[parmnion]

I'm going private...

Even though I was at a public school.

[Kate!]

Neither. I hated secondary school with a vengeance.

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by parmnion

I'm going private...

Even though I was at a public school.

My private school was a public school.
It took boarders.

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by smudgie

My private school was a public school.
It took boarders.

I dont like the thought of that.
Were you treated like an outsider?

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Kate!

Neither. I hated secondary school with a vengeance.

Did you skip school?

[Kate!]

Originally Posted by parmnion

Did you skip school?

Occasionally but not often.

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Kate!

Occasionally but not often.

You went to public school?

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by parmnion

You went to public school?

Do you mean state schools Parm or actual old school public schools like Eton etc?

[Toy Soldier]

Yeah there's a bit of a confusion with terms here - "public schools" in the UK, by the traditional meaning, wasn't your local catchment high school.

"state school vs private school" is a clearer distinction.

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by parmnion

I dont like the thought of that.
Were you treated like an outsider?

Of course not.
It was all fee paying, just some pupils were boarders as they came from a different area.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Yeah there's a bit of a confusion with terms here - "public schools" in the UK, by the traditional meaning, wasn't your local catchment high school.

"state school vs private school" is a clearer distinction.

Yes that's what we would call them too.

I went to state schools as did/do my kids

[UserSince2005]

I went to a ****ty northern state school. Damn if i went to a private school id be president of the US and prime minster of the UK at the same time. My potential and ability was limitless.

[AnnieK]

I went to private but would not send my son private, he goes to a state primary and will go to state high school. I don't believe the standard of teaching is much different. The only benefit I got from going to the school I did is it got me my firat job. The interview was going terribly, I was nervous and the guy interviewing was seriously just going through the motions. He asked me something about my exam results and I had my school record of acheivement which had the school badge on. As soon as he saw it, his eyes lit up as his son went to the boys school. Turns out he knew my brother...blah blah so despite having a terrible interview, no relevant experience I got the job because he liked the school I went to.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by UserSince2005

I went to a ****ty northern state school. Damn if i went to a private school id be president of the US and prime minster of the UK at the same time. My potential and ability was limitless.

You have to be born in the US to be able to become the President

[UserSince2005]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

You have to be born in the US to be able to become the President

theyd change the rules for someone like me.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by UserSince2005

theyd change the rules for someone like me.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

I went to private but would not send my son private, he goes to a state primary and will go to state high school. I don't believe the standard of teaching is much different. The only benefit I got from going to the school I did is it got me my firat job. The interview was going terribly, I was nervous and the guy interviewing was seriously just going through the motions. He asked me something about my exam results and I had my school record of acheivement which had the school badge on. As soon as he saw it, his eyes lit up as his son went to the boys school. Turns out he knew my brother...blah blah so despite having a terrible interview, no relevant experience I got the job because he liked the school I went to.

That is literally one of the main benefits of private education though (and going to a top-tier University, etc.) ... for career-driven people, the benefit of connections and nepotism far outweighs any actual education. Just take a peek at the Westminster front benches .

My thoughts are two-fold really. I don't think the education standards are all that much better than MANY state schools, however, postcode lottery comes into it; there are unfortunately some terrible schools out there in terms of likely academic outcomes, as well as social ... dangers ... so I completely understand people who have the means to send their child to private school, but are in the catchment area of a rough or underperforming state school, making that choice.

If you're lucky enough to be in the catchment area of a good school there's far less reason to go private.

Although, private schools will always have much more extensive extracurricular options (state schools, especially these days, just don't have the funding) so if there's a particular extracurricular offered that is important for where someone wants to go career-wise, again I can see the draw of going private.