Why is everyone obsessed with private schools?
Aug 1st 2007, 2:00 am
#197
...giving optimism a go?!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Brisbane (leafy, hilly western suburbs)
Posts: 2,202
Re: Why is everyone obsessed with private schools?
Sorry to go back a few pages - but I want to pick the football analogy apart:
I'd argue YES you would be a better footballer! We all know that when we're surrounded by experts at what we're doing we learn mroe from them and improve. If you play with Chelsea you benefit from high qulity coaching and facilities AND get to learn from other expert players. If you play for Basingstoke Town FC, however, you have almost zero facilities a coach who (not meaning to offend) probably doesnt have quite the same vision and capabilities as Jose AND you're surrounded by part-time 'wednesday evening kick-around' players from whom you are unlikely to be inspired to reach your potential.
...Escaping the analogy for a second, such belief might seem a strong argument for using the services of 'elite' educational establishments. BUT theres another important factor to consider:
When the 3 best players leave BasingstokeFC to go play for Chelsea, what happens to Basingstokes results? Of course they drop, not ony through the direct resulting drop in skills, but also the drop in morale, the decline in interest from fans (and therefore decline in income).. the entire community suffers. If every local team loses 'the cream' of talent, then the entire system starts to collapse. Long term the entire league system just stops being viable and there exists just a few participants in an uber-elite competition. I think football over the last 15 years has demonstrated quite clearly that this has happened!
I'm concerned that with parents so focused on academic results of their own children they are neglecting the wider implications of the effects on society as a whole. If all the wealthy motivated kids are pulled out of state schools and sent to 'St. RangeRovers Grammar' - and state schools become a 'last resort' facility, then the quality of education for SOCIETY drops. Long term effects of a poorly educated society are likely to be significant.
Do you really want your kids to be superbly qualified well turned out people living in an elite fenced community with paid security guards, unable to go to the shops without fear of being mugged, surrounded in life by moronoic idiots? Or would you rather they grew up in a well adjusted more egalitarean society where everyone gets a decent chance to get educated and live in wider active communities?
(Obviously the point has been exagerated to ease the ilustration
)
Would I be a better footballer if I played for Chelsea (I might look better because of the team performance but let's just concentrate on me)?
...Escaping the analogy for a second, such belief might seem a strong argument for using the services of 'elite' educational establishments. BUT theres another important factor to consider:
When the 3 best players leave BasingstokeFC to go play for Chelsea, what happens to Basingstokes results? Of course they drop, not ony through the direct resulting drop in skills, but also the drop in morale, the decline in interest from fans (and therefore decline in income).. the entire community suffers. If every local team loses 'the cream' of talent, then the entire system starts to collapse. Long term the entire league system just stops being viable and there exists just a few participants in an uber-elite competition. I think football over the last 15 years has demonstrated quite clearly that this has happened!
I'm concerned that with parents so focused on academic results of their own children they are neglecting the wider implications of the effects on society as a whole. If all the wealthy motivated kids are pulled out of state schools and sent to 'St. RangeRovers Grammar' - and state schools become a 'last resort' facility, then the quality of education for SOCIETY drops. Long term effects of a poorly educated society are likely to be significant.
Do you really want your kids to be superbly qualified well turned out people living in an elite fenced community with paid security guards, unable to go to the shops without fear of being mugged, surrounded in life by moronoic idiots? Or would you rather they grew up in a well adjusted more egalitarean society where everyone gets a decent chance to get educated and live in wider active communities?
(Obviously the point has been exagerated to ease the ilustration
)
Last edited by DadAgain; Aug 1st 2007 at 3:54 am.
Aug 1st 2007, 2:03 am
#198
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2007
Location: Gold Coast
Posts: 480
Re: Why is everyone obsessed with private schools?
You have a good point there
Aug 1st 2007, 10:16 am
#199
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 3,521
Re: Why is everyone obsessed with private schools?
