JAJ

Missed it. I stand corrected. Still surprises me it's not a more popular option, even though it's not for everyone. Have people been brainwashed into thinking it's not legal or something?

JaneandJim

I think its a lot rarer in the UK so it just isn't considered here (by expats), even though it is well-supported. It also takes a very disciplined parent for it to work well. I couldn't do it.

Jane

BadgeIsBack

'Real' schools might produce real problem kids.

I agree that if anything, a private school will still introduce kids to a lot of different and diverse people. It's not completely exclusive - if you excuse the pun.

annqldau

Think they did earlier and he can feel free to do it but he'll do it himself as all the adults will be at work... have a feeling it will be home x-boxing and computer not schooling.

Jensen Healey

Me too! Whereabouts in SA is that, and what's the school called? Is it primary or secondary?

galba

Would you consider it JAJ?

I was a teacher in my previous life and love having my 4 kids around but the thought of having to teach them myself day-in day-out would send me over the edge. I'm knackered at the end of the day and that's with 2 of them in school full-time - goodness knows what it would be like trying to teach them anything. I'm still trying to teach manners and we've not made much headway in the last 4 years!

Galba

iPom

You've forgotten the Montessori schools, and the Steiner and Steiner 'type' schools which are nothing whatsoever to do with religion....
We pay for schooling for a Steiner type school and I have no issue whatsoever with paying for it. It's excellent. It's also completely religion free ... bonus!

As per the OP, it's nothing to do with snobbery because I'm not one. It's to do with giving my kids an environment that fits them, so they can actually learn to think for themselves and to develop themselves into good human beings. I went to a secondary modern school in the UK and it was hell. My OH went through state school in Australia and it wasn't any good for him either. Having both had lousy school experiences, we both wanted something better for our children. One would do well wherever she went because she's that sort of child, but the other one is doing brilliantly and has changed immeasurably since her year there and her escape from mainstream education. Saying that, our eldest is finally free from the bullying moron who made her life hell in the UK. They both LOVE going to school. I only wish I'd gone to a school like this.
For two children, it's about $1200 per month.

iPom

There's a large homeschooling co-operative within Sydney and also Western Sydney. Steiner schools are often the refuge of children who don't 'fit' into mainstream schooling, but I do know children who are homeschooled...
They seem to do ok, but the main problem with it is the socialisation aspect of it all.
It also depends on having a parent at home (!) and that's not always possible.

Sunny_Glesga

Just read through a few of the posts regarding this private/Public school thingy!

I do wonder one thing, how many of you guys out there went to Private and how many went to public? do you think private schooling has made you a better person than if you went to public schools, did YOUR parents have loads of £££ and could easily afford it and just didnt know what else to do with their money? Are all private school pupils in high class jobs where all us public school pupils in crap jobs feeding of the scraps? i think you know where i`m coming from with this.

At the end of the day it is the teachers who teach our kids that will make he difference! My youngest son is near the end of primary 2 in a Public school and has passed both Level A and B National tests maths and English by January this year, All as far as i`m concerned by the input from an excellent teacher. My daughter who also had this same teacher for the first year of primary Got through her level A national test and took her until half way through her primary 3 to achieve level B, in my opinion all because her second and third year teacher is an idiot! I wonder if my Son was in private school would he have a better education, discipline and grow up to be a more intelligent man who will get a high class job ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!

We got the view from a couple of teachers when we went over in 2005 and the general view was, the difference from Public to Private schooling was Discipline, thats it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and parents complaining that they pay good money for their kids to get better grades than they achieved, FFS you cant force a Kid to be Einstein! Its simple that ll kids are at different stages and if they have a good teacher they will bring it out IF its already there!


I wouldnt send my kids to private school even if i could easily afford it! private schools is just like any other business, its there to make money!


prob not appropriate but Rant Over

Gjn200

Yeh right

iPom

Glesga, there are fee paying schools which don't come under the 'school blazer, tie, hat and snobbery' factor... The sort of school you're including as private is probably similar to the Blue Mountains Grammar, for example, which costs a ridiculous $10K per term. I'd like to see what that sort of money could give my child.... It's seriously academic and I wonder if any of the little adults who go there actually have a life.

