Why do British royal children not go to state schools like the Scandanavian royals?

Mamie

Has any one else read Sad Little Men by Richard Beard? Fascinating insight into the system that produced Boris Johnson et al.

No but I've read an article by him about how he was traumatised and damaged by going away to boarding school age eight. He is writing subjectively.

Not all schools are boarding schools.

varian

Having been, for many years, a school governor, I believe that no-one should ever be appointed as a governor if they have children eligible to attend the school but chose to send them elsewhere - for any reason.

If the school is not good enough for your children, whose children is it good enough for?

My thoughts exactly Varian, I was spitting feathers when the story was related to me.

varian

Having been, for many years, a school governor, I believe that no-one should ever be appointed as a governor if they have children eligible to attend the school but chose to send them elsewhere - for any reason.

If the school is not good enough for your children, whose children is it good enough for?

I agree, varian and we know a few teachers who taught in the state system just to earn enough money to pay school fees to enable their own children to attend independent schools.

And Terribull

Callistemon the book goes much deeper than that. Boris Johnson is just one of the subjects. It is especially interesting on attitudes to women, possibly caused by feeling abandoned by their mothers at seven.
And yes I am fully aware that not all schools are boarding schools. As I said I was educated at independent schools from the age of four, as was my husband. We did not want it for our children, not because there was anything much wrong with the schools, but because we wanted them to have a broader perspective on life.

varian

Having been, for many years, a school governor, I believe that no-one should ever be appointed as a governor if they have children eligible to attend the school but chose to send them elsewhere - for any reason.

If the school is not good enough for your children, whose children is it good enough for?

Independent proprietorial schools don't have to have governors.
You just tell the parents and staff you're the guv'nor, the boss, the dictator, and what you say goes!
Makes life easier

Mamie

Callistemon the book goes much deeper than that. Boris Johnson is just one of the subjects. It is especially interesting on attitudes to women, possibly caused by feeling abandoned by their mothers at seven.
And yes I am fully aware that not all schools are boarding schools. As I said I was educated at independent schools from the age of four, as was my husband. We did not want it for our children, not because there was anything much wrong with the schools, but because we wanted them to have a broader perspective on life.

DH went to boarding school at eight.
His attitude towards women is absolutely fine.

Boris's attitude to women may have been influenced by his upbringing rather than by school. Seeing his father break his mother's nose can't have helped but by all accounts he was close to is mother.

My DH wore a skirt and yellow socks at school.
His attitude towards women, and fashion, is pretty good too!

Could the answer to the question in the original post be "Because they are not Scandinavian" ?

Well clearly not everyone emerges from their school in an identical fashion. I was at school with an eminent Tory politician and I am certainly no Tory. Nevertheless the Richard Beard book is an interesting read.

also see the work of alex renton, also re boarding school, esp at young age. hideous.

Dh went to an all boy public school. The stories he tells are mind blowing. The year before he started all swimming was done naked. He is clear it damaged his ability to relate to women. Not in terms of being unpleasant rather in terms of social ease.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are about to send their three children to a private school near their new home in Windsor at a reported cost of over £50 pa just for the fees

Because it’s such a bargain?

Elegran

Could the answer to the question in the original post be "Because they are not Scandinavian" ?

Yes, I think it was answered pages ago, Elegran ?

Galaxy

Dh went to an all boy public school. The stories he tells are mind blowing. The year before he started all swimming was done naked. He is clear it damaged his ability to relate to women. Not in terms of being unpleasant rather in terms of social ease.

Don't mention grammar schools and cold showers, naked under the eagle eye of the gym mistress.
Unpleasant but we survived ?

DS went to a boarding school from 11 to 18, but came home every Sunday. He has never had any problem relating to women. His MiL sings his praises because he is such a kind and caring man towards his family and everybody else.

It was a boys school, but from 16 onwards they took part in activities with other schools of all kinds both single sex and co-ed. I think the part single sex schools played in making one sex uncomfortable with the other is often overblown.

Single sex schools existed as a the result of a whole societaal attitude to keeping young people apart during adolescence and a disapproval of teenagers mixing with other teenagers of the opposite sex. Single sex schools were a result not a cause.

Callistemon21

Elegran

Could the answer to the question in the original post be "Because they are not Scandinavian" ?

Yes, I think it was answered pages ago, Elegran ?

I am ashamed to say that I haven't read the previous posts, Callistemon.

Do all posters who decry the choices made by other people think that we didn't look at all aspects of our children's education?

How rude!

Our children were in a mixed junior school, single sex senior schools but on the sane campus. And, shock horror, Our sons had sisters and our daughters had brothers at home too.

Elegran

Callistemon21

Elegran

Could the answer to the question in the original post be "Because they are not Scandinavian" ?

Yes, I think it was answered pages ago, Elegran ?

I am ashamed to say that I haven't read the previous posts, Callistemon.

I don't blame you, Elegran

Ever decreasing circles ?

kittylester

Do all posters who decry the choices made by other people think that we didn't look at all aspects of our children's education?

How rude!

Our children were in a mixed junior school, single sex senior schools but on the sane campus. And, shock horror, Our sons had sisters and our daughters had brothers at home too.

It hasn't only been rude, kitty. I have found it, in places, openly aggressive. We all have opinions on political stances, but that doesn't make anyone more saintly than others, more knowledgeable than others (unless the poster actually is), or their opinions ones others are obliged to share. I have also found passive-aggressive replies using deliberate misreporting of the replied to post.

All in all, this has been a very nasty thread, with a few pleasant exceptions.

Morning DaisyAnne.

Still at it I see.

I havent found it aggressive, feisty on occasion but not aggressive. I am used to Twitter though.

volver

Morning DaisyAnne.

Still at it I see.

QED

moreknowledgeable than others
I think you're right on that one DaisyAnne that posters can't really know much about independent schools unless they have attended one, sent their kids to one or actually worked in one. Even then, each school is different by its very nature independent and it is impossible to generalise. There is a misconception that private schools are like Eton, that they turn out Rees Moggs, that they are full of rich families, that they don't care about any other children, that the snooty parents sound off about state schools, that the kids are spoilt blinkered brats with no idea about the real world etc. etc. All that is very far from the truth.
But of course everyone is entitled to their opinions.

Surely that works the other way as well, those who have attended public schools only have a view on the school they attended.
It's fine to think about what impact the public school system may have on our society, and about the inequality that exists between those in the state system and those in the private system. As I have said I certainly looked at the area I live in with regard to schooling before my children were even born! This doesnt mean I dont think we shouldnt be looking at the inequalities in the system.