School Fees!

[DiveBuddy2]

Originally Posted by Scuttler

Yep. I have the choice to send them to one of three state schools which have abysmal records.

or

Become a Catholic

or

Pay for the best education in Dorset.

Don't get me wrong...it's not the paying that's annoying it's the above inflation rises....it seems everywhere gets inflation busting increases except the workers!!!

Sympathise with you on that one Scutter, thats why we moved up here couldn't face my son going to the local secondary on the Dorchester Road. He got into the local Grammar School and did really well.

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by laterontoday

Isnt it parental choice to send their child to a fee charging school whether boarding or not.

Ohhhh pleeeeesse

Yes you can always go to the local "Breed a Chav" center

What ever like, minger looser double looser As my state educated kids would say And its one of the best schools in kent

If my kids had not got into the local Grammar school id have sent them to Gads (only 15K a year each )

One of my better off friends sent their kids to private school from day one and the difference in presentation skills and spoken English is incredible. If I were offering a top flight job and they both had the same qualifications, sadly i know which one I would hire.

ATB

Mark Chase

[fishyheid]

The local high school in my area is dire. It's a bit of a self perpetuating thing.

Parents who can afford it pay to send them to one of several decent private schools.
There are places free in the state school.
They are filled by kids from across the fence (Drumchapel for those who know it)
The school gets worse
Parents won't send their kids there.

Even my Guardian reading friends won't try and let their beliefs outweigh their childs welfare on this one.

The other problem is that the primary schools are very good which makes competition to get in at Transitus/Senior school very fierce. That means you have to cough up from Nursery/Kindergarten/Prep 1 and pay the £6000+ per annum for up to 9 years to avoid the local high schools.

Ouch!

[Kalahari Diver]

Have to say you are probably better ensuring that your child gets the best education you can manage, whether by paying, moving, getting religion or whatever. It will do them more good than leaving them the money!

David.

[dry suit diver]

for secondary education I have to agree with Nick and those that choose to send their children to a private school. You could move but that would cost more than the fees for a lot of private schools, and lets face it secondaryeducation is going down the pan in this country, teaching to the tests and not teaching proper skills. Yes the current exam results were the best ever but is that due to thje teachers getting the teaching to the test rifght as much as it is tyhe kids getting cleverer.

Primary is different though.I think all children should go to state primary.

[Richard Mason]

Nick's experience sounds very similar to ours.

We lived in a fairly remote rural area on the East Coast for 10 years, a great place for the kids to spend their childhood; we never bothered locking doors or the car and never worried; kids could go out with their mates and play, in the bush, on the beach, climb trees, fish do what they wanted, go out at 9.00, not see them until 5 or 6, just like when I was a kid.

School was a District High, (combined Primary & High to Grade 10), only 450 kids in total, catchment area was about 130Kms X 50Kms. Great primary school, really friendly pleasant environment. High school, kids OK, by & large but standards and subject courses were hopeless, basically just a primary school for 12-16 yr olds.

So it was change job, sell house and move 250Kms south to get them into a good State high school, or else send them to boarding school in Launceston, putting them on the bus every Sunday night and collecting them on Friday for 6 years.

Good state schools are hard to find here too and we also had to shell out $400 per child in fees each year to cover consumables. Trips were obviously extra.

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by dry suit diver

Primary is different though.I think all children should go to state primary.

LOL...
It was the quality of the local primary school that convinced me we had to do something about it.

[frosty the snowman]

Originally Posted by Kalahari Diver

Have to say you are probably better ensuring that your child gets the best education you can manage, whether by paying, moving, getting religion or whatever. It will do them more good than leaving them the money!

David.

Quite right. I'm lucky in that both my kids go to very good local state schools but I would have had no hesitation in doing whatever was necessary to ensure they had the best possible education if we were unfortunate enough to live near a chav factory.

[NeilB]

As I live abroad both my kids had to go to fee paying schools. Now that they have both left it is a great relief.....but only until Feb when my younest starts Uni in NZ.

Strangely enough the fees for Uni in NZ are less than I was paying for schooling in Oman.

My eldest did the sensible thing and got a sponsored place at Naval College. It is in Glasgow though......

[Steve S]

We are really lucky in our area, having the choice of two good secondary schools my kids could attend, both are doing well and number one Son came out with 5 A's and 5 A+ grades this year.

I really sympathise with Parents stuck with the choice of a poor school or private tuition, and feel even worse for the Parents who have no option but the former.

Safe diving,
Steve