private schools: for or against?

[Uldric]

I went to a public school and it was great. On par with the private schools around the area. The one thing I did notice though, in the end of schooling exams (OP's here) they had alot more people with the top mark compared to all the public schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I'd say if you're going to go to a private school, wait until the last couple of years of your education. The people who start at year one are just idiots.

[Jaakilju]

Definately against, now and forever.

 

 

 

There's absolutely nothing I can even stand in private schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't see what's so damn great about not giving even a chance for the poorer kids? Hell, they could be a lot smarter than the rich brats, but the ritch

 

 

 

brats just get to go to a better school. Totally unfair, you're parents shouldn't have an effect on your possibilities in life, everybody should have equal chances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But then, in here (Finland), we don't have any private schools, so everybody goes to a public school. And uh-oh, we have the best educational system in the whole world. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public is the future!

[zach312]

Private school ruined my early childhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spent 5 years, from kindergarten to 4th grade, having religious preaching shoved down my throat, surrounded by legions of idiots, [puncture]s, and people with MAJOR superiority complexes that couldn't read, write, or do math for cabbage. The teachers felt it necessary to put down the smart children in class for "not giving others a chance to learn" (how they figured this is a mystery to me) or some other BS. Not only that, I had to teach myself the majority of the information I learned because the classes were so far behind the state's public school curriculum (yes I was actually checking the curriculum), especially in math. Luckily I got out of that cabbage-hole of a school after 5th grade and went to public school. Now I actually LEARN stuff without having to teach it to myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bit of a reinforcer:

 

 

 

We took state exams while I was still in private school, can't recall the name. This test apparently assessed our reading comprehension and math skills by figuring out what grade level our skills were most on par with. The average for a 3rd grade student (the year I took it) was about a 5th grade reading level and a 2nd grade math level. I scored a 13th grade reading level (assumed it was college level, what else could it be? :-k ) and a 9th grade math level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This school was [mentally delayed].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So basically I don't like private school (or at least my old one :lol:) because of the atmosphere and the fact that they hardly teach ANYTHING on the correct level for students in comparison to the rest of the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like cheese, however. Preferably American. \ \ \ \

[mad4u689]

 

Private schools reinforce already disparate opportunities between privileged and underprivileged groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EVERYONE should have the right to a good education, and the opportunities that result. All schools should be public, and schools across the country should be equally excellent. I am not saying to bring the best schools down to the "average" level, but rather to raise all schools up, by CONSIDERABLY increasing spending on education. Higher salaries would attract better teachers across the board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Cut most of our defense budget out to make up for it... Hey, I'm talking ideals here :D)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And you call yourself a libertarian...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have always said I am mostly libertarian, except for lots of massive spending on education (including rehabilitation in prisons), which I believe would ultimately fix pretty most other problems. :D Or maybe I haven't always said it. But I meant it!

[____]

Never liked private schools. There's no prooven benifit to going to one, period.

 

 

 

In all honestly, there aren't a lot of higher-education staff who aren't worried by the 'spoon-feeding' of material that happens in a lot of private schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They get almost EVERYTHING required to do assessment items it's pathetic, almost like they were incapable of doing anything for themself. So generally they're graduating from high school with no ability to find information by themself, and they ultimately struggled in higher-education because they never learnt anything that'd help them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, the averages for private schools is lower than the averages for private schools (going from the Queensland Core Skills Test - like the SAT and HSC, etc). Public schools also seem to get higher OP's (Overall Position) than their Private school counter-parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've got a few private-school friends, and they're less knowledgeable about the concepts of the real-world because they were never exposed to it in Private school. Kinda strage, their family forks out all this money for a "better education" and ultimately, it's total BS.

[Ss_J9_Goten]

Totally unfair, you're parents shouldn't have an effect on your possibilities in life, everybody should have equal chances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really don't agree with that. Let's, hypothetically speaking, take that to be law. Parents cannot have an effect on your possibilities in life whatsoever. Alright, so they can't put you in a school, because that's having an effect on your possibilities in life. They can't give you advice on what to do in life, because that's affecting your possibilities. See what I'm getting at?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, calling anybody who goes to a private school a "rich brat" is pretty much a stereotype. I go to a private school, and I'm not a rich brat. Hell, my parents have to work damned hard just to send me to this school. My dad is legally blind and he's STILL working just to send me to the private school I go to, so I can have a better education and do better in life. And that's not just my parents. Currently, Australia (the country I live in) is going through the worst drought in a century, and a lot of the kids in this school live on farms. Pretty hard to keep a farm running successfully in the middle of a horrible drought, but they still do it so that their kids can get a better education.

 

 

 

My brother used to go to a public school, and my mum saw the way they were taught and the environment of the public school, and that's my I and my brothers now go to a private school.

