Would you go into debt for your childs secondary education?

[Bathsheba]

Yes! Phew! My DD won't need orthodontic work thankfully! You are lucky to have a good public highschool in your area Lulu... we just don't. It's really wrong that in the public system you often have no choice We moved across Melbourne for our DD to go to the private school she is at only because it would have taken too long to drive everyday if we had stayed where we were... but if we had to use the public system I would move out of this area immediately.

[mrsmac]

I find it very disheartening as a public school teacher that my job is so devalued by some people in this thread. Obviously if you don't pay for your education its no good and obviously I mustn't care about my class cause its the public system.
Also I obviously don't care about my oldest DD either because I have shown her no care at all and spent nothing sending her to the local public high school instead of going into massive debt to send her to some snooty private school where she can feel completely out of place cause we aren't rich but where she could be spoon fed to keep up their HSC results in order to charge huge fees.

All of the "i care enough about my children to spend heaps of money getting them an education" has made my blood boil. I deeply care about my chilren's education but as a firm believer in the public system I feel that it can be achieved within that system too. So many of these pro private posts have been very ANTI public schools.
I am not anti private schools just the people who seem to think that only those who care about their children's education use them.

[Bathsheba]

I'm really disappointed you feel that was what I was saying MrsMac I could say that I feel offended by your labeling me as snooty but I'll let it go. It it was this kind of "cut down the tall poppy" syndrome I also wanted to avoid as part of my children's education. When I was at school it was very uncool to be smart or be good at anything other than sport. I wonder if this has changed? I know that at my DD's school it's actually cool to achieve and not be called the Teacher's Pet.

Never once did I put down ALL public schools. I send my son to one. I could very well end up teaching in one. By praising a particular school doesn't mean I am putting down the others... just like because I praise cloth nappies doesn't mean I am condemning all sposie users. My DD goes to a VERY good school and I am VERY proud of myself for making the sacrifices i've made to send her there. Like I said: I could have spent thousands on cars over the past 12 years and probably been more acceptable in most peoples eyes I guess.

I was merely answering Nic's question as quoted in my first reply. Maybe she only wants to here one half of the story?

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this MrsMac for I feel just as passionate as you. Like I said I'm sorry that I have made your blood boil but it would have been more convincing if you had responded to my posts with courtesy. I never used derogatory words when describing the public system and I am confused as to why you should attack my choices. Sadly you haven't been a very good ambassador for the system you promote.

[Bathsheba]

(double post)

[Ahurani]

I applaud MrsMac for having her opiniona nd coming out and saying what she felt. I went to a public school and I feel I got a great education. There is a couple of Doctors, Engineers etc in my graduating class. I am a firm believer of the public system and even though I dont have kids yet, I will send them to a public school.

My DP went to an expensive ($20 000) a year private school. I dont think he got anything better out of it. My dad went to Hale School in Perth and hes a mechanic. I dont think that private schools are worth the money.

Thats my 2 cents

[Lulu]

Sorry Bath - did you only go to one secondary school? Maybe not, but I went to three and it was the public one that promoted striving, personal excellence and fantastic scores.....

[mrsmac]

I did not mean anything I said as a personal attack on you Bath and I am sorry you have taken it as such. I did not call you "snooty" just private schools themselves.
I merely used it as an opportunity to voice my opinions in the same way you did.

[Bathsheba]

I agree NK... but she could have expressed her opinion without putting my choices down so tactlessly. I did say that I believe in the public system as the ideal way... but it's a bit like the private vs public health system. Is anyone, if given the choice, going to stick with the public system even if it means risking your health by remaining on a waiting list for surgery when (if you go private) you could have the surgery tomorrow??? I have a degree of distain for people who upgrade their car every year "just because" they like to drive a nice car.... but that's the kind of thought I would keep to myself

[Bathsheba]

Lulu: I went to public high schools in NSW and 2 in WA.... so 3 as well.

[shellbell3]

I think there is good and bad about any school. I can't look at it as private vs public but more school vs school.
Df is a maths teacher atm in the catholic system and over the years where he is now he feels its gone downhill. From a great school to one he wouldn't recommend people send there kids. From speaking with other teachers he gets an idea what schools are good or bad and the teachers in the private system aren't nessecarilly any better.
Like I said I think it comes down to the school and possibly the area also. Some areas do not have any decent public schools so your hands are tied.
We have a couple good public schools nearby, one where people actually tried to bribe the principal to get into and house prices jump up just being in the catchment area.

[Lulu]

Cos the private one I went to felt like the dark ages compared to the public school I headed to right after that. I wasn't used to being given as much responsibility and say in my education, I wasn't used to feeling a little more 'equal' to the teacher in the private systerm as I was in the public. It was very much a respect thing, but you still had to earn it. I liked that waaaay better


It very very much depends on the school itself (and the teachers within the walls). Probably why my privately educated psychologist father was happier with the school I ended up at (oh the atheism could have had a bit to do with it too)..

