So who went to a fee paying school here?

Lots of talk about how many members of govt went to fee paying schools, so who on here is prepared to MTFU to having had their education paid for?

I will: local independent school for secondary education up to GCE.

Why: Local ed authority back in the time wanted more able pupils to attend the less able schools, something that my parents were not prepared to put up with.

Class: Father, from the bogs (literally) left school at 14, 2 GCE's, no higher education, started working in a mental asylum back in NI, before coming across to England, spending some time in the prison service, training as an RMN, then eventually as an SRN/RGN. By the time I was off to secondary he was a charge nurse. He was a shop steward in the RCN and I can remember the pay campaign of the late 1970's (Don't pay nurses peanuts I think it was called), so wasn't on the comparable wages that a charge nurse would earn in todays econmic climate.
Mum, primary school classroom teacher, degree educated.

So not a massive income, not a priveledged family, no bursary/scholarship as the school didn't do them. I was last of 4 kids that mky parents paid for to go to this school, over 12 years, so we didn't do holidays during that time (or any luxuries really). At one point my two older brothers & sister were at the school at the same time, so my parents had three lots of school fees to pay for one year.
So my education, and the education of my siblings was hardly a class/priveledge thing, just a lot of scrimping and saving during that time. Luxuries I wanted were bought by myself from my weekend job that I had from the age of 14.

Oddly enough I hated the school, but would consider it an option when MFL junior reaches the appropriate age in place of local secondaries.

state funded grammar, still one of the top schools in Norn Irn.

Hence I'm expecting a call from Cameron about a position in the cabinet, behind the icecream maker, next to the foreman grill

I did, Father was a pretty unpopular teacher at local high school so my life would've been hell there. Plus, they thought it would give me a broader and deeper education.

I enjoyed bits of it, didnt leave with a huge number of qualifications. I did lose touch with a lot of friends that I'd been to primary school with but did make friends that are now scattered around the globe.

Would I pay to put my kid to the same or similar school? To be honest I don't know. I'm not convinced that it did me much better than the other school would have. I did learn to play rugby, got free golf lessons and can fence though. All valuable education lessons I'm sure you'll agree.

And i don't think that the public school system affected me too badly. So toodles for now, One must go and beat the domestic staff….

G

"so who on here is prepared to MTFU to having had their education paid for?"

Very odd sentence/question that…

Does MTFU now = admit ?

I think you meant to say "So, who here went to a fee paying school?"

You'd have thought an expensive education would have taught you decent grammar.

I went to a fee paying school but it wasn't here, it was there.

I went to a fee paying school – Government paid for me which was nice….

And then to man up by playing it as a really hard fought childhood?… wft. Your parents made the choice to pay for you to go to a school rather than spend money on other things.. What is the big deal?

I am sure there ar elots of people who could not afford to go down the paid education route and still had to buy stuff by having a paper round etc.

As long as all the toil and hardship was worthwhile it doesn't really matter though does it? Did you end up getting better grades/job out of it?

No, but a family friend did and (as you) they scrimped and saved to do it with 3 kids.

I find it hilarious that a few of the people I've met up here in Scotland have assumed that a very large percentage of people from England are from fee-paying schools etc, a somewhat distorted view if ever there was one.

I am sure there ar elots of people who could not afford to go down the paid education route and still had to buy stuff by having a paper round etc.

Indeed I know plenty of people who's parents did without meals AND had kids in state schools, but who's kids did fine and are in well paid jobs working hard. I'm not sure where the question is heading really.

HERE
HERE
THEN HERE

Anyway, I went to a fee paying boys school. This was back in South Africa in the '80s. Was and still is considered one of the best schools in the country. Not that the academics was brilliant, but our sport teams were amazing. Grey College is still one of the biggest Springbok rugby player producing schools in SA.

And I enjoyed being there. If I still lived back in SA I would have sent my boy there.

I did (private day school) from 13 to 18 with comp education before that.