 

 

 

We don't get spoon-fed. Believe it or not, we actually have to do research in assessment tasks. We still have to revise formulae, dates, quotes, etc. for our tests. And the private school I go to has been doing very well in the honour roll (for the HSC, for Americans I think that's the equivalent of the LSATs or SATs, not sure what it's called). Basically the leaving school exam. Last year, not exactly sure on the figures, but I think somewhere around 150-160 out of 180-190 of the year 12 students got into the honour roll. In the HSC, you aren't spoon-fed.

 

 

 

And don't call us ignorant of the ways of the real world. There are actually several teachers here that spend half of the lessons telling us how to be successful. We have house masters, tutors, year co-ordinators, etc. that tell us how to survive in the real world.

 

 

 

Also, not sure who said it, but I used to believe teachers at private schools got higher pay. Until one of them told me they got the same pay as teachers at public schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you read all that, thank god this wasn't for nothing.

[Jaakilju]

 

Totally unfair, you're parents shouldn't have an effect on your possibilities in life, everybody should have equal chances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really don't agree with that. Let's, hypothetically speaking, take that to be law. Parents cannot have an effect on your possibilities in life whatsoever. Alright, so they can't put you in a school, because that's having an effect on your possibilities in life. They can't give you advice on what to do in life, because that's affecting your possibilities. See what I'm getting at?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you read all that, thank god this wasn't for nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read it. \

 

 

 

And no, I'm not really seeing what you're getting, no, not at all.

 

 

 

Giving advice to children is not something that'll drastically change something in the kids life, and that and public/private-school discussion is not in any way comparable. I think it is totally wrong in every sence that someone succees 'better' at life because his/her parents happened to be rich. The kid had nothing to do with it, so he should just be equal to everyone else, at least in education. And btw, I don't think everyone that goes to a private school is a rich brat, just a way to get posts. :mrgreen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I firmly believe everyone should be equal regardless what their parents/someone else/ did for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my opinion, private/public schools just make the gap between rich/poor people wider. And someone earlier compared this with steaks, but that is just idiotic. Having a steak doesn't effect the rest of your life, or chances of getting a job. Going to a private school (usually) does.

 

 

 

Get some frickin' arguments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Finnish 15-year-olds score first in the industrial world on comparative tests of their academic abilities."

 

 

 

- Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080502015_3.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Finland doesn't have any private schools, only public. All free.

[jak722]

Ive been to both.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't see much difference, except for the school uniforms and the often silly rituals both sides do. :-k

[BlueTear]

No matter what you say. In real life that's what matters.

 

 

 

Poor people DO get less health, education, entertainment, etc. You saying they have the right to get good education isn't going to change that.

 

 

 

My point here is: why should everyone get poor education when there are people who can get better education, and perhearps figure out a way to give everyone good education in the future?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several people in this thread have told stories of private schools that are below the standards set by public schools. Assuming that 'private' actually means better education is... not very accurate. And then there's the whole extra subjects thing, most notable various religious practices. I mean, I don't mind of some parents send their kids of to a school that only serves kosher food, adapts it holidays around religious holidays and so on, but the idea of parents sending their kids off to a school where they are taught to worship a specific diety along with maths, or indoctrinated by a political party, scares the [cabbage] out of me.

[apinagez]

 

No matter what you say. In real life that's what matters.

 

 

 

Poor people DO get less health, education, entertainment, etc. You saying they have the right to get good education isn't going to change that.

 

 

 

My point here is: why should everyone get poor education when there are people who can get better education, and perhearps figure out a way to give everyone good education in the future?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several people in this thread have told stories of private schools that are below the standards set by public schools. Assuming that 'private' actually means better education is... not very accurate. And then there's the whole extra subjects thing, most notable various religious practices. I mean, I don't mind of some parents send their kids of to a school that only serves kosher food, adapts it holidays around religious holidays and so on, but the idea of parents sending their kids off to a school where they are taught to worship a specific diety along with maths, or indoctrinated by a political party, scares the [cabbage] out of me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those you are talking about aren't normal schools, but are brainwashing institutions. I obviously don't support those.

 

 

 

My 'assumption' that private schools are better than public ones is absolutely realistic in the place I live. If you go to a public school here, you simply won't get in a college, and will live forever with a 300 dollars monthly salary.

