West,

I grew up going to separate and private schools and I must say that my experiences are most definitely not those reflected in your last post.
I've had only a single public school experience and that was at college doing some pre-university studies after I got out of the Army.
The one difference I can attest to is that in my opinion public schools seemed to me more rampant with Marxist thinking(or at least my college).
Excuse over reason.
In public school I was asked if I could provide an excuse for my behavior or thinking. In Private school I was asked If I could provide reason for my thinking or behavior.
Private schools make no excuse for their self-perpetuated elitism.
Then again, if one wants elitism join the Army. :-) Lots of that there.

I think a problem with private schools is that in the future (and now) we will all be held captive by former students. If you apply for a job and you are not an old boy or girl you will get moved down the list; if you get beaten up by the local Catholic bullies -well the Catholics have their tentacles into the local cop shop and you will be on your own; if you do get an honest John Law who lays charges that officer will get transferred to the Valley Hell and the Prosecution will try to bully the officer into dropping the charge to conserve the reputation of the local private school; the tentacles of course spread into the media who will refuse to report on private-school’s damaging behaviour; public schools can be investigated and reported on because of public interest laws while private schools have lawyers coming out of their ears if you dare question their behaviour and if you go to court an old-boy Magistrate may be impartial; and if you get ill and go to a local private hospital you might learn the truth about the "Catholic drop" and how the private system can safeguard itself; and then like in Queensland you may end up with a Government that is very partial to Catholics and their network of private-school mates; ( A Labor State Member, a former private schooler has just announced that nearly a million of tax money is to go the a Catholic private school. There has been no investigation into the long-term effects of creating this two-tier system or whether or not local people will be denied choice because the public system is under such duress. Cont.

Cont. I question the morality of handing over public funds to what is essentially a private and discriminatory business. Also the reason that public schools have become out of favour is because the religious right have been unfairly defaming the pubic system for yonks now. I don't know how the private school peoples can live with themselves knowing that they are benifitting from negative politicing. The private school’s reputation is conserved by gthe network but there is a lot that is kept quiet and this is despite the fact that these private businesses are tax funded. I think private education is immoral because it is helping create a divided society and is developing a framework that will lead to a hierarchal and thus unfair society).

I think aqvarvis's attitude that private school children are elite and public school children are communist confirms your point Ronnie.

Saddly aqvarvis judges public school children as a subclass with the added irony of demonstrating an ignorance of Marx. I understand the Marxist comment was meant to be a slur against children who went to public school but aqvarvis do you understand that Marx described differences in capital and is the father of the modern share holding system as well as the theorist behind the corporation having the rights of a citizen. You may be more integrated with Marxist principles than you care to know.

I laughed when you said the army is elite. Get a grip the defence forces are a public service no more elite than the tax department or Centrelink. You gave me a further chuckle as the Army is one of the few public services run to a communist system. Before your neck turns true scarlet in anger , every millitary has to be organised as a communist system otherwise the alternative is a bunch of outsourced privateers, mercenaries.But elite , thats too funny.

Ronnie you are correct and may I add that the reputation private schools have are the reputations they self declare. Its often hollow advertising. There is no effective quality assessment of private schools. Many private schools run shorter semesters and shorter teaching contact hours and additionally many teach utter garbage such as religious studies or concentrate on beating other schools at sports. They are buisnesses and it is their perogative, education has become the poker machines for church groups. I only suggest there should be strict regulation to stop the rorts and to ensure that private schools are educating children. It is a mine field for parents chosing the right education provider for their children. Private schools cant regulate themselves because most of the parents who send their children to private school do so to impress friends or family with no interest in the welfare of the child what so ever. This means the gravy train is ensured. Governments have to step in and look out for the kids. Again Im not anti private school and unlike aqvarivus Im not anti public school. To me only the best education should be offered to all children.

West, if you have to attack me in your post or belittle my experience ok. I think I understand. However, I would appreciate that if you have any questions of what I mean or how I judge things please post the question directly to me and not infer that your perceptions are mine.
Probably a little something I picked up in separate school but, that's how I feel.
West posts:
"I laughed when you said the army is elite. Get a grip the defence forces are a public service no more elite than the tax department or Centrelink. You gave me a further chuckle as the Army is one of the few public services run to a communist system. Before your neck turns true scarlet in anger , every millitary has to be organised as a communist system otherwise the alternative is a bunch of outsourced privateers, mercenaries.But elite , thats too funny."

Talk about offering a laugh. I'll pit my 25 years of experience as part of the military, and a "special force" up against yours. The Armed Forces of the world are chock full of elitism. "Organized as a communist system". Oh, man. Sell that one down at the Legion. For the next month they'd be calling you sore arse. Ya, and we're Unionized too.