl, when you've read this, go and eat some cream cakes!!!


I have to say Discodee this is a bit of a childish remark and the aim of everyone getting together on these forums is to help one another achieve what we all want, to be debt free and continue to prosper financially. There is not a members rule that says you are out of the club once you get solvent and prosper.

I can understand that you may have steam blowing out of your ears at the moment but let's keep to what this site is about.

THis one obviously didn't get an O level in humour:rolleyes: :rotfl:

Discodee

Mado wrote: »

katherinedrex wrote: »

*I think it was a joke based on posh spice's user name...*

:T :T :T :beer:

Discodee

But Tim my DD is the ONLY girl in her class of 30 odd who wasn't tutored!