19 replies to this topic

[TheLastLazyGun]

keithisco, on 21 February 2013 - 07:03 PM, said:

Show me ANY UK Public School that can match that!!.. all for a quarter of the cost of sending her to Stroud or Cheltenham.

I hope you're not suggesting that Spanish private education is better than that in the UK?

Private education in Britain is the envy of the world.  Foreigners flood to British private schools because they know they get the best education on the planet.

[TheLastLazyGun]

Here are some stats.

Back in 1997, after 18 years of Conservative rule (Conservative governments are always good for our education system), British children in ordinary secondary schools ranked in the top 5 in the world for achievements in maths and science.

In 1997, Labour came to power and Tony Blair was shouting "Education! Education! Education!", in the misguided belief that there was something wrong with our education system, despite the fact that the OECD Pisa tables showed otherwise.  As soon as good-education-hating Labour got to work, our children suddenly plummetted in the OECD Pisa tables.  Our children are now in 20-odd place in the OECD Pisa tables for maths and science.   When Andrew Adonis joined Tony Blair’s team in 1998, the education budget stood at £39 billion. Ten years later, when he left the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the budget had DOUBLED.  Yet, despite this, educational standard slipped.  Despite Labour's "spend spend spend" our education system became a "mess mess mess".

Here's another stat.  In 1997, when comprehensive schools were much better than they are now, 41% of parents said they would not consider independent education for their children.  By 2011, this had fallen to 27%.  Why is that?   It's because children in independent schools, many of which are no more selective than most sixth-form colleges, are three times more likely to gain an A or A* at A-level than those in state schools, so it is not surprising that 57% of parents (i.e. the majority) would send their children to an independent school if they could afford to.

The Left might deride those who give their children a good education as "snobs" but, if parents have the money, why shouldn't they spend it on giving their children a good education?  All children should be given the best education there is.  So it's no suprise that most British parents would send their children private if they could afford it.

Edited by TheLastLazyGun, 22 February 2013 - 02:54 PM.

[TheLastLazyGun]

rashore, on 21 February 2013 - 11:30 PM, said:

Um, just saying... Lazy said private education was better in what you based this quote off of. And that public schools are slipping. Why are you asking him to show you how UK public school can match Spanish private school in response to his saying private school is better?

I didn't say public schools are slipping.  I said that state education is slipping.  In other countries public schools are state schools, but in England and Wales public schools are fee-paying schools.

[Queen in the North]

keithisco, on 21 February 2013 - 07:03 PM, said:

Utter nonsense!! Unless you can prove otherwise...

My daughter goes to a Private (UK Curriculum) School in Spain, achieved A* in English and Spanish, C in English Lit (hated it but passed) in the IGCSE's 2 YEARS early (along with her classmates, and remember this was when there was a huge uproar because illiterate UK Kids cried because they didnt even get a C in their exams because of tougher marking criteria), is taking Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Economics and Art 1 YEAR early in May. Show me ANY UK Public School that can match that!!.. all for a quarter of the cost of sending her to Stroud or Cheltenham.

To be honest, comparing individuals' results doesn't prove anything, neither does how early anyone took their GCSE's. As we are doing that, though, I'd be interested to see if your privately educately daughter will 'beat' my own GCSE results (and A levels), which I achieved while attending a low in the league tables shoddy state school. I did better than a relative of mine in the same year who went to a VERY expensive private school.

I'm not saying there aren't problems with state schools, but as I said previously, its what you make of it thats important.

I'd also add that private education will do nothing for some people, I live with a girl who went to a private school and she is thick as two short planks.

Edited by Queen in the North, 22 February 2013 - 03:23 PM.

[rashore]

TheLastLazyGun, on 22 February 2013 - 02:56 PM, said:

I didn't say public schools are slipping.  I said that state education is slipping.  In other countries public schools are state schools, but in England and Wales public schools are fee-paying schools.

Thats my bad... I thought state schools and public schools were the same thing... Now I am extra unsure what keithisco meant by public schools