Another Tory idea stolen by Labour

[Purple Dalek]

I went to private school and I don’t believe that’s true. Private schools have a very effective marketing and lobbying machine and are very good at bumping up the averages of grades. They do this in two ways; firstly, select the brainiest kids at 13 using the common entrance exam, which was in my experience almost GCSE standard and says more about the quality of a select group of prep schools (which also select pupils with interviews). Secondly, make a selection at 16 of who’s going to be allowed to do A levels and who’s going to be ‘advised’ to find a place at a local sixth form college.

Another factor is that pupils at private schools are often pushed to study the subjects that their teachers believe they’ll get a high grade in, and not necessarily the subjects they enjoy and which will lead to a fulfilling working life. I left because I felt they were trying to turn me into someone I didn't want to be, just so that they could advertise my A grades in something I didn't find interesting.


Private schools need pupils to get into Oxbridge because that sells places to parents, even if the kids themselves would rather do something else with their lives. They can’t advertise about kids who’ve become motorcycle mechanics and are happy, ergo if your child happens to want to be a mechanic and that’s what will make him happy, the chances of him achieving his dreams via private school are reduced.

I’m amazed that this is still an issue in Britain. Every day I deal with happy, successful, well educated people who went to state schools in continental Europe, didn’t wear school uniform and didn’t go ‘boarding’. To be fair I’ve met enough happy, successful, well educated people who went to British state schools too, but there seems to be a crazy idea in Britain that to get a decent education for your kids you have to pay umpty thousand quid a year to send them to some backward institution in the middle of nowhere.

Find a grammar school or a C of E or catholic school, which are often just as good and don't let yourself get ripped off by the private school industry.

I have worked as a teacher in both the private and the state sector, and my experience is quite the opposite. In the private schools the children were encouraged to work harder in the subjects they were weaker in, those not too good at sports were encouraged into DofE programs for example, etc.. all with the intention of making them rounder individuals. There really was a feeling of 'no child left behind'. In the state system I used to hear derogatory comments about 'cramming' in the staff room, but in fact it was only in state comprehensives I actually saw such a horror in action. Also in the private sector there wasn't a requirement for a 'teaching' qualification, yet the quality of the teachers was superior. Doing contracts in the school breaks was actively encouraged in the private sector, as it was considered a good thing to bring real world experience to the classroom, but was a sackable offence in the state sector, even if you were just a supply teacher with only one class a week!