Please help - I need your opinion. Fee paying private vs free Westminster state schools?

Hi - Do I scrimp and save and spend all of my salary on school fees for a private secondary school education for my two children (weekly board). Giving up holidays and lots of treats, reducing drastically cinema days and restaurant meals, struggling with birthdays and christmas, new clothes, my personal social lifestyle. Or do I send them to one of the horrid Westminster state schools, where headmasters get stabbed, children are bullied and killed and female teachers get raped. Results are among the worst in the country and my son (11 next year) would have to travel on public transport by himself.





Can a school destroy a childs chances or will good parenting win out? Will my children dislike me more for taking away their lifestyle/treats, etc or for sending them to a hard knock school??

Please help - I need your opinion. Fee paying private vs free Westminster state schools?
By god if you think the schools are going to cause them to have poor exam results and associate with the wrong crowd, do whatever it takes to do otherwise. At school it took me a hell of a lot of drive to blank out people intent on causing mayhem and disrupting my classes. If they get into that situation and they're not ambitious they'll just do so so at exams and go to a university where they'll learn the same stuff but may be at a disadv. vis. employment.





Of course it's also about what personality you want your kids to have - posh, or not.





My advice would be to move to a place where there's a good state school.
Reply:God, what a choice. Personally, I would send them private, no treat is more important than a decent education.





But I feel for you. Good luck xx
Reply:Have you thought about moving?





I'd hve thought you could live much more cheaply outside Westminster and maybe also find a decent state school.
Reply:According to the book Freakanomics, it matters not one jot where you go to school. You are just as likely to fail or succeed no matter where you choose to learn.





It also points out that genetics contribute about 50% of a child's personality, with the remaining 50% being mostly peer pressure and a small amount of input from the parents.





So it would seem your kids are screwed no matter what your choice.
Reply:I went to an ordinary school and left hardly being able to read, if you can afford it, you'd be a bigger fool than I am to, (upon misguided principles) send them to a state school.

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