We are unique, thanks for your kind words :)
Severin, I do understand where you are coming from.

Houellebecq, I do understand that many of the statements you make are probably tongue in cheek, but it is not always easy to judge when we can't see facial expressions :(

I never meant to suggest that public school parents did not care about their kids at all. In fact, I am one of those parents who sent my daughter to both public and private schools for an equal number of years each, so I am hardly likely to suggest such a thing.

It is an unfortunate fact of life in our town, where there is two huge public high schools, and two smaller private high schools, that the vast majority of kids NOT wanting to be at school, and therefore extremely disruptive and often bullies, go to the public schools.

Wouldn't you try as hard as you possibly could to send your kids to the private schools in these situations? We didn't really have much of a choice, given that we had a timid, shy daughter that would have been swallowed up and spat out at the public high school.

We aren't well off at all, but we both worked hard, and I was able to work nightshifts during the time my daughter was at school, so I was available to her both before and after school.
You can't judge all parents of private school kids (or public school kids) unless you know their personal situations

'we had a timid, shy daughter that would have been swallowed up and spat out at the public high school. '

So you're in favour of social segregation based on socio-economic class. At some point your shy daughter will have to face those people.

Then again maybe not, perhaps she'll do so well at university she'll be able to afford to live and work away from 'those people' for the rest of her life.

'We aren't well off at all, but we both worked hard...'

Do you accept that some parents, no matter how much they scrimp and save, no matter how hard they work, will never be able to afford a private school? Do you think that even though people have different abilities, it's better to have kids start with equal access to the same standard of education? Do you know there are bullies even in the most exclusive of private schools?

I shudder to think what opinion you have of people who decide the local public school is good enough for their kids, the cream will rise to the top, and that they could use $20k a year per child towards something more valuable to the family unit.

Choice is nice, but only for those who have the choice. Normally I'm a libertarian, but when it comes to education, I think we should be aiming for equality of opportunity. At the very least private schools who can afford state of the art sports facilities should not be given money when there are public schools with kids packed into demountable classrooms with no air conditioning.

Suzeonline

Thank you for the greater detail into your situation. I understand that some private schools provide assistance to those who wish to send their children to private schools - either through means test or scholarships. However not all.

While I do understand I cannot condone - Public schools are being dudded, while schools like those in the following link are being subsidised by all taxpayers. As I noted special needs are in an entirely different ball park.

http://www.independentschools.com/australia/

We are unique

Thank you for your very kind words, almost amusing considering I am regarded as "one of the most aggressive posters on OLO", but no names lest I be suspended again.

Houllie

Re: Snobbery (which you introduced into the mix).

What DON'T you have a chip on your shoulder about?

Dear Houellie,

Suze obviously chose the schooling situation that she judged was best for her daughter.
Sometimes you have to make a decision and deviate from standard procedure even though society dictates otherwise. My son is at the high end of the autistic spectrum, which makes him charming and clever, but also naive and gullible. I have chosen to bypass the standardisation of institutionalised schooling altogether (for a number of reasons), choosing instead to educated him in the greater community.
Suze's comment that her daughter would have been "swallowed up and spat out" is pertinent to the situations experienced by many children who have a nightmare time during their formative years due to the often overly sadistic conduct of children captive in an instiutionalised environment. Although bullying is experienced in all walks of life, it is particularly endemic in a school setting.

I do agree, however, that private schools should be means tested for public funding

To be, or not to be...
Is it nobler of the spirit to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous oppression, or to take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by fighting, end them?
I have to feel sorry for all the shy, timid kids whose parents can't take them out of the system; particularly if they are left in a small minority.
I still think if anyone should pay for private education, it should be the parents of those children who make life so miserable, not only for other students but teachers and staff also.
It appears the class system is making a resurgence. The trend seems to be towards state schools only being for the 'no hope dills, chuck them on the scrap heap if necessary' as someone so eloquently put it.
We had a great education system once; what happened?
Oh yes. Economic Rationalism, followed by Neo Liberalism.

I agree Grim, we did have a good education system once.
When we were kids, you only went to a private school if your' family wanted you to have a religious education as well.

My Catholic mum insisted we all went to private Catholic schools. Everyone that I knew appeared able to afford this on just one income in those days, as my mum worked as a housewife.

However, my brother was a very gifted boy, and in 2nd year high he told my mum he needed more maths tuition in order to be an electronic engineer.

She found a good public high school nearby that had an excellent maths program. He transferred there, along with my other brother, and they did very well indeed.

Unfortunately, we don't seem to have many good public high schools any more... and if there are, you have to live in the surrounding suburbs to be eligible to go there!