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Reply | Private education.
at 11:28 18 Mar 2022
You are correct, it is a shame that there is a gulf between state and private education. One thing I would say is that most private schools have awards, scholarships and bursaries for students with parents who may not be able to afford the fees. The students don't necessarily have to be the most academically gifted or sporty either. Eagerness to learn and potential does seem to be taken into consideration in my experience. |
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Reply | Private education.
at 16:11 17 Mar 2022
From my experience, with my two children (daughter now 20 and son now 12), it was the best thing I could have done for them to move them to private schools. If you can afford it, do it. Both were at very good state primary schools, but the level of all round education is far better at their private schools and this is appreciated by both of my children.
My daughter was a local state primary which was deemed to be very good, but she was clearly not being stretched academically there, and she was bullied a bit because she paid attention, behaved and did better than most of the other students. Her class was regularly disrupted by a couple of students as well. I therefore moved her to a private all girls school. She excelled there in an atmosphere where everyone wanted to learn and do well. All the students were supported by fellow students and teachers, whether students were academically gifted or not. There were no issues between students regarding background, class, wealth, etc as you might expect.
At 16 she asked to attend the local supposedly very good state high school as it was near (she was tired of going to school by bus) and wanted to go to a school where there were boys too. She therefore moved schools at 15 sat her GCSE's and went to 6th Form and hated every moment as she experienced many of the same issues she had when she at her primary school. She then really appreciated what a far better place for learning her private school was and was very thankful she had the opportunity to go there. She is now studying law at a top university.
My son went to a different local state primary school which was excellent. He had an opportunity to go to a grammar school, but chose to move with his friends to the local state high school. He is reasonably clever and keen to learn, but felt he was being held back by the teaching being aimed at the 'average' student and because of the regular disruption in classes by some students who didn't want to learn. This caused him to lose interest in school and he dreaded going. Speaking to other parents who's children went to the same state primary school as my son, they have the same issues with the high school, so I am aware its not just an issue with my son.
At my son's request, after one year at state high school, he moved to a private school and loves it. It's a new world of opportunity to him from an academic, social and sporting aspect, and he is coming home and doing homework without being asked to and is keen to go to school the next day. He is more confident and certainly much happier. He has made lots of new friends and says everyone is kind and supportive and there are no class issues at all. Incidentally, the head of his year at the state high school told both my son and I that my son would be much better off at a private school than her school. That tells you something when a head of year says that.
I went to a state school (as did most of my family), and I was always skeptical about private schools being worthwhile and I will admit it has been a struggle to pay the school fees at times. However, the difference a private school has made to the happiness, wellbeing and the academic and personal growth of my children is worth every single penny. It's certainly the best thing I could have done for them. |
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