[Politics] Corbynite councillor sends daughter to Roedean

Guinness Boy said:

How do you know that's his personal view? And can you quote us one of these lecturing speeches he's made on private schools - like Roedean, not like Acadmy chains?

I've been a member of Sussex County Cricket Club but it didn't mean I agreed with the batting order in every game. There are members and season ticket holders of the Albion on here who cannot even agree if flasks should be allowed in to the ground.. I was a member at a local nightclub back in the day but I didn't get to pick the DJs or even agree with half the stuff they did.

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warmleyseagull said:

Read posts with interest. A lot of contrary and strongly held views.

Very surprised to see the justification of a Labour councillor paying for his child's education; yes it is his money but private education is firmly on his party's hit list of don't likes. Is he going to visit folk's houses when on the stump at the election and argue that PE should be abolished, or at least the charity exemption removed? The latter is certain to be in Manifesto, the former possible. How can he truly promote his party's policies with a clear conflict of interest?

I see nowhere the question whether the daughter herself is content with this arrangement. It is his money, but surely her happiness is more important. What does she think?

And sad to see so many resigned to 'if I had the money I would do the same'. Why? You pay your taxes, you have a right to your child's free education. What does PE actually buy? I reckon three things: smaller class sizes with more motivated teachers; better facilities; and (above all) positive peer pressure.

Unpick those : smaller class sizes are (as some posters point out) actually a real problem for many PE students at uni; better teachers I get but there are ways round this: additional tuition at a fraction of the cost of the whole package of PE being the most obvious. Better facilities similarly can be overcome by paying for specific needs: sport, drama, music, skiing holidays, again targeted and at a substantially lower cost.

Positive peer pressure is actually the biggest of the three. The problem is that this defines students into a conclave of like folk whose parents are, by definition, well off, or just happen to be fortunate enough to win a scholarship (minority). They simply don't have the life experience of encountering less advantaged students. Our youngest son is an A&E doctor in North London; his job is not easy with the ever present problem of gang warfare and its consequences, but he says that very few PE Medics even choose A&E. It becomes self selective, and means many educated privately have a blinkered view and a sheltered life (not all, just many and I accept this has been mitigated recently; mitigated but not fundamentally changed).

So support the state system. Use some intitiative and funds where it fails but don't cop out. Save yourself a lot of dough and use it wisely. Above all, ask what your children want.

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Neville's Breakfast said:

I reckon

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wellquickwoody said:

The inference was there and you know it.

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Hampster Gull said:

Rage against the machine that’s it’s not ok for everyone else but it’s fine when it’s for them.

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Billy the Fish said:

If I ever have the time of inclination to trawl political threads on NSC looking for evidence I hope someone smothers me

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Chicken Run said:

im suggesting

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Leekbrookgull said:

i believe (the last time i looked)

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Wardy's twin said:

on the face of it

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Buffalo Seagull said:

I find it odd that everyone seems to be making the assumption that it’s his decision alone as to what school his daughter attends.
Maybe it was his wife’s decision, or maybe they gave their daughter a choice. Maybe her best friends go there. Maybe the style of teaching there and the learning environment is just the best fit for her.
If you’re picking schools based on your political philosophy rather than the best interests of your children, you’re just a s#*t parent.

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JC Footy Genius said:

The Shadow Home Secretary agrees with you ....

"It's absolutely true that it's inconsistent, to put it mildly, for someone who believes in a fairer and more egalitarian society to send their child to a private, fee-paying school.

"I've always believed that private schools prop up the class structure of society.

"It's inconsistent, it's indefensible and that's why I haven't sought to defend it." - Dianne Abbott

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Guinness Boy said:

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Not Andy Naylor said:

I suppose it isn't hypocritical to work and fight for all schools to be as good as the best fee-paying ones (although I'd argue that paying for education guarantees nothing except smaller class sizes) but until your work is done, send your own children to the best school you can get them to. But we don't know whether or not that is what has happened here.

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Neville's Breakfast said:

It’s a message board. It’s for people to give their opinions. ‘I reckon’ even you have occasionally ventured an opinion on here.

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Bakero said:

What makes you say they have better teachers?

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warmleyseagull said:

That is the general impression but of course there are some poor teachers in private education and some great ones in state education. I accept that it is an assertion that cannot be formally substantiated.

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Nitram said:

So to sum up those left leaning think the person in question as a fellow leftie has the right to do what he wants and is in no way going against the principles of his party and it’s all OK because he has not said anything nasty about top level public education. Although as a lefty it’s OK to trash academies.No way is the poor sod a hypocrite even though he is a public figure in education who for privacy thinks it’s all OK not to comment (apart from the usual Daily Mail assassination piece)
If the person in question is not a hypocrite those defending him certainly are. Laughable.

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Guinness Boy said:

Great, An entire thread full of left leaning people who think they know best and when one of there own get’s found out swarm like hornets to defend the indefensible

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hans kraay fan club said:

Can you please point out the part where he has said he 'wants rid of private money in education'?

Do people REALLY think that the conversion of state schools factory-farm academies, by private profit-making companies, and the centuries-old private school system are in ANY way comparable?

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Gwylan said:

Of course it's not hypocritical. Roedean is a private insitution and was set up as a private institution. What Childs is against is the forced privatisation of public assets. They're two completely different concepts.

I agree with Simster, this thread does show exactly why charlatans like Johnson and Farage are doing well. Too many people are ignorant of facts or are able to follow a coherent argument. I've argued before that philosophy (and logic in particular) should be taught in schools, there'd be a lot less loose thinking

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Diablo said:

I don`t see a problem that anyone sends his children to private school. Doesn`t every one want the best for their own children !!

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Guinness Boy said:

But opiinions at least have to be a tiny bit educated. Not one person can provide a quote from the person in question where he personally says he would close private schools. And the quote The Mail uses is about something different entirely. It's a whole thread full of people guessing what someone else should think based on their own political prejudices.

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Diablo said:

surely he doesn`t like the idea of private education but as things are he realises that the private sector does supply the best educational chance for his children. sensible surely !

I don`t like the idea of private health insurance believing the NHS brilliant but still have private health policy which I believe sensible !

you may consider it laughable ... I consider it sensible !

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