State vs Private Education

Coulson

Privates schools are not inherently unfair. If you have the money why not send your child to get the best education possible. However, the first obvious problem is that the state school system is so variable in quality. At best you have state schools that rival any private school. So for example if you are teaching medical students in university then you probably have many of the best students anyway whether they are from private or state schools.

The average state school from my personal experience and experience of my kids education is pretty poor. If you are bright then you can probably progress but if for example you are a slow starter then your whole life can be screwed up right there. The other major elephant in the room is the variable teacher quality. Yes they are underpaid, yes they are no longer respected as they ought to be and yes they no longer have enough time to teach properly, but teacher quality is rarely addressed. I think that the government realised this which is why they have started these very strict curriculums and exams. But as usual with anything these days we went from one extreme to the other. We went from poor teachers allowed to do what they want to every teacher being overworked and under appreciated.

Grammar (*fixed*) schools are not the solution. They are only another leeching of teaching talent and the brighter students from the state sector.

IronGiant

{snigger}

Sorry.

r21442

FWIW the taxation issue is a red herring and politics of envy. Tax would be applied to profits. You know many schools deliberately run at a profit? What would be the point in that?

VAT? Well, as the vast majority of parents are already paying upper and many additional rates of tax on top of saving the local authority the cost of educating their children then how many taxes do we want? I know for many its until the pips squeak but as we've heard on here many parents sacrifice other luxuries in order to save the local authority the expense. There's many local authorities that would go under if they had to build schools and fund the teaching of the private sector. No thanks necessary.

Our 2 went private for results and better learning environment based on my own experiences as a pupil and teacher of too much time spent dealing with the unruly 10% who would be better served elsewhere. In my region the worst private school results still trounce the best state school. Simples. Results provide choices.

r21442

Oh, forgot to say, the biggest disappointment of the private sector for me is the quality of the teaching.

IronGiant

In my experience the Public School students who got into Oxbridge were much less intelligent than the State School Students who got there on merit alone

r21442

I could imagine that, IG. Folk that have to fight harder to attain something are often more rounded as a result of their journey? Got to weigh that up versus the average result from both. Pros and cons. I'd say my two are not as streetwise as I'd like them to be nor as aware of cross section society. Just means these need addressed in other ways.

The BIG issue is parents that don't give a damn about any of that.

rustybin

The vast majority of school funding comes directly from central government based on £££per pupil. So there's no burden saved on LAs really from privately educated children. They don't have to educate them, but they don't get the funding for them either.

r21442

Bow to your knowledge, rusty. Not sure if Scotland is different? Either way, private school pupils are saving the public purse.

r21442

And VAT on school fees would go to the same Central government that ultimately funds schools.

Coulson

Maybe so, squiffy, but don't go thinking that any extra revenue generated by double taxation would find its way to state schools!

And, if it meant less people attending private schools and poorer overall results, it will hit the government targets which they care so much about.