[Bollo]

Yes I agree with both, my stepdad cut back on a lot of luxuries and although retired is doing private work in order to afford to send my stepsister to private school as she is dyslexic and was struggling with her schoolwork. He moved her to private school and she is now flourishing as the teachers are able to spend more time with her and it has made a huge difference to her confidence.

With regards to the NHS they do thier best but I know so many people that have been misdiagnosed and/ or sent away saying that there is nothing wrong them until finally they despair and go private as a last resort and get a correct diagnosis and/or get better.

[Me. I Am Salman]

No frickin way

[CharlieO]

I agree with it completely. It gives a more beneficial consumption than if more affluent people just spent their money on flashy things to create more of an obvious divide.

People act as if the parents who send their children to private school haven't worked for it. They work bloody hard to send their children to a good school. How would it be fair for the child of a hard working family to be sent to the same school as someone with lazy unemployed parents because they can't be bothered to get a job.

People have the right to have it better. The role of price is to allocate resources to those who can afford it. Otherwise we would be half communist.

[Niall]

Originally Posted by CharlieO

I agree with it completely. It gives a more beneficial consumption than if more affluent people just spent their money on flashy things to create more of an obvious divide.

People act as if the parents who send their children to private school haven't worked for it. They work bloody hard to send their children to a good school. How would it be fair for the child of a hard working family to be sent to the same school as someone with lazy unemployed parents because they can't be bothered to get a job.

People have the right to have it better. The role of price is to allocate resources to those who can afford it. Otherwise we would be half communist.

But the divide it causes is something greater than any material possession. It gives children that do go to private school an advantage education-wise over others and thats something that just doesn't sit right with me. Everyone should have a level playing field at school and have an equal chance at a start in life. It just doesn't seem fair to my mind.

And it would be completely fair! Just because the parents have worked hard doesn't mean that their children are superior to that of a couple who are unemployed.

Also that doesn't always work. In fact it just solidifies inequality. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. If you left the role of price to allocate things to people I bet the corporations would overcharge obscenely for everything.

[Ammi]

My OH had to have an endoscopy (tube down his throat). He was informed that the anesthetic would be the equivalent of drinking 10 pints of beer in 5 minutes, so he would not be able to drive home afterwards. We had not long moved to a new area, didn't know anyone and I had a toddler and a 3 week old baby, so couldn't accompany him to the hospital. It wasn't a problem, the hospital said, they would arrange an ambulance home. Well, they didn't arrange an ambulance home, they didn't allow him any 'recovery' time in the hospital after the procedure, they didn't ensure he got safely into a taxi. What they did do, was to ask him if he had any cash to get a taxi, and then gave him directions to where he could get one. Thankfully, he managed to get home safely on his own, as I doubt anyone would have helped him. He just appeared to anyone seeing him as drunk. He literally fell out of the taxi when he arrived home...but thankfully he was ok. That was NHS.

I had a brain tumour 9 years ago. At the time my OH had private medical insurance through his employer. After several visits to my GP, who diagnosed eyestrain, allergies and migraines, my OH asked for a specialist opinion, using his private medical insurance. My tumour was diagnosed and removed within 3 weeks. The biopsy (benign) was another 2 weeks later. My consultant explained how fortunate I was that it had been diagnosed when it was and not continued to grow and place more pressure on my brain. He explained everything from the first consultation, all throughout the procedure and the risks involved and the recovery and aftercare to minimise the scarring.
That is Private Medical Care.

It is terrifying to have any surgical procedure...to be unsure of the outcome, to arrange childcare, time off work, the emotional stress on your family. If you have private medical insurance through your employer or you are fortunate enough to be able to afford it, what more deserving 'purchase' than your health or your families health. It should be the same for everyone, yes. An ideal NHS would be the same, but in my experience it is not...not even close.

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by Niall

But the divide it causes is something greater than any material possession. It gives children that do go to private school an advantage education-wise over others and thats something that just doesn't sit right with me. Everyone should have a level playing field at school and have an equal chance at a start in life. It just doesn't seem fair to my mind.