The school we pay for is based on Steiner type stuff ... helping the child develop and fitting the education to the person and not the person to the education. In many respects, it's 'alternative' and perhaps viewed with suspicion because it's a bit 'hippyish' but once you see what it can do for your kids that mainstream ed can't, then I suspect you'd change your mind.

I know we pay less for our two children to go school than many 'non residents' who have to pay through the nose for equipment.
Oh and there's no uniform in the school ....

All schools are not created equal.

Sunny_Glesga

I dont have any issues with the uniform that the kids have to wear, personally i aggree that it looks smart and dont look at it in any way as snobbish, My point i`m really trying to make is that private schools "in my eyes" are in no way better that the public schools. I do agree that not all schools are equal and this is down to not all teachers are good teachers! BUT in no way do i look at it that if you pay for your kids education you will have a brighter kid who will be more intelligent than his friend next door who goes to private school and costs his parents a fortune.

i`m just curious, what cant mainstream education do for my kids

cloughie

The schooling system in Oz is not like the UK so comparisons cannot be made.
In UK public school is private, however I get the gist of your post.

My OH and I went to comprehensive schools, and did fine however our education has been ongoing and mostly occured outside of the comprehensive system.our 3 children were in secondary school until we moved to OZ. We have enrolled our 3 children in the Grammar school. A private non denominational school.

Why? Because just about every local that we spoke to said that if we could afford it, it was the best school in the area.

Also whilst the state schools are good here (mostly) they have catchment areas and renting in a particular area would be almost impossible given the short supply. Plus they have specialisms (our 3 children have different strengths 1 sport mad, 1 academic and 1 creative)

Australians here will put there children in private if they can afford it. This helps to aleviate pressure on state schools and allows them to be good too.

Its not snobbery, just how it goes.

Lastly there are around 800 students at the school and the principal knows each of them by name. I kid you not!!

iPom

My sister is a private school teacher in the UK. It's in Manchester and lots of Man U footy players send their kids there. It drives her nuts there. She teaches kids who have never learnt how to think for themselves, who's parents have too much money and who send their kids there to be 'educated' and because they have the money to do so.
It's nothing to do with the right education for the right child... It's all about kudos and money. My sis also has to teach with other teachers she wouldn't rate at all. The discipline might be good, but god, she's bored. The job's unchallenging... the kids are good but thick. She used to teach in Middlesborough at a school where the kids were terribly behaved ... and she couldn't teach them a thing because they didn't want to learn.
So what's the answer?



I totally agree with you regarding your point that paying isn't going to guarantee anything.
I hope you looked at my link to see what an 'alternative' school looks like.

At my school, I was so systematically bullied for years (the tall, gangly vicars kid with no good clothes) that I considered taking my own life and put the gun in my mouth to do it, so having found a school where bullying is hardly present (and if it is, it's dealt with brilliantly and differently), and where the point is to build relationships between all the children and teachers, and where personality clashes between students and teachers (I was bullied by two teachers too) is not acceptable, then by god, I'm happy to pay for that. My middle daughter was suffering in the UK system. Traditional schooling wasn't the right way to educate her.

Whilst you ask what mainstream education can't do for your kids, have you considered what non mainstream education can do for them?


I see you seem to be defending the mainstream thing, and that's fine because mostly, I agree with you, but I also feel that there is one system in mainstream education. If you have a child that doesn't fit in the mainstream education system, like my daughter for example, or like myself, then what do you do to deal with that?

I understand the reasons to stick up for mainstream ed, but don't close yourself off to a better thing for your children out of pride or any other reason.
Some private education is brilliant. Some 'thinks outside the box' to use horrid management term.
It's all worth having a look at, even if you then decide it's not for your child.

biggy

IMO in our area if yer kid is top notch at sports then go private if not then the state school are comin up TOPS!!!!!!!

Private ones academically much lower than the states thats all I need to know