Private Schools and what they bring out of people

[robo]

Hi I was wondering if anyone on the site has any experinces to share of what private schools had done for there children.

:sleep:I would be particularly interested if members have older children now and if they think private school attendance had a great effect on how the children ended up / turning out, Im not only thinking in terms of financial or employment succsses but also ending up being good people.

I realise this might be more about the home environment but would be interested in your feed back

Robo

[stanace]

probably improves their spelling

[robo]

yeah i agree Im a chef so I work with textures flavours and consistences, ive luckly been successfull and are in a position to spend money on my boys education so was after anyone experience, I couldnt wait any longer for the spell check down load , and surprisingly I have a post grad qual myself:)

[fungus pudding]

probably improves their spelling

Not just their spelling but their whole approach to the English language and grammar is generally better at pvt. schoools; or to put it another way - seems to be totally ignored at public schools. The attitude seems to be that correcting poor grammar is putting the kids down, coupled with the fact that so many teachers don't know or don't care about English. 'As long as you can be understood' seems to be the standard. So that's a bit of a generalisation but being a proud pedant, it's something I notice. I think basic maths are generally taught to a higher level also, which isn't saying much, because I know teenagers from public schools who have never been taught multiplication tables. I don't know how they can get through the day without knowing 9 x 8 = 72 e.g. , but there's plenty of them. So I have noticed higher standards in the three R's from pvt. schools. Other than that I make no comment.

[Serpie]

Our daughter is in a private school Robo. We moved her from state to private at the start of year 3 as we were concerned that she was being disruptive and, as a result, being left to her own devices at the rear of the class with some other kids. We had an interview with her teacher at the end of year 2 and my wife and I both came out knowing that we had to move her.
As we were not in a good school zone we opted to go private. It was the best thing we could've done for her.

She went from a class of 30+ to a class of 12. We wouldn't describe our daughter as "academic", and therefore she has benefitted enormously from the lower student/teacher ratio. She's in year 7 now, and so has one more year left at her school before we need to decide on a high school, and make the private/public decision again.

Her school has excellent teachers, excellent facilities and excellent resources, and the culture is outstanding. Her expectations of life have been greatly increased, as has our vision of what she is capable of.

Every now and then we run into girls that were in her class at the public school, and the difference between the way that they speak, carry themselves and conduct themselves is astounding.

By the time she's finished Year 8 we would've spent around $90,000 over 6 years on her schooling, and as a result we lived in a crappy house in a crappy suburb for longer than we would've liked, while many of our friends were moving into nicer houses. But for us there's nothing better for us to spend our money on that our kids, so it was a no brainer.

We've since moved into a larger house in a better area, and have another child who is 3.5, and appears to be "very academic". One of the reasons we bought our house was that it's only 4 doors from the local school, which is a decile 10 (which will hopefully help with resources) and has an excellent reputation. He'll be going there for a start, because we think he'll probably do well wherever he goes. But if not, we'll explore the private option again without hesitation.

So I suppose it depends on your kids, their abilities, and their needs. And also I'm sure there are some private schools that are better than others. But we absolutely love ours.

Hope that helps!

[robo]

we are in much the same predicament our boy rates very high in the pat tests but is starting to cause trouble(bored i expect and under challenged) hence the query, 90 grand :a lot of money, but when its kids its worth it

[percy]

The majoriy of people who send their child/children to private schools can not afford it,so they have to make sacrifices to do so.

[Snapper]

My boys both go to a Catholic college, so semi-private I suppose. Its got an excellent academic reputation but I thinks that's more to do with the kids that go there than the quality of the teaching. The big advantage (some might see it as a disadvantage) is that there are less 'bad' kids in the classes which makes it a bit more conducive to learning. There are definitely fewer discipline issues than at most public schools and (at their school at least) there is considerable emphasis on values.

