Would you go into debt for your childs secondary education?

[Marlene]

I wouldn't go into that much debt.... Not unless I had a crystal ball that could show me whether all that money was going to GUARANTEE that my child was going to become a model student, then model adult, then model employee, then model parent.....etc, etc, etc.
I have seen far too many children throw their expensive educations (although not $20,000 a year ) down the drain.

I think if you have the money to spend, and not have to borrow it, then go ahead....but there are less expensive options
You may have a wonderful child that will excel and go on to do great at school and get an awesome job....but then you might have a child that ends up mopping the floor at Maccas with their $20 000 a year education, LOL.

It's a VERY personal decision that only you can make

[Marlene]

I just read your next post.....how dare you leave us in suspense like that!!! LOL.

[blue_hebe]

No I wouldn't. I'm happy with the education I received at a public school and I'm more than happy that my children will also go to public schools. In my opinion, if a child is excited by learning, then they will do well anywhere. I think it's up to my and my husband to make them excited to learn in the first place. School's can only do so much....

[diannescruffy]

Waiting anxiously laaalaaalaaa .

Regards,
Dianne

[Matryoshka]

Yes, we've gone in to debt for more frivolous things than an education, so of course. If that was the price of the education option we had chosen and found to be the best option then definately. For us a quality education is invaluable, it will set our children up for a life time and you cannot put a price on that.

We would just become creative in order to avoid paying interest on those amounts, for instance taking out interest free credit cards and continuously rolling over the amounts to other cards. It's worked well for us when we've needed large amounts of money, and want to avoid interest.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

I suppose it depends on the circumstances at the time. A good education is valuable but if my DD wasn't really engaged in her learning then I wouldn't be able to justify it. Plus I agree that there are cheaper options. Now that you've left everyone hanging I hope you come back soon to enlighten us

[Phteven]

No, most of the schools that top the HSC lists each year are selective public schools so there's no need to pay for a private school.
I'd rather spend my money on the things that can't be taught in school.

[Matryoshka]

No, most of the schools that top the HSC lists each year are selective public schools so there's no need to pay for a private school.
I'd rather spend my money on the things that can't be taught in school.

They're all private in my state, you're really lucky! There's 1 public high school that makes the top list but you need to be in the district to get in. We're an hour away unfortunately.

[Astrid]

I'd rather spend my money on the things that can't be taught in school.

Same here. I think school is only a part of their education, I would like to be able to have the odd family holiday, or get music/dance lessons, really whatever they are interested in.

I remember reading an article about parents going under financial strain for their kids' education and apparently how it was not good for the kids. They pick up on the stress and it puts a lot of pressure on them, as a result they do not learn as well as they normally would.

[mrsmac]

No, most of the schools that top the HSC lists each year are selective public schools so there's no need to pay for a private school.
I'd rather spend my money on the things that can't be taught in school.

I so agree with you!! I am a big believer in the public system (I teach in it) and I would never go into debt to send my children to a private school.
BTW there are a number of private schools near me that are $20K a year.

[~*lilla*~]

For me personally, no I wouldn't. I went to a few very expensive private schools in high school and in all honesty, the public highs were just as good. Minus the huge fees and literally thousands of dollars per year for the uniforms.

But then again, even if I was really wealthy, I still wouldn't send them to an expensive private school

[lauren22]

Definatly!
After being to a private primary school 2 public highschools and a private high school i can honestly say that personally I would go into debt for a private school education.

[Jennifer13]

I went to a public primary and a public high school in Nth Qld. When I moved to NSW, no one had any idea and it was never an issue. But if the topic of schools you went to comes up and someone is from Sydney - then I notice they get the third degree and/or the judgement that comes with it!

I'd rather fly under the radar. Plus, never affected my ability to get into university and my post grad degree has a very high value for its type and where I went to get it.

[prama]

speaking ppl from private schools - i have a colleague who went to a very good private school, but his attitude towards work stinks. palming off work to others, cunning etc. no guarantee that private schools churn better/higher moralled individuals. another colleague went to a very very prestigious brisbane girls private school and she was bullied cos of her ethnic background.
i dont think in our organisation, we really care which school we've been to, there's ppl from all over the world.

when ive told some mothers that we will send ds to a public school, ive had got the reaction ''aaahhhhh' like im such a bad mother for sending him to a public school where as htey are going to send their kids to a prvate school.

at the end of the day, i cannot tell which of my colleagues went to a public/private boarding school unless they tell me. and frankly i dont care. as long as they are good people and deliver and are sincere at work, that's all that matters.

[YoYo]

No I wouldn't. I'm happy with the education I received at a public school and I'm more than happy that my children will also go to public schools. In my opinion, if a child is excited by learning, then they will do well anywhere. I think it's up to my and my husband to make them excited to learn in the first place. School's can only do so much....

I agree with this 100%....I have this debate with the IL's (and DH) sometimes. I was publicly school educated, and they were privately school educated. I chose not to go to Uni because I'd already decided what I wanted to do by year 10 and I got into it and studied it. They went to Uni, racked up debt, but it got them no further in life than me. With DS we would see if he wanted to learn and whether it would benefit him first before we ever took that path....I'll be pushing for public education, it does not harm!

[Nicambhar]

Really interesting reading all of the replies.. My crap situation aside, I often wonder why people feel the need to plunge into such a huge commitment.

Minimax - you are so right. I was a straight A student and went to the local high school cause my family couldn't afford to send me to a private school. I never went to uni, but I eventually did my certificate IV in business at TAFE, this never put me a cent into debt and I got a fabulous job and now I work from home for my DF. Whereas XH's wife has done half her teaching course, half of something else and half of something else IYGWIM at uni and thinks she knows it all. When she and my X got married he realised that he also married her $30k hecs debt

Janie - the 12 point font thing is nothing, you should see the txts I get, sometimes I could knock his head off his shoulders too.

Thanks for the support ladies, so muchly appreciated but my job is still not any easier. I hate being in this position.
I just talked to DD on the phone and she didn't want to talk about it because she is enjoying her weekend away with her friends. glad she's enjoying herself.
I feel like forwarding his e-mail to his work, friends, family and the school so they can see just what a lowlife he and his wife are...

[Janie]

Oh I feel sorry for you!!! My dad used to send my mum 5 page letters, explaining all the things he wasn't happy with . Usually nonsense. However, if he called our house to talk my brother and I, and mum answered, he couldn't get off the phone quick enough!!!!

[Turkish Delight]

Sue, so not expecting to read what i just read.

Hugs to you and your DD. What a father! I bet your X and his wife were looking for some petty excuse to send DD packing back to your house. Just because the money dried up, they weren't going to go into debt for her. How pathetic. If he thinks DD is rude, well he's just effing childish.

Your DD doesn't need him or his wife. Good riddance i reckon. How can a parent hang up the phone to their own kids? What if there really was something important she needed to talk to him about, like an emergency situation??

I think DD needs to go into a school that you can afford now. Why wait until the end of the year and rack up extra expenses for yourselves? She is going to leave that school anyhow isn't she?? What difference will a term make? In fact, it will give her a head start for next year, as she'll already have made friends.

No kid wants to leave their friends behind, but it's just part of life.

I agree with the others, make sure you get some form of documentation which states that DD will be with you from now on.

Gl hun.