[feeb]

I went to public primary and secondary, and could not fault them. They encouraged you to strive for what you were best at and wanted to do. DH went to public primary and secondary and also some time at a private high school which he hated and left to go to public.

Plan is that our kids will go to public schools, where we love we actually have no secondary schools close by but at least plenty of good primary schools

[fionas]

Ask me in 10 years!

Look, in theory I'm against private education because my biggest core belief is about equality of opportunity. At a very simplistic level, I think it's unfair that people can buy a better education for their kids than those that can't. And I say this as someone who will be able to afford it so it's not sour grapes from that respect.

However, we also live in the real world and obviously I will want the best for DD. I imagine my leftie principles will go out the window if I see her struggling in a public school. But I still find it very hard to come to terms with the fact that my money means that DD may squeeze into uni with the best education that money can buy ahead of some really bright kid who's recently arrived as a refugee living in a housing commission flat doing their homework whilst sharing a bedroom with two other siblings. An extreme example I know.

As I said, ask me in 10 years.

[Phteven]

Ask me in 10 years!

Look, in theory I'm against private education because my biggest core belief is about equality of opportunity. At a very simplistic level, I think it's unfair that people can buy a better education for their kids than those that can't. And I say this as someone who will be able to afford it so it's not sour grapes from that respect.

However, we also live in the real world and obviously I will want the best for DD. I imagine my leftie principles will go out the window if I see her struggling in a public school.

:yeahthat:

I guess I'm very lucky because I'm in a position to stick to my ideological beliefs without sacrificing my childrens' education. For primary I'm not too fussed about where they go and for high school I'll just move close to a high school that suits my children. Unfortunately many other people just don't have that freedom.

I think this article is relevant - it just shows what a student with passion can achieve regardless of their school.
Refugee children HSC high achievers - National - smh.com.au

[christy]

I've been thinking about this and I suddenly realised that DD1 is in a private school I forgot... she's in an independant school that costs less than most public schools in our areas, but its an alternative to home schooling and we participate much more than you would expect in another school.

She's doing a transition year at school, but will be going there until she starts year 7. Its not that I don't like the public schools in our area, its just that her special needs are met perfectly where she is.

[Liz]

Short answer - nope, wouldn't go into debt.

it just shows what a student with passion can achieve regardless of their school.

Agree that students can excel perfectly well in the public system. Yes shop around for a suitable school, but you'd do that even in private wouldn't you? Just handing over dollars doesn't ensure a good education.

Can you really line up a row of doctors and tell which ones were privately educated? In DH's industry, can you really tell the ones that flunked their HSC twice!! and those that are uni grads? (well you can actually... uni grads are pretty clueless in the real world LOL). I'll leave it there, or I'll start sounding anti-education, which I'm not LOL.. we just don't see it as the be all and end all, and so no, wouldn't fork out $$$ for it

[Nicambhar]

wowzers, didn't think that I would get that many responses to my question..

Don't anyone get me wrong, whilst my son was in my care I had him in a private high school but it just didn't cost as much as XH is paying for DD's $17K per year..it was paid for with money I actually had. I think my point in the post was not really private against public schooling it was more would you spent the money that you don't have sitting in your savings account on educational costs IYGWIM, ummm, having a bit of a blank trying to put my point to paper/pc....
The only secondary experience with public schooling is the one I got and cripes, that was years ago so I am sure it has changed over the years. I am however, very happy too with the private system. Like Bath said, the pastoral care and sporting programs are excellent.

Hoping I make some sense here

[prama]

IMO i think there are both good and bad to public and private schools. I grew up in Malaysia and went to a public school (yes not western education), my friends and i are all doing very well. Just about everyone of us in my class went to uni, I'm an engineer, there are accountants, teachers, a lawyer for a top firm in London, one who did a phd in statistics!, a marine biologist who's now a very happy SAHM. My brother is an engineer, cousins who are doctors, lawyers.
My brother and I were from a very tough background, very tough. But we did well, and our school taught us so much. I had some very good teachers and some bad.
School was not just academic but also taught us a lot about life..

I had friends from all different backgrounds, rich/poor, it was hard for me when when some of my rich friends could buy lots of things etc but tehre were also other kids who struggled in school (financially hard background with abusive parents).
I;d like DS to learn that the world consists of people of different levels.

This is again my opinion, but i dont agree how the government helps private schools, while public schools are in need. but this is another debate.

IMHO - there's nothing wrong w public education, i dont see private as one up on public. private can teach a child a lot things, give them lots of opportunities (maybe), luxuries, etc. but public, DH and I feel reflect the real world more. We feel DS needs to learn what hardship is too.

MrsMac - it's teachers like you that made me who I am today


AND to Nic - gosh, i hope this situation doesnt repeat.. If XH is behaving like that, is it any wonder DD is being rude.