Should we have.... Private Schools

Ye, ofc. I'm a product of private schools( boarding prep).

 

I am fine with private schools. They should still be required to teach a certain curriculum. They should also receive NO taxpayer money ever.

 

I'm in two minds with this.

On one hand its good to have schools that are the pinnacle of educational standards, producing the brightest and best to (hopefully) benefit mankind in some way. I myself cannot afford to stay in 5* hotels, use first class transportation and drive Ferraris and Aston Martins - but I'd feel it would be unfair of me to criticize these things and state they point blank should not exist. Its often because of these "high-end" products and services that standards across the board improve (as thats where the most money in research and design ends up going). Hopefully with private schools these high standards "set the bar" and the teaching methods and knowledge trickle down to state-funded schools. Plus, there are always "luxuries" in a capitalist society.

Now on the otherhand (and as a failed product of a state school) I am slightly bitter about the inequalities that occur. If you go to private school you essentially have your pick of higher education and careers in life - simply having the establishments name on your CV/resume can be enough to get you buy irrespective of achieved grades. For state schoolers life is not so rosy. With inadequate teaching, overcrowded classrooms etc kids simply do not get the opportunity to reach their full potential which is a crying shame. Those kids who do have firm career or educational ambitions have to work 10x harder than private schooled children to achieve the same end-result which is unfair.

For example if a private school candidate wishes to go to an Ivy League college or Oxbridge it will be a relatively easy affair. They will have had the best education to help them their potential, they will also likely be tutored in how to apply, how to approach interviews etc. State schoolers are often discouraged from applying for these universities because they "aren't good enough" (i.e. have not been taught well enough), or because the school does not have the time or knowledge available needed to help the kids apply. I think something is broken with this situation, although I'm not sure how we could possibly improve things.

 

Sure why not?

 

No, not really. All children should have equal access to education.

 

I'm not sure, because I feel like private school kids are given better education opportunities than poor kids, which is unfair.

 

I think everyone should have the same right to education and not have to pay exorbitant amounts of money for it. I'm a product of public schools and I turned out alright.

 

Of course we should. Why shouldn't we? Just because some people can't afford it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be an option. But this is why I'm not a socialist...

 

I don't see any issue with public schools at all, their are plenty of them and most of them are extremely good at teaching the curriculum they provide. I went through outstanding public schools all my life, my parents(like most parents) found education extremely important, they would have put and my sister into private school if they had more money or we lived in a different area. We lucked out and lived in an area with the a nationally ranked high school (in the top ten, won't specify)

Later in life, depending on where i live i might send my own kids through a private school, unless they attend the school i went to. Because I've seen and experienced the advantage of that. And i have friends who i have witnessed the advantage of outstanding Private schools.

 

Yes, for sure. I've experienced both sides, having attended both a public high-school before moving to a private school and as good as the public school was, nothing beats the smaller class sizes,and more rigorous curriculum that the private school had. I know that I want my kids to go to a private school just for the opportunities that you have there

 

Yes, I think we can have private schools, but I think that public schooling should be reworked to be just as, if not better than, private schooling.

 

Exactly. I agree. I never really believed in taking away better opportunities just because not everyone can do it. If people can afford a better school, good for them. Why should we take away that opportunity just because "well WE can't go so neither should you!"

It's childish.

---------- Post added 10th Nov 2014 at 11:43 AM ----------

Public schools do need to be reworked that's for sure.

 

I prefer grammar schools - no tuition needed, and admission is based entirely on test scores rather than your parent's financial status or socio-economic background. At least gives bright pupils from poor families a chance to shine.

 

We already do.

 

But is that a good thing or a bad thing?

 

As someone who chose a highly ranking public school over an equally prestigious private school, I can definitely say that my education is not hindered. Unfortunately, my school still has the demographics of a private school, so the equalising benefits are minimal and its admissions are still selective.

The problem with allowing private schools to flourish, especially with government funding that benefits them more than it benefits public schools (usually by giving roughly equal endowments that mean private schools have double the funds or more due to the fees parents pay), is that disadvantaged students don't have the same access to education of a high quality. Private education, along with selective public schools (and public schools in the English sense) are fine only when the education available to all is of a decent quality or if the private schools offer benefits for poorer students whose families couldn't have afforded to send them at ordinary costs.

My school and several private schools have fixed deals with top universities to be offered primary placement; stuff like that leads to problems if it isn't compensated by special circumstances scholarships and placements for poor, rural, disabled, and/or indigenous applicants etc. If the top schools with strong academic traditions aren't available for all students, then that's nothing less than systematic inequality and an academic entrenchment of class.