I don't begrudge anyone putting their money into their kids education. I just don't believe that because parents are paying $$ that their kids are going to be any different. I could pay big $$ and my child could still become the biggest rebel and run off the rails, having no motivation or interest in academics. I could pay very little $$ and my child could still excel academically.

I think too I don't like the attitude that some come of private school with, that they're a cut-above the rest of us (experienced this at work... with people I was working alongside! How exactly did it get them further ahead than me when we're working alongside each other??) I mean.. once they go to uni, they will be mingling with public school people anyway.. heaven forbid! LOL.

I thought you could shop around public schools to some extent.. we always had people at our school that travelled on the train from elsewhere.. they weren't all locals.

I understand that if the local schools were atrocious and no-one had anything good to say about them, such as parents of kids going through having issues with various teachers etc and the presentation of those schools, then i can understand a necessary switch to private.. but at the same time I wouldn't over extend ourselves to pay for it.. which is what the OP asked.. would you go into debt for education. Nope.