[Ragen]

I go to one of the best public schools in my area (West Yorkshire) and it is only really outclassed by Leeds Grammar (Private).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can totally see both sides of the arguement and it's a tie between them for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Private schools offer a chance to boost some people above the rest with extra resources and supposedly better teachers. I think I'd be ok with that if they tested on ability not wealth. Yes a lot of schools do have entry tests but they arn't hard to pass. I'm against them not allowing poor but capable people to study there (unless they do scholairships for them, which I don't think most do). They should only let the most talented get in and create a race of super intelligent humans... ok maybe not but they should go by intelligence not wealth. But then that brings up the matter of funding, if they arn't getting tuition fee's the government will have to cough up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The school I go to (public) has lots of resources and very good teachers but I know of several intercity schools that are really bad. They give an incredibally bad education and no-one is there by choice. Either there parents just don't care or they are too poor to move into a good schools catchment area.

[____]

Either there parents just don't care or they are too poor to move into a good schools catchment area.

Wait, you mean that to attend a certain school, you have to be in one of x suburbs they cover? What the hell. That's tosh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know people who travel almost 3 hours (round trip) to travel between their home and school, and there's got to be about 25+ schools between their home and the one they actually attend.

[Ragen]

 

Either there parents just don't care or they are too poor to move into a good schools catchment area.

Wait, you mean that to attend a certain school, you have to be in one of x suburbs they cover? What the hell. That's tosh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know people who travel almost 3 hours (round trip) to travel between their home and school, and there's got to be about 25+ schools between their home and the one they actually attend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm English. The good schools here are over sbuscribed and they let people in based on where they live. I only just got to the school I go to now which is less than three miles away.

[Taito2004]

 

 

Either there parents just don't care or they are too poor to move into a good schools catchment area.

Wait, you mean that to attend a certain school, you have to be in one of x suburbs they cover? What the hell. That's tosh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know people who travel almost 3 hours (round trip) to travel between their home and school, and there's got to be about 25+ schools between their home and the one they actually attend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm English. The good schools here are over sbuscribed and they let people in based on where they live. I only just got to the school I go to now which is less than three miles away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, it's the same here. My school was terrible, ended up on special measures, along with 3 other schools (out of about 7? that was too - ..special measures is ofstead.. if you dont know, dont ask :P).. none of the schools in here were that good.. the closets we got to 'good' was the cathcolic school that only let 1/4 of students in, who were non-catholic.. and guess who those students were. Either people who had direct (brother or sister) relatives, or thouse who lives real close by to the school.

[pompey_spud]

Ragen, ever heard of Pocklington School? we're kinda near leeds...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

anyhoo i have experienced both sides of the spectrum. Freshly out of primary school in my village, i followed suit with EVERYONE in my village, along with all the other kids from all the other nearby villages and went to the nearest big town's highschool. (market weighton if anyones heard of it). There, the situation was COMPLETELY different to a number of views in this thread. The teachers were crap. The facilities were crap. The pupils were crap.

 

 

 

Now call me a snob if you will, but i speak the truth when i say that 90% of my year for the first 2 years at MWHS (market weighton high school) were complete and utter braindead fools, who thought school soley existed to get pregnant then kill the baby with drugs and nictotine. People like me (i skipped year 6, sue me) were shunned and ridiculed, and the teachers couldn't give a toss.

 

 

 

Thankfully, the local counsils found the money to make a 'competetion'. The top 5% of each year in MKHS would be given a grant that would help pay the large fees of the nearby private school (pocklington school, search it on wiki) The school is fairly famous for churning out good results and pupils, and for being generally a great place to be.

 

 

 

And so i went there half way through year 8, i bought the expensive uniform (blazers and ties ftw) and went on my merry way.

 

 

 

Now i was amazed. The school was fantastic and i still love it today, in my 5th year here (mock gcse's in a week also ftw!). I have many friends there, many of them teachers, and the school puts all you private-school-un-likers' stereotypes to shame. 99% of the people there are either from middle class families such as myself, asian kids who board there or from farms in the surrounding country side. Sure we almost all have iPods and good mobiles, but there is only one spoilt kid in my year, and its because her dad owns Lambreta. Everyone tries hard and it pays off: the bottom of the lowest sets are all predicted to get C's in the gcse's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultimately the argument boils down to one factor: location. In inner cities, and places like MWHS, state schools are terrible. No one wants to be there, including the teachers and hence the results fail. In these circumstances, only the best can afford to get into the Public (private to all you non-brits) schools like Pock, either through money alone or being good enough for scholarships. However i do agree that in a lot of the more prestigious Public schools, there are snobs and morons ony there on 'daddie's' money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you read all that, i give 12 cookies to you! :

[mrmyk]

 

 

 

everyone should get an equal education:

 

 

 

um... that's not possible.. some people don't learn as well as others. For example, special-ed kids... already unequal.

 

 

 

And is this problem confined solely to public schools? No, because a good number of people I've met who went to private schools are complete snobs without one whit of honest work in them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

probably another few quotes i disagree with but heres the main one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as i said i go to a private school. Yes a few people are complete idiots but in my year of around 200 theres only around...3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so not everyone is a complete snob without a "whit" of honest work in them.

