Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

fred - public schools are only subsidised insofar as they are charities and qualify to be same under the very strict legislation that govern these ..... you know that full well, but of course it does not suit your agenda to do other than twist the truth to suit

there is a parallel argument of kinds, that our (good) unis have a large % of overseas students that study engineering and other sciences, but then disappear back "home" on graduation ......

sir james dyson observed very correctly that we ought to be persuading these graduates as much as possible to join uk companies

QUESTION.......why do parents send there kids to private schools rather than the local school just up the road.??????????

ANSWER......... because they want to steal a privileged march on there neighbour and local people who have less means than they do.

Never ever let anyone says its envy or jealousy its not, its being about fair and the culprits are the selfish parents of these children.

Manuel,

I think it is you who are ducking and diving.

It is a subsidy from the public purse.

If the public schools are the pinnacles of virtues you suggest, let the stand on their own feet, i.e. what they are really worth in the market.

No objection.

Quite happy for them to exist, but not to be subsidised by the public.

Quite happy for my offspring to have language, music and other "coaching" when they were young and thought to be beneficial. Also, quite happy to do so. Didn't mind the cost.

But thought that similar should have been available to all.

To a certain degree similar to the above was afforded me, by my parents.

=====

Ask you d-in-law, how many UK born medical graduates are leaving the country each year to avoid repaying medical course fees?

Interesting!

Why do Labour's chosen send their kids to selective/fee paying schools?

fred - what you object to is that they qualify as charities ..... is that not the truth of the matter?

sticky - do not forget that a great many parents move to where the best schools in the state sector are .... why would that be? ...... it's not to "steal a march" (good polemics) but to give their children the best start in life that they can

GF,

Slight objection, the reason is often that the children enjoy being extended to a degree not available in the state system and that they want the best opportunity for the future of their children and prefer to spend their excess money on what they think valuable.

Those things in a decent society should be available to all.

---------

What do you know about BDEV that I don't?

The Bugger is going against my expectations.

murders in Kenya all over the world MUSLIM FOLLOWERS ARE MURDERING CHRISTIANS AND THE WEST ARE TAKING NO ACTIONS
TIME IS RUNNING OUT THEY MUST UNITE AND WIPE THESE MURDERERS OUT

let's murder the murderers :-)

CYNIC BY THAT POST IT SAYS YOU AGREE WITH THEIR CRIMES FACT THE POST SAYS YOU DO

no, but in honesty, what is the difference or how do you draw the line?


one w/e "we all" say assad is a murdering bastard and needs to be destroyed ...... the next w/e we find ourselves supporting him against ISIL
a difficult and dirty world

Labour's champagne socialists send their kids to the very best comprehensives in the country by the simple process of buying a very expensive house in the catchment areas. They save the school fees and put it into a property which increases in value. You can see that the top 20 comprehensives in the country are surrounded by very expensive houses. The process is similar to paying for private education.

It is worse though in one respect. It prevents all but the very well off getting into good comprehensives. I have such a school across the road from me. Nearly all the parents are very well off. They are well known actors, media people, politicians, TV presenters, film directors etc. As soon as a comprehensive get high ratings, it is swamped by people paying to get into the school buying property there. Their political views prevent them from paying school fees, but doesn't stop them from using their money to get into the best schools.

The private school vs buying property to get into a school are exactly the same. You might stop private schools but you can't stop people buying in a catchment area.

muslim followers are killing Christians in the name of islam to me that means war
and we should go to war and end the killings of innocent people we must rid the planet of those that murder in the name of islam
cynic do you think we should act or let them carry on murdering innocent people black or white

Cyners whats the difference between this of yours....but to give their children the best start in life that they can

and mine....to steal a March on their neighbours kids.

Its the same thing.

FRED not often we disagree but I think education and health should not be available to the highest bidder.

The buying property technique has the additional downside that it prevents poorer families sending their children to excellent state schools. If you stopped private education then the swamping of good state schools by rich people would massively increase.

weather we liked it or not sadam gadafe assad were doing good job holding their countries together blair and bush are the war criminals in my view and I was against the wars dropping bombs on women and children in the dead of the night

The competition for places in my nearby top comprehensive is so bad that you only get a place if you live within 300 metres. Almost every house and flat inside that perimeter is occupied by families with children at the school.

Ohhhhhhh Hays shut up.

The state schools in my area are all the same, under performing, but if you have a determined child, that child will work and outperform the average in the school.

That doesnt mean his or her parents just because they have had money handed down to them can buy a place in a private school or buy a posh house near a top performing state school.

Education should be all about a level playing field just as health care should be.

stealing a march is perjorative and inflammatory, which is exactly what you meant it to be




it is certainly interesting that even in my youth, public schools were generally affordable to ordinary middle-class families, and even to a good number of those below that arbitrary level, there is no question that the top public schools and their excellent academic and other facilities are now only affordable by the super-rich or overseas families

my own grandchildren are fortunate to live in area where there are excellent state schools, and the same would apply if they lived in this region ...... should they not attend those establishments?

weather they go to a top school or a lousy one , if they are thick it will not help to make them clever you either have it or you don't . just look at most druggies all
singers or other stars or parent rich . them look at coke head in parliament

Back row: David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, Harriet Harman.

Standing in middle: Hillary Benn, Chuka Umunna.

Front row: Fiona McTaggart, Tristram Hunt, Tessa Jowell.