Top 10 academically in the country and not cheap but not one of the mega expensive ones either. Paid for by my Dad's company as part of the package for a period of expat work. My parents are well off but not rich compared to many of the kids who were also at the school but also probably better off than many too whose families lived in very small houses, etc in order to pay the school bills (around £2k a term IIRC – early to mid 90s).

It was great. I still think it's crap that there's a need for them though.

me! I'm middle-class*, always have been! 🙂
Went to Stockport Grammar School, then the local high school, then another grammar school – the differences in my grades suggested that the private schools were far better at achieving good grades; the state school was perhaps better at getting me to actually stop coasting and apply myself.

Still think the Conservative Eton crew are toffs though! 😉

*-interesting point; apparently middle class in the UK is not quite a correct description, as it broadly means BC1 in terms of social grade, while strictly it would be applied to C1C2 types.

iDave sounds in the same position as me, Northern Ireland being a small place good chance it was the same school.

Made absolutely no difference to my life though, just a better educated slacker with unused old boy connections.

😆

Raising it because the noisy voices on here seem to assume private education = priveldge, which it doesn't have to.

Fair enough, Maxie, I didn't have a hard fought childhood, and I'm not trying to make a big deal out of my childhood, just interested to see who else out there didn't go through a state system and why. I think that bigG's reasons for attending a fee paying school are possibly more common than people think, and that there maybe a lot of lurkers out there who were educated privately but due to the general opposition to anything perceived as "upper class" on STW they might not admit/own up to it, hence my use of the phrase MTFU.

Did I get better grades/job – I'm a nurse specialist, so pretty much 1 grade up from where my father finished his nursing career. Higher ed was a part-time nursing degree done while working full time, I guess one thing the school did instill in me was a bit of a work ethic – if you didn't work & achieve decent grade they reserved the right to ask your parents to remove you.

I went to an independant day school from 11-18 (fee paying but not 'that' posh)

really glad my parents made the effort to get me in. When i first considered going i was pretty low in my class acedemically and got tutored specifically for the entrance exam to get me in because i probly wouldnt have made it otherwise. 'mostly' enjoyed my time there and came out with AAA and a love of sport and the outdoors and a place at a redbrick uni.

I think education is the most important thing in the world for your kids, if local state education offers the best then thats great but if local state is not as good as local private then I would pay the money

Same as Tiger – Maggie T paid for me 🙂

I went to a state comprehensive school in Sheffield. 30 kids per class, 12 classes per year. When the league tables were first published in the 80's it ranked 5th from bottom (out of about 50 Comps in the City).

I wouldn't want to send my kids to a similar school nowadays, so I would be prepared to pay for their education if it meant avoiding the type of school I went to.

In fairness, the school (and the teachers) weren't that bad. But the sheer number of pupils (and the social skills/upbringing/attitude of many) meant there were a lot of distractions which weren't always conducive to getting the most out of learning.

I went to Prep school and Public school – no shame here. Boarded from age 8 to 18. Thats all I knew, and had a brilliant time playing huge amounts of sport, cadet force etc etc.

My dad was sent to a boarding school in Edinburgh in his mid-teen's. He barely spoke English and his parents back home in HK scrimped and saved every penny to send him and his siblings. He benefited hugely, went to Edinburgh University with good grades (apart from English, which he failed) and became a doctor. He now earns a ridiculous amount of money and paid for his children to go to the same school.

Not the best or most prestigious fee-paying school but feel I received a very well-rounded education (good balance of sports, arts, and academic subjects).
I do however, feel my cousin (who went to local school in East Kilbride) has had to work far harder for her education. She was in the local paper for getting six A's at Higher, which is a huge achievement as she and her mum had to properly hound the school to let her do all three sciences, and she would often stay late at school and go in at weekends to do all her subjects, as there wasn't enough space in the normal timetable. If she had gone to my school there would have been no bother at all!

Wealth and class is a fair source of stigma for me, but I can't help my upbringing. I'm grateful for the experiences my parents have allowed me and hope to make the most of the opportunities I get.. which is all I can do surely.