[craic]

My eldest went through the NZ education system to UE level which she passed and is now a 60% partner in a very successful buisness in the Kings Road in London. Her schools were all in State housing areas. My second, a son,dropped out of school in form 4 because the crap education system could not cope with his particular aptitudes and he is now a Chief data systems architect for the Bank of America working out of London. My third is a self-employed data systems consultant or something similar.All the schools were very average and there was plenty of scope for drugs,sex, bullying and all the other nice things that can divert kids at that critical time
The major factors in their success were, a two-parent family, A mother who stayed home and was there for them at all times, a house full of books and parental involvement at all stages.My eldest was over-intelligent, bored with the system and rebellious (she insisted on playing soccer when only the boys were allowed to play soccer) and years later the dick-head of a headmaster thought it was very, funny the number of times he had to chase her off the soccer pitch and thats about all he remembered.
ROBO. find out your lad wants to do - not what you think he should do - and work from there.



Tng

[fungus pudding]

[QUOTE=Snapper;321707]My boys both go to a Catholic college, so semi-private I suppose. Its got an excellent academic reputation but I thinks that's more to do with the kids that go there than the quality of the teaching. The big advantage (some might see it as a disadvantage) is that there are less 'bad' kids in the classes which makes it a bit more conducive to learning. There are definitely fewer discipline issues than at most public schools and (at their school at least) there is considerable emphasis on values.[/QUOT

In what way are they 'less bad'? From the context I'm sure you mean there are fewer bad kids. With due respect, I just thought I'd point that out as the subject seems to be academic achievement. It seems a bit picky to point out that its in your second sentence requires an apostrophe, so I won't bother.

[CJ]

If a kid is going to do well, they will do well anywhere. I did better than both my private school cousins, dispute my public schooling. However, I guess the risk of getting in the wrong crowd reduces if the school doesn't have a wrong crowd.

If you kid ends up in the NZ business world, the old boys network may be beneficial.

[percy]

If a kid is going to do well, they will do well anywhere. I did better than both my private school cousins, dispute my public schooling. However, I guess the risk of getting in the wrong crowd reduces if the school doesn't have a wrong crowd.

If you kid ends up in the NZ business world, the old boys network may be beneficial.
CJ and Craig.Well done.You are both right.A very bright child will do well at any school.But for an average or below average, private schools seem to bring out the best in children who would fall through the cracks in the public system.You can have two chidren.One would do well a public school,while the other would only acheive their full potential at a private school.

[Serpie]

You can have two chidren.One would do well a public school,while the other would only acheive their full potential at a private school.

Agreed Percy. Horses for courses. And unless you have unlimited resources then you need to think carefully about which times will be critical in your child's education, and when they'll benefit the most from funding boost. We're hoping that our 3 year old will achieve in the public school system until his high school years, at which time we may pluck him out and look for something more specialised, while our 12 year old may need extra help all of the way through.

[Snapper]

[QUOTE=Snapper;321707]My boys both go to a Catholic college, so semi-private I suppose. Its got an excellent academic reputation but I thinks that's more to do with the kids that go there than the quality of the teaching. The big advantage (some might see it as a disadvantage) is that there are less 'bad' kids in the classes which makes it a bit more conducive to learning. There are definitely fewer discipline issues than at most public schools and (at their school at least) there is considerable emphasis on values.[/QUOT

In what way are they 'less bad'? From the context I'm sure you mean there are fewer bad kids. With due respect, I just thought I'd point that out as the subject seems to be academic achievement. It seems a bit picky to point out that its in your second sentence requires an apostrophe, so I won't bother.

I didn't say that I went to a private school!

[robo]

My eldest went through the NZ education system to UE level which she passed and is now a 60% partner in a very successful buisness in the Kings Road in London. Her schools were all in State housing areas. My second, a son,dropped out of school in form 4 because the crap education system could not cope with his particular aptitudes and he is now a Chief data systems architect for the Bank of America working out of London. My third is a self-employed data systems consultant or something similar.All the schools were very average and there was plenty of scope for drugs,sex, bullying and all the other nice things that can divert kids at that critical time
The major factors in their success were, a two-parent family, A mother who stayed home and was there for them at all times, a house full of books and parental involvement at all stages.My eldest was over-intelligent, bored with the system and rebellious (she insisted on playing soccer when only the boys were allowed to play soccer) and years later the dick-head of a headmaster thought it was very, funny the number of times he had to chase her off the soccer pitch and thats about all he remembered.
ROBO. find out your lad wants to do - not what you think he should do - and work from there.



