got kids? sending them to a public or private school?

[dedja]

OK, there is some discussion about private schools in the current SANFL U18's topic, so I thought I'd try to see if there is any class warfare out there.

If you have kids, will you or do you send them to a public or private school and why?

I have my own opinion on this but will keep Mum for the moment ... interested in the replies to start with.

[JK]

Well this is something that I'll need to start thinking about pretty soon and to be honest, at this point in time, I have NFI ... Off the top of my head I seem to be able to make cases for and against each.

[dedja]

added a 3rd option for fence sitters (yep, in the same boat)

[mypaddock]

In the end the child isn't going to become a 'smarter' individual by attending a private school.
Unless your child has a specific requirement e.g. arts/music/football etc I don't think it matters which school they attend.
I just think a lot of parents like the idea of telling people "My child goes to PAC/Pembroke/Scotch" etc. It's more of an image thing for a lot of parents these days.

[Ron Burgundy]

I just want the sticker on the back of my 4WD.

[Dissident]

There are unintelligent kids that go to public schools
There are brilliant kids that go to public schools
There are unintelligent kids that go to private schools
There are brilliant kids that go to private schools

I have never been convinced that paying a silly amount (IMHO) for a private school will increase my child's chances of performing better and having more future success.

Add to that, I went to a public (state) school and I don't beleive I would have benefited one bit from being in a private school. That is probably the basis for my naive point of view

[Gingernuts]

Depends on the area to a degree and the standard of public schools in the area that you reside.

A lot of people send their kids to private schools for the religious aspect as well if it's a priority for them. This would be one of the main things that would influence me in sending my kids to a private school when the time comes (don't have any at the moment, so got plenty of time to think about it!).

There's private schools and then there's Private Schools too if you get my drift. I definitely think there's a massive status factor surrounding some.

For what it's worth I went to a private school (not an exclusive one) and I think it helped me.

[Pseudo]

The Elder Pseudomite will be starting school in about a year's time. Current options:

- One of the three local public primary schools.
- The knobby uber-elite private school within walking distance.
- Look for a poor man's private school, i.e. catholic.

Having been through the catholic system myself, and now in my adult years having nothing but abject hatred and revulsion for the entire catholic church in all its forms, that rules out the third option.

I have my doubts as to whether or not a private education will be significantly better for primary school aged children. Having teachers not constantly striking would be a plus, but is it worth $8000+ a year when the kids are simply learning how to colour in & recite their times tables?

2 of the 3 local public schools have a poor rep, and having seen the calibre of kids who attend them, it is obvious that the local working class riff-raff simply send their crotchfruit to these schools in order to save more of their welfare money to spend on durries. However one would not avoid riff-raff by sending the kids to the knobby school. One would simply expose them to a different class of garbage; riff-raff takes all forms and occupies all niches.

My immediate feeling is that the kids could be sent to a public primary school with no ill effect. By the time they got to secondary school age it might be worth considering shifting them into private, if there would be some obvious benefit, like specialist education in an area in which they showed aptitude.

Either way, I will not simply yield all responsibility of my kids' education to the schools they attend. I'll be checking their maths homework all the way through to the end of high school.

[mypaddock]

I just want the sticker on the back of my 4WD.

Put that in the "things that sh*t me" thread! Can't stand those ppl!

[Gingernuts]

I should add too that my brother teaches at one of the more 'exclusive' metro private schools and often gets frustrated with the many parents who believe that the large amount of money they shell out somehow absolves them of their parental responsibility.

[Ron Burgundy]

I just want the sticker on the back of my 4WD.

Put that in the "things that sh*t me" thread! Can't stand those ppl!

I am hearing you! Im sure some people beat off over these stickers.

[Gingernuts]

Psuedo, the Lutherans run pretty good, affordable, private schooling. That's the system I went through for both primary and secondary. Strong education without ramming the religous aspect down the kids/parent's throats.

[JK]

The Elder Pseudomite will be starting school in about a year's time. Current options:

- One of the three local public primary schools.
- The knobby uber-elite private school within walking distance.
- Look for a poor man's private school, i.e. catholic.

Having been through the catholic system myself, and now in my adult years having nothing but abject hatred and revulsion for the entire catholic church in all its forms, that rules out the third option.

I have my doubts as to whether or not a private education will be significantly better for primary school aged children. Having teachers not constantly striking would be a plus, but is it worth $8000+ a year when the kids are simply learning how to colour in & recite their times tables?

2 of the 3 local public schools have a poor rep, and having seen the calibre of kids who attend them, it is obvious that the local working class riff-raff simply send their crotchfruit to these schools in order to save more of their welfare money to spend on durries. However one would not avoid riff-raff by sending the kids to the knobby school. One would simply expose them to a different class of garbage; riff-raff takes all forms and occupies all niches.

My immediate feeling is that the kids could be sent to a public primary school with no ill effect. By the time they got to secondary school age it might be worth considering shifting them into private, if there would be some obvious benefit, like specialist education in an area in which they showed aptitude.

Either way, I will not simply yield all responsibility of my kids' education to the schools they attend. I'll be checking their maths homework all the way through to the end of high school.

Im glad you wrote that Pseudo .. In almost all area's that mirrors my thoughts (the only thing Im unsure of is the quality of the local Primary schools which I'm yet to investigate), cheers!