If you went to a fee-paying school…..
How did you feel about the fact your education cost a lot more than most people? Proud, superior, ashamed?
I only ask because I've always admired the self-confidence of my friends who went to private school.

me.

I went to the local comprehensive school in glasgow in a farily tough area on the southside ( Hillpark if anyone nows it – catchemnet mainly Darnly Arden and carnwadric)

Great education ( in the broadest sense), great facilities. While I was there it was a true comprehensive system – no choice you went to the local school. The school has now been ruined as nearby there is another "comprehensive" ( if you have choice its not comprehensive) that is called shawlands academy. Despite it having much worse facilities the middleclass parents fight to send their kids there so leaving hillpark with only the unmotivated kids.

Ten classes in each year. 1st year taught in mixed ability classes, 2nd year streamed for maths and English, 3rd year onwards streamed for all subjects.

Hillpark was the last School to be refurbished before the economic troubles of the early 70s. When I was there in the mid 70s it had 2 gyms, large sports hall, climbing wall, hi tech language labs, swimming pool, 3 sports pitches and was the best equipped school in Glasgow including the private ones.

comprehensive education at its best.

I went to a fee paying school, but only 8% of the pupils paid the full fees, and a third of them, including me paid 0. They gave me pocket money and paid for my travel home in the holidays. Without my school, i would't of achieved he grades I did, and I wouldn't of gone to University.

Saying that my sister went to the same school, and she is a lazy, ugly, controlling, self centred, bitchy theif.

So I guess it's not only the school.

How did you feel about the fact your education cost a lot more than most people? Proud, superior, ashamed?

As the tax payer paid for mine (thanks everyone) I am very grateful…. I feel something but not sure what – something to do with the history and tradition of the schools that I wouldn't have from a comprehensive I imagine.

The thing is my family have got poorer over recent generations, my Grandfather was the 1st to go to Harrow instead of Eaton (advised as he was an unwell child apparently) and my Dad went to Dover College for some odd reason as was nowhere near home. I was the 1st day boy though I went to schools with boarders though they don't have boarders these days nor Saturday school and even accept girls – crazy days…!

ianpinder – Member
I went to a fee paying school, but only 8% of the pupils paid the full fees, and a third of them, including me paid 0. They gave me pocket money and paid for my travel home in the holidays. Without my school, I would'nt have achieved the grades I did, and I wouldn't have gone to University.

Why wouldn't you have gone to University?

I never like telling people I went to a fee-paying school – it is a source of embarrassment for me purely associated with money.
I do think my education has left me very sure of myself and my abilities – I have had it instilled in me that if I have a degree of intelligence and apply it I will succeed. Nothing in life has ever shown me otherwise. So I might be getting a rather nasty shock when I go out into the real world..

miaowing_kat – Member

I do think my education has left me very sure of myself and my abilities – I have had it instilled in me that if I have a degree of intelligence and apply it I will succeed.

What's specific about a fee-paying education which create that mind-set? Surely that same level of confidence can be instilled in all children?

Problem is it's almost impossible to say you wouldn't have had the same grades/uni etc that you got at private school. It's nice to think you wouldn't as then the cash wasn't wasted, but ultimately if you bother to try you can achieve exactly the same ends from either start point. Fees paid or not, I see very little difference between people as a whole from either system, other than self-confidence. But often that self confidence is only skin-deep.

Age 11-14 – RGS Guildford (fee paying Grammar) in Slurrey.

Then moved to Cornwall and went to a Comp – highly UNrecommended at that age but all worked out fine in the end.

Similar "debate" here for our little one too.

My wife did the opposite – Comp (yep the same as me!) and got all "A" and "A*" for GCSE then a posh boarding school and didn't get on with it so A levels grades dipped (still got ABC though).

TBH I think it's great to see both sides.

I have never felt embarrased, proud or superior – its just a school at the end of the day. I have friends from all social spectrums and likewise if they can't take you for who you are and vice versa then not worth knowing them.