Tng
WOW you and and your wife must be proud Craic , yeah its about them allright,

[clips]

went to a private school and hated it.... but i'm a better person with broader outlooks and don't settle for the average for having been there.
My kids - straight to private at year 7 and will go through to year 13, you only get one crack at this, don't scimp, they hang out with a high
percentage of high achieving successful families .... it does rub off.

[minimoke]

I've had the benefit of a public high school education until I was asked to leave and a private school education until its was suggested I don't return. I'm now what is probably knows as a "school snob" - I work hard to to get my kids the best education I can which means moving to the right zones. Along the way I've discovered kids in a private school education have access to better quality drugs than you'll find in lower decile public schools. No matter what I do I can't change my kids - they are what they are and will no doubt be what they'll be. I'll just give them as many opportunities as I can to have choice and make the right decisions. So first priority for me is the home environment - which isn't too dissimilar to the one described by Craic. I'm then into the school community - are there parents that share my values so their values get exposed to the kids. Who will the peers be -and are these the people I want my kids hanging around with. Then its the quality of the Head Master (check out the ERO reports) and the approach to education/ learning of the teachers. I've got a choice between public and private and mine will go public. Unfortunately too much is made of formal education - but it makes NZ look good when compared with UN/OECD signatories - and thats a key reason we see investment in education.

[axion]

My opinion is that your influence as a parent is going to make infinitely more difference than what sort of school your kids go to. My guess is that people who send their kids to private schools have greater emphasis on education than the average, so whether it is the private education being the causation behind them being "better" or whether it is just their parents interest/encouragement... well I'll let you be the judge.

That being said, smaller classes are definantly a plus, and I figure you should try and give your child every advantage you can reasonably afford to give them.


In the end, assuming you're a parent who takes interest, your kid is going to come out fine.

[Lizard]

I used to wish I'd had a private school education. Those I met who'd come through private schools seemed to have a much broader vision of the world and be comfortable with a more "wealthy" view of their lives. Perhaps more characterised by self-esteem, confidence and vision/purpose. However, years later, I realised that schooling was probably only part of it - home life could have filled that gap if there had been an awareness of what was missing from the school.

While I would have liked the academic side to be more demanding (it felt like a wasted opportunity when I'd finished the maths text in 3rd form by the end of second term and was told I could sit in class and do what I liked for the rest of the year!), I don't think that for me it made much difference. I've forgotten so much of what I've learned over the years. It is only the bits I use that really matter -and the internet soon fills most gaps there!

I had to make the choice of college for my eldest child attending secondary school this year. Our local state school is generally not known for its academic record, although it is the better one in our centre. But the cost of a private school, including travel, would have meant a major change in our family's lifestyle - particularly as, within a few years, we will have three children attending secondary school at once. I also considered that our nearest private schools are quite "white" - not a very true picture of the New Zealand they will be working with in the future (I think from memory that "European" only made up around 60% of births during the period they were born).

In the end, decided we would give the local school at least a trial - so far this has been quite successful, although very early days. However, I think my children all have the ability to achieve academically in any environment, so this was not my major concern. I have put some initial effort into encouraging my daughter to complete assignments to a high standard and to take pride in her achievements and then backed off and left her to it. Over the years, we've tried to create a network of extended family and friendships for our children and I hope that this will also avoid the social gaps that I felt a private school might have filled for me.

[Dr_Who]

I used to wish I'd had a private school education. Those I met who'd come through private schools seemed to have a much broader vision of the world and be comfortable with a more "wealthy" view of their lives. Perhaps more characterised by self-esteem, confidence and vision/purpose. However, years later, I realised that schooling was probably only part of it - home life could have filled that gap if there had been an awareness of what was missing from the school.

.

I know plenty of private school educated kids who are completely useless and achieve nothing in life.