And it would be completely fair! Just because the parents have worked hard doesn't mean that their children are superior to that of a couple who are unemployed.

Also that doesn't always work. In fact it just solidifies inequality. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. If you left the role of price to allocate things to people I bet the corporations would overcharge obscenely for everything.

But the thing is that private school doesn't guarantee a better education. The education in state schools can be just as good it is just generally the kids in state schools do not try. They muck around because that is what their parents did.

Inequality is life and without it the world would be a much worse off place. If everyone was equal we would have nothing to aim towards.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by CharlieO

But the thing is that private school doesn't guarantee a better education. The education in state schools can be just as good it is just generally the kids in state schools do not try. They muck around because that is what their parents did.

Inequality is life and without it the world would be a much worse off place. If everyone was equal we would have nothing to aim towards.

It might not guarantee a better education but it certainly makes it far more likely

Privately educated children are four times more likely than state pupils to get straight As at A-level, and more than three times as likely to go to university. Just under half of the pupils accepted at Oxford and Cambridge universities come from the 7% of the population educated at private school.

From there it is a short step to the heart of the establishment. Nearly three quarters of judges, about a third of FTSE 100 chief executives, half of all senior journalists and a third of MPs - including the chancellor, Alistair Darling; the education secretary, Ed Balls; and Labour's deputy leader, Harriet Harman - were privately schooled.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...ivilege-pupils

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by MTVN

It might not guarantee a better education but it certainly makes it far more likely



http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...ivilege-pupils

That is the media's perception not pure fact.

Plus people act as if certain parents have been handed this money. They haven't, they have worked hard so that their children get to go to a better school. The whole world revolves around choices and removing ones choice because the less affluent people complain is just ridiculous.

If all children were sent to equal schools there would just be more bullying ect. Because the parents do not have to pay for school fees so instead their children get materialistic wealth to make others feel more uncomfortable with.

Plus if everyone was forced upon the same standard of education then some parents would be technically paying more for the same standard of school as someone who doesn't have to pay income tax because they don't have a job. This is far more unfair that different prices come to different people based on how hard they work.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by CharlieO

I agree with it completely. It gives a more beneficial consumption than if more affluent people just spent their money on flashy things to create more of an obvious divide.

People act as if the parents who send their children to private school haven't worked for it. They work bloody hard to send their children to a good school.
How would it be fair for the child of a hard working family to be sent to the same school as someone with lazy unemployed parents because they can't be bothered to get a job.

People have the right to have it better. The role of price is to allocate resources to those who can afford it. Otherwise we would be half communist.

That's unfair. Most families with hard working jobs can never afford to send their sprogs to private schools but only afford to put bread on the table.

I never spend my money on stupid stuff but if I have sprogs in the future I wouldn't be able to send them to private school because I don't earn enough.

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by Beastie

That's unfair. Most families with hard working jobs can never afford to send their sprogs to private schools but only afford to put bread on the table.

I never spend my money on stupid stuff but if I have sprogs in the future I wouldn't be able to send them to private school because I don't earn enough.

Yes I do totally understand that. And that is why I do believe that free education is all well and good. However if people can get better I think they should be able too.

[CharlieO]

And it is not true that just because you are sent to a private school means you are guaranteed an affluent life. It is such a misconception.

[CharlieO]

What we also have to remember is parents who don't utilise the state school system still in technicality pay for those who do's education. So if schooling and healthcare could only be free more people would take the stance of there is no point to work and then funding would go down and the whole system just wouldn't work.

[CharlieO]

Parents who can afford to send their children to private school also have to pay a bigger tax amount to pay for others schooling. That is far more unfair than the concept of private school.

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by CharlieO

Parents who can afford to send their children to private school also have to pay a bigger tax amount to pay for others schooling. That is far more unfair than the concept of private school.

I think most people would rather have a high paid job and pay high tax rather than be on the dole. I know I would!