[Dogwatcher]

My experience:

I went to a local primary school and then attended a private school, at which several other posters here also attended.
I was a mediocre student. However, I believe without having attended that school I wouldn't have completed year 12 and would not be fulfilling some of my career ambitions as I am today.
That's not to say I would've turned out 'bad' had I attended any of the local high schools but I would have got nowhere near my career ambitions.

For my child:

We live in a country town which has two nearby public primary schools, and two private primary schools.
The closest primary school to me is very good (I must admit that I do have to say that as Mrs DW works there).
There is no private secondary school here.
Fortuitously the local high school is virtually a private school in the standards that it sets and I will be happy to send my daughter there when the time comes.
However, if I lived in the city I'm pretty certain I'd be looking at sending my daughter to a private school.
It wouldn't have to be to a Seymour or St Peter's Girls, just one which sets a high standard on quality education.
For me it's not about status but the benefits for my child and I think there are plenty from sending them to a 'mid-range' private school.

[Wedgie]

As someone mentioned the area has a lot to do with it. I have no probs sending my kids to public schools in our area but there's a lot of areas I wouldn't as I hear some horror stories.
I actually gave my daughter the option of attending a private school. She's played against a lot of private schools in netball and said there was no way she wanted to go to school with 'those sort of girls'.
And having 'hung out' with a few girls from a catholic school when I was a teenager there's no way in hell's name I'd let my daughter go to one of thoses school! Great for me at the time though!

[Dutchy]

.
- Look for a poor man's private school, i.e. catholic.

Nice one!

Im in that category, we were all set to send our son to a Public School for his Primary education until we found out that to get to Sacred Heart for middle/high school we had to enter the catholic system at Primary age, so reluctantly thats what we have done, I havent been exposed to the catholic system before and its pretty full on! been a real eye opener....the school is a joint campus with a Uniting based and a public school that share all the same facilities etc so there is some balance...

I did half my high schooling at a public school and then my name came up half way thru year 10 to join a private school - while I hated it at the time looking back it was a good experience to have been thru both systems - to be honest though the only thing I got out of the private school that I didnt at public was to play sport at a higher level and at some of the nicest grounds in Adelaide and a trip OS

[Choccies]

My 6 year old boy has a disability and the support and assistance he gets from the local Public School is extraordinary and way above what they are required to supply. We were advised that there would be little chance for him to receive the extra assistance he does at another school, let alone a private school so he goes to the local primary school and we are ecstatic at what they have done for him.

Personally I went to a public school and had a good education but as I never went to a private school I cant comment on what it'd be like. Has anyone actually been to both and could compare the experience ??

[Sojourner]

There are several issues to consider, my thoughts are that one of the main problems is the fact that most Private Schools have waiting lists and although not in all cases a number of them seem to have no problem with simply expelling students involved in bullying or other issues, the local Public school cant refuse them and it does appear that the ratio of students with behavioural issues increases in the Public school system as a result.

Still on the other hand, if you dont have the coin for a Private School education and dont want to try for scholarships, you dont have to choose the local public school, one of the things that is helping some of the public schools to bounce back is to specialise in a set area, Campbelltown are getting a good reputation for being a school of music and get various students from outside their zones as a result.

The main issue that I have with the Public system is their approach or lack of an approach to dealing with bullying issues. I well realise the same thing happens in the Private system to, yet the ratio of people that I have spoken to that have been through these issues are more often than not in the public system and I am not convinced that the Education Department really does follow procedures in this area, I dont understand why though, that is why the Government set up Bowden Brompton to take these kids out of the system and deal with the issues that cause the bullying, yet my information is that relitivley few schools use this option and what more often than not happens is the child is continually bullied until thier own parents remove them to another school.

That said though if you are willing to do your research and make enquiries, I have no doubt that there are some first class public schools out there that could tick all your boxes in the same way that there are plenty of low fee private schools that do the same!

[Pseudo]

...we were all set to send our son to a Public School for his Primary education until we found out that to get to Sacred Heart for middle/high school we had to enter the catholic system at Primary age, so reluctantly thats what we have done,

Things might have changed since my time, but I reckon that's a load of cobblers. I went to a public primary school and then started at SHC junior (as it was known then) in year 8. There were 3 year 7 classes and 6 year 8 classes that year; it stands to reason that half of the year 8s had come from outside the school. Certainly you would get preferential treatment if coming from a catholic primary school but plenty of folks entered year 8 from a public school. If you're catholic then you'll typically enter in year 6 anyway.

to be honest though the only thing I got out of the private school that I didnt at public was to play sport at a higher level and at some of the nicest grounds in Adelaide and a trip OS

All you get from a private (*) school, right -- one, you get a top job, right, and two, you get an interest in perverse sexual practices. I mean, that's why British management's so inefficient. As soon as they get in the boardroom, they're all shutting each others' dicks in the door! "Go on, give it another slam, Sir Michael!" BAM! OW OW OW! "Come on, Sir Geoffrey, let's play the Panzer commander and the millkmaid, EW EW EW EW! YOO HOO!" -- Alexei Sayle in The Young Ones

(*) - original text was public school, but that's British for private school. Go figure.

[Pseudo]

Psuedo, the Lutherans run pretty good, affordable, private schooling. That's the system I went through for both primary and secondary. Strong education without ramming the religous aspect down the kids/parent's throats.

Worth considering. Which one is in the Glenelg/Marion area? Immanuel?