Has it given me a drive to explore the world and push myself – who knows the answer to that, I hope that I would be roughly the same had I gone to my local comprehensive.

But then I woud also say that I am probably not the norm in respects to the average product of an expensive Public school.

How did you feel about the fact your education cost a lot more than most people?

Lucky/priviledged I guess. It's the kids whose parents teach them that somehow it makes them superior that give the rest of us a bad name…

waderider, was it royal, and in a town called dungannon?

druidh – I'm sure it can. I'm only commenting on my experience. I have always been in a fee-paying school since I was 7 so I don't know any different. I obviously can't say how I would have 'turned out' if I'd not gone to those schools. All I know is that I had access to excellent facilities, I always had teachers who encouraged me and pushed me to do what I wanted, and that most classes were good working environments

The only difference I really see day to day is that people often comment that I'm very 'well spoken'. Though whether this is because I went to a fee-paying school or simply because I don't have a Scottish accent, I don't know 😕

I did.

http://www.royalhospitalschool.org/

It was hard. Although i remember it was called 'character building' when i was there. All soft now though – they let non Navy kids in.

Went to a boarding school as father was in the RAF, alternative would be changing schools every couple of years which doesn't really work when you're doing GCSE or A-Level curriculums (as they vary from school to school). That meant although we were middle class I was one of the poorer kids there (I remember when the parents bought an old Skoda as a second car, back in the day when Skodas were actually shite, I used to get them to park around the corner outside the school 😛 ).

Got a good education there (although school on Saturday wasn't fun) but as there were enforced study periods in the evenings I never really learnt self-discipline so when I went to Uni I ended up spending most of my time in pubs and dropped out after a year…

From my school a lot of folk went to university including ones who you wouldn't expect to. Partly because they had the aspirational kids at the school that provided a role model.

I got 3 A and 2B at higher. I would probably have done 6 highers in a private school and might well have got a couple more As. However it was plenty to get me into uni. some of my friends from school would never have got into a selective school at 11 – but as late developers flourished and went on to uni.

My dad who was one of the top educationalists in scotland was convinced that across the whole population a true comprehensive system gave the best results. top kids like me still get high enough grades to go to university and get a more rounded education. Kids in the middle do better in a comp as they are not either struggling to keep up with only academic kids or haven't been stuck in a sink school.

Kids at the bottom fail anywhere – but just a few of them get motivated to work hard by the example of the top kids. If those top kids are not there then there is no role model for these kids to follow.

The other aspect is if you split the academic kids apart then the best teachers tend to go with them – so the kids who don't get into the top school get the worst teachers as well.

When the bullying I got was at its worst I was given the choice of going to a fee paying school but I didn't want to.

Edit

Got a good education there (although school on Saturday wasn't fun) but as there were enforced study periods in the evenings I never really learnt self-discipline so when I went to Uni I ended up spending most of my time in pubs and dropped out after a year…

A common issue with private school kids that is less comon with state school kids

No iDave, Royal Belfast Academical Institution. Worth a punt anyhow.

Lots of toffs on here. 😉

State comprehensive (formerly a grammar school) all the way. It was great. Did pretty well academically as did most of my peers.

The main advantage of public school that I have noticed amongst people I know is the self-confidence thing – being confident of succeeding in life is to some extent a self-fulfilling prophecy imo.

There is of course a downside to that self-confidence when it goes too far…

as there were enforced study periods in the evenings I never really learnt self-discipline so when I went to Uni I ended up spending most of my time in pubs and dropped out after a year…

I know people who really struggled with that too.

A common issue with private school kids that is less comon with state school kids

Evidence please TJ?

Not in my experience of that same situation. Every minute of your life is organised for you at a boarding school and this helps (i think) in instilling a work ethic in people that is hard to shake.

It worked with our school anyway. When we got to Uni we were noticabely more disciplined about all aspects of the experience from study through to drinking/recreation etc.

It may have helped that we had a school bar in upper 6th that showed us the value and responsibility needed to drink sensibly and apportion time properly.

Are there any studies out there about this?