[megakiller32]

Im all for one, because i go and always have gone, to private school. :P

 

 

 

That is why they make state schools, for people who can't afford it.

 

 

 

It makes people smarter and bettter off, and you can always get (or try to get) a scholarship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If everyone got an equal education, that would be EXACTLY like communism and people like chairman mao etc etc.

 

 

 

If private schools suddenly stopped exisiting, and went down the drain, not only would i not know what to do, i might even consider suicide, as it would almost certainly piss up my life in the future. :uhh:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids who go to private schools arent rich nerdy snobs, there are usually the better off morons who suck. I dont mean to anger you guys who go to state schools, but when you hear on the news stuff like "kids stabbed", theyre usually from state schools. You guys who think im a total nerdish loser just cause i go to a private school, but the majority arent, although there is the fair share of "Chavs" in my school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My old school was a private school, but it was TERRIBLE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

again, i just re-read your first post, and i noticed, if you work hard you'll get good grades in state schools, but if you work hard in a private school, youll do even better.

 

 

 

Its been proven, if you need hard work and education, if you dont get enough challenging work, or hard work, your grades will plummet and drop. Also, if you go to a private school you have a higher chance in getting a better job \

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUT. The government have put pressure onto top universities like Oxford And Cambridge (Im English :P ) to accept more kids from state schools, to it fairer. So you have a better chance in getting into a top universities if you go to a State School College.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although, private schools have kids i can make better friends with :-#

[MyPurpleCrayon]

I don't really mind...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just wish that the gangstas and the xPUNKx-sk8rs wouldn't bother coming to school because all they do is skip, hang around the halls, smoke in the bathrooms, and annoy everyone who is not one of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If they don't want an education, don't give it to them.

[mad4u689]

I would just like to point out that I went to a public school (in the US) that was objectively better (higher test scores, students went to more prestigious colleges, teachers won more awards, that kind of thing, etc) than either of the two private schools in town. My public school was also rated among the top in the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOWEVER, there's a fundamental problem with this. My public school was rated better than other public schools? What? Why should I be getting a better education when we're both being provided with education by the state?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I REMEMBER, I'm actually paying more for my education already, the way it's built in to the system! Since property taxes are what is used to pay for these public schools, because I lived in a fairly rich town with well-off residents, I benefitted from being in a school district that recieved more funding. To afford to live in this town, you have to be pretty well-off in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an example of embedded institutional classism. This is a problem. I believe there's something to be said for capitalism and raising yourself up - but in order to do this, you have to be given basic opportunities and education in the first place. EVERYONE should have a great basic education.

[FuBai]

I tend to be for Private school education. Sure it might be fair for everyone to have the same level of education, but Private schools give (usualy) a better level of education so why lower eveyone to the same low standard rather than allowing some at least to get the best on offer? To be fair I would have given you are more firebrand argument a year ago but my convictions flew out the window a few months ago. Almost everything seems to complex to provide any answer to.

[andufusthebronze]

my mum says that private skools dont give arounded education, rubbish i want to go to private skool aaaaargh

[FuBai]

my mum says that private skools dont give arounded education, rubbish i want to go to private skool aaaaargh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They do give quite a rounded education to be honest. It depends on what school you go to - like with anything :S

[assassin_696]

I go to a private school in the UK. I don't have personal experience in the state sector, but I have a few friends in the state schools who all wish they could go to my school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it's expensive, yes you have to pass an academic exam to get in but I honestly don't think I could go to a better school. I love it, the teaching staff are generally awesome, very well qualified and clearly know they're stuff. The extra curricular and sports activities are second to none. The traditional house system is brilliant, the music is fantastic and the atmosphere is great. The exam results are also very good, but my school isn't simply an exam factory. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it really is bloody good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with mad in principle, everyone should have access to a good free education, but some of the problems go beyond simple funding, it's lack of (good) teachers, standards and too much litigation and politics etc. I know a lot of state schools are frankly, crap, but it would take more than money to bring them round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I had the money I would probably send my kids to a private school. I think they offer a better education and chance in life. However I probably wouldn't send them to an ultra posh, exclusive public school, because I think they pull the wool over their eyes.

[dangeresque]

i am against private schools because they dont let you wear what you want to. What you wear is a way of expressing yourself, thats why alot of people would like not to go there. But, I do disagree with the one statement that everyone should have the same education, its kind of a socialist view, if everyone is supposed to have the same IQ, same living conditions, same everything, there is no will in the community to succeed or do better than anyone else. It slowly degrades society, just ask russia lol

[issy2]

I'm all for them. People can pay for better health services, better food, better dental care, who's to say education is any different? Paying for an education is no different to pay for any other government-required service, it just depends on what you want your money to go to.