GCSE State/Public Schools

South isn't that bad! I taught for 35 years in Inner City Comps and very rewarding it was too! Not financially of course!

My son went to a local Comp and sometimes it was tough for him but he tells me he doesn't now regret it as he can mix with all and hold his own. He has a degree and a very well paid IT job.

If private schools offer a better education - smaller classes etc - then that's what all children should have. Let us not accept the hypocrisy of leaders (Labour leaders even) who are responsible for the state system but don't deem it good enough for their own children.

I am very pleased we brought our children up in the Netherlands. There private schools do not exist. Nor does private medicine. The standard in the schools is high and each child has equal opportunities.
As a teacher myself I do not believe it is fair that those who can afford it are able to pay for superior services in both health and education. I am not a socialist but this two tear system we have just promotes the class differences.

Sorry ‘tier’

Hey!

dragonfly & * grannyp* ?

Good to hear!

grannyp my only first-hand experience of the education system in England was my work with the ILEA in 1969-72. It was my first job after graduating and involved preparation for the raising of the school leaving age to 16. I visited lots of London schools and became aware of the different faith schools and voluntary-aided schools.
My experiences confirmed that I did want to go into teaching but not in London and so returned to Scotland to take a PGDE course.
We also realised at that stage that we didn't want to bring up a family in London so the return to Scotland was right for us.
I've watched from afar what has happened since then and am glad I haven't been involved, as teacher and as parent. Despite the fact that the Scottish system isn't perfect I believe we made the correct choice.

Reading some of the comments here reinforces my view that private schools should be abolished. If there was one education system for all then it would be an improved system as the decision makers would know that their own families would be affected. The playing field should be level, the standards should be universally high and fair. The country and society as a whole would benefit.

Perhaps just one political party too?

No

I was quite annoyed when I wrote NO last night!

I have noticed there are some posters who seem to stereotype people with different views from their own. For example if a poster is clearly on the far left they must be hard, Stalinist, dictatorial, maybe even bullying!! Or undemocratic. In spite of earlier posts they immediately ascribe these standpoints or character.

In my view their comments should say something like: "do you also think there should be only one party?" Or: "I believe these policies lead to a lack of democracy."

Que?

grannypauline you don't like my attitude to the availability of choice in education (among other things). I don't like prescriptive attitudes in an attempt to somehow make life exactly the same for everyone. So far, countries which have attempted to do this have been Stalinist and dictatorial and they have failed.
We're all different in every aspect of our lives. Vive la difference!

jane quite.

I have just caught up with this thread and can't believe the prescriptive attitudes and intolerances on show.

We chose to privately educate our children when we were told by the left wing Director of Education in our area that all schools would be open plan within 5 years.

Having started on that path, what should we do?

Does that make us extreme right wing?

If so, explain why my husband worked for the nhs for 50 years when he could have earned considerably more by working in the private sector.

We lived in an Edwardian semi where our contempories (admittedly with fewer children) lived further out of town in detached houses and drove better cars.

Most people do what they consider to be the best thing for their family be it paying for education, medicine, holidays, cars etc.

Tolerance wouldn't go amiss.

I think the issue is that the country is suffering as a result of our class system. Just look at the unholy mess this country is in at the moment! Most people cannot afford to send their children to be educated privately. The talent pool needs to be wider so that the best people get the jobs, not the people with parents who can afford to put their children through a grossly unfair system. Something needs to change.

For example if a poster is clearly on the far left they must be hard, Stalinist, dictatorial, maybe even bullying!! Or undemocratic.

No-one has said that you are a Stalinist, grannypauline because you have said on previous threads that you are a Marxist. I presume you would not want to re-introduce gulags or extermination for anyone who dared to open or use a private school!!

However, I would say that it is undemocratic to eliminate choice, not just in education.

The more choice the better.....for anything in life.

Quite lemon.

lemon ?????

Only if everyone has a similar choice.. otherwise it becomes privilege !

And if someone's 'choice' prevents someone else having their 'choice' ? How do you overcome that?

Choice is just a myth used by politicians to con the electorate!

Does someone's choice prevent someone else from having it? I don't think so.
I note that some of the private schools near us offer up to 110% of fees for children who might need that. Edinburgh is unusual in that almost 26% of children go to private schools. Most of these schools are legacies from hundreds of years ago and set up to educate the indigent poor.

Life is not equal- never has been never will be. A cleaner will not earn the same as a CEO of a multinational company.

Grammar Schools, bursaries to private schools and good comprehensive schools providing exceptional education and the gift of the love of learning is the pathway for our young to become whatever they believe they can.

Cut out the rubbish reality tv and celebrity culture and get our youngsters dreaming of better things.

I don't believe that, in spite of the bursaries, the aim of the private schools in Edinburgh is still "to educate the indigenous poor".

One of my clients, having been educated up to the age of sixteen within the state system, was sent to a very posh private boarding school in Edinburgh for two years because his parents were sent abroad because of his father's (well paid) job.

He subsequently told me that the connections he made there, and the ability to drop casual references about his famous old school into conversation, were extremely helpful to him as an Edinburgh businessman.

Having something in common with people you meet in business is obviously helpful but not if you're no good at your job. Edinburgh is a very small world.

The builder down the local pub will give his mates son a job, the cafe owner will give her friends child a job - they have to be capable and able to execute the job to the best of their ability. The 0ld Boys Network” is not exclusive to the privileged and privately educated!

Why would a cleaner NOT earn the same as a CEO? They are both important to an organisation. And both have the same needs for themselves and their family.