Sir, – I am increasingly fed up with the perception that parents that send their children to private schools are prioritising their children’s education – as if you couldn’t do that at home and in a state school.
If ever there was a priority in our household, it was education. We went to a the local Presentation school and if we struggled or got a bad teacher in a subject, our parents would fork out for grinds to catch up.
As for prioritising, if we got results that our parents felt were below our capabilities, well, no one wanted to be in that room.
It is a myth that the education in a private school is better. In Australia, it has been proven that any advantage gained at high school level is lost in the first year of college where private school students struggle more than public school students.
For an extra $25,000 a year, you get a lot of extras such as film and studio facilities, field trips which are not really necessary for a basic education and could be provided much cheaper by joining a club or doing a course during the summer.
This “I prioritise my children’s education” is a cop-out for good parenting and making vulnerable parents think they have to pay for something that should be free. – Yours, etc,