Sorry to go back a few pages - but I want to pick the football analogy apart:
I'd argue YES you would be a better footballer! We all know that when we're surrounded by experts at what we're doing we learn mroe from them and improve. If you play with Chelsea you benefit from high qulity coaching and facilities AND get to learn from other expert players. If you play for Basingstoke Town FC, however, you have almost zero facilities a coach who (not meaning to offend) probably doesnt have quite the same vision and capabilities as Jose AND you're surrounded by part-time 'wednesday evening kick-around' players from whom you are unlikely to be inspired to reach your potential.
...Escaping the analogy for a second, such belief might seem a strong argument for using the services of 'elite' educational establishments. BUT theres another important factor to consider:
When the 3 best players leave BasingstokeFC to go play for Chelsea, what happens to Basingstokes results? Of course they drop, not ony through the direct resulting drop in skills, but also the drop in morale, the decline in interest from fans (and therefore decline in income).. the entire community suffers. If every local team loses 'the cream' of talent, then the entire system starts to collapse. Long term the entire league system just stops being viable and there exists just a few participants in an uber-elite competition. I think football over the last 15 years has demonstrated quite clearly that this has happened!
I'm concerned that with parents so focused on academic results of their own children they are neglecting the wider implications of the effects on society as a whole. If all the wealthy motivated kids are pulled out of state schools and sent to 'St. RangeRovers Grammar' - and state schools become a 'last resort' facility, then the quality of education for SOCIETY drops. Long term effects of a poorly educated society are likely to be significant.
Do you really want your kids to be superbly qualified well turned out people living in an elite fenced community with paid security guards, unable to go to the shops without fear of being mugged, surrounded in life by moronoic idiots? Or would you rather they grew up in a well adjusted more egalitarean society where everyone gets a decent chance to get educated and live in wider active communities?
(Obviously the point has been exagerated to ease the ilustration)
I'd argue YES you would be a better footballer! We all know that when we're surrounded by experts at what we're doing we learn mroe from them and improve. If you play with Chelsea you benefit from high qulity coaching and facilities AND get to learn from other expert players. If you play for Basingstoke Town FC, however, you have almost zero facilities a coach who (not meaning to offend) probably doesnt have quite the same vision and capabilities as Jose AND you're surrounded by part-time 'wednesday evening kick-around' players from whom you are unlikely to be inspired to reach your potential.
...Escaping the analogy for a second, such belief might seem a strong argument for using the services of 'elite' educational establishments. BUT theres another important factor to consider:
When the 3 best players leave BasingstokeFC to go play for Chelsea, what happens to Basingstokes results? Of course they drop, not ony through the direct resulting drop in skills, but also the drop in morale, the decline in interest from fans (and therefore decline in income).. the entire community suffers. If every local team loses 'the cream' of talent, then the entire system starts to collapse. Long term the entire league system just stops being viable and there exists just a few participants in an uber-elite competition. I think football over the last 15 years has demonstrated quite clearly that this has happened!
I'm concerned that with parents so focused on academic results of their own children they are neglecting the wider implications of the effects on society as a whole. If all the wealthy motivated kids are pulled out of state schools and sent to 'St. RangeRovers Grammar' - and state schools become a 'last resort' facility, then the quality of education for SOCIETY drops. Long term effects of a poorly educated society are likely to be significant.
Do you really want your kids to be superbly qualified well turned out people living in an elite fenced community with paid security guards, unable to go to the shops without fear of being mugged, surrounded in life by moronoic idiots? Or would you rather they grew up in a well adjusted more egalitarean society where everyone gets a decent chance to get educated and live in wider active communities?
(Obviously the point has been exagerated to ease the ilustration
)
Excellent post and fantastic way of putting it! I have been tossing up whether to send my girls private or state and I think we've decided on state (live near Kenmore High which is a good state school thankfully, friends of mine have had to go private due to the poor local schools).