I know many from humble backgrounds who have achieved great success in life. It all depends on the individual, how motivated and hungry they are to reaching their goals.

[Corporate]

I know plenty of private school educated kids who are completely useless and achieve nothing in life.

I know many from humble backgrounds who have achieved great success in life. It all depends on the individual, how motivated and hungry they are to reaching their goals.

Totally agree. It is all about internal motivation.

Nearly 8 years after finishing school, I am still astounded that people talk up their good/proper/posh school as if to say they are better than me.

[robo]

I know plenty of private school educated kids who are completely useless and achieve nothing in life.

I know many from humble backgrounds who have achieved great success in life. It all depends on the individual, how motivated and hungry they are to reaching their goals.

yeah I agree I also know plenty of people who went to state schools who are complete wasters as well, I notice when i talk to people about my dilema some people are very dark on private schools from the out set and dont want to discuss resources, teachers, facilities , small class sizes, values and international examinations etc etc

Corporate, the last thing im suggesting is that just because a kid has gone to a 'flash' school that makes them better than anyone else , those people who you have come across are obviously not good people

[Corporate]

Corporate, the last thing im suggesting is that just because a kid has gone to a 'flash' school that makes them better than anyone else , those people who you have come across are obviously not good people

I am just amused at the fact that there are people out there that do. I've noticed this is much more prevalent in Auckland and Christchurch.

[robo]

I am just amused at the fact that there are people out there that do. I've noticed this is much more prevalent in Auckland and Christchurch.

yeah there are few here like that in the provinces as well, I think people in rural/smaller centers tend to pull this kinda crap more than the cities , but i hear chch is very bad for this kind of thing(one boys school inparticular)

[whirly]

My eldest daughter goes to "Hellmouth High". She's been studying japanese for two years as an extra subject extramurally. Next year she's off to Japan for the year on an AFS exchange. $20K for the year beats private school fees!

[percy]

yeah there are few here like that in the provinces as well, I think people in rural/smaller centre tend to pull this kinds crap more than the cities , but i hear chch is very bad for this kind of thing(one boys school inparticular)

Sam Morgan was educated by his hippie mother in a house bus. So his mother is clever.Is your wife that clever?.She also enjoys riding racing motorcycles at 150 kph.Does your wife?
Forget snobs,slobs,etc,and go back to Serpie's post no.5 on this thread.He has given real reasons for sending a child to a private school.You must have had good reason for starting this thread.?

[robo]

[QUOTE=percy;322049]Sam Morgan was educated by his hippie mother in a house bus. So his mother is clever.

The reason i started this thread was to hear what others had to say Percy

[robo]

[Good Point

[Lizard]

I think Percy's reputation as an intelligent, likeable and honorable poster is strong on this forum, Robo. You seem to have read far more into his comments than I was able to see.

[percy]

Do you know the morgan family? I flatted with two of the morgan boys in the eighties, Interesting family alright: Im not into judging people Percy, I am very focused on my boys, I take it you went or sent to the school i was talking about in chch, this would explain your reaction, reminds me of a certain cricketers reaction when asked about his leadership:angry: hopefully you would agree that anyone carrying on that because they went to a 'certain' school that they were better than someone else is very very uncool or is that acceptable Percy?? My wife is a educated and well travelled person with heaps of friends,she was financially independant when i met her through some very clever investments( thats the name of the game isnt it Percy? ) feel free to reply if you are still bent outa shape:eek2:

The reason i started this thread was to hear what others had to say Percy,your reply has just added a entertainment aspect i wasnt expecting waaaaahaha !!!!!!
Sorry I turned a serious thread into entertaiment.I meant only to help you to do the right thing for your boy.

[robo]

[QUOTE=Lizard;322081]I think Percy's reputation as an intelligent, likeable and honorable poster is strong on this forum, Robo.

[percy]

Robo.
I can see why you correctly took exception at my post.I did realise it was insulting, and edited the offensive line.I did not realise you or anyone saw it.My apologises, to you or anyone else who read it.

[robo]

no problems Percy

[airedale]

Sounds as if this thread has reached the end of its useful life.

[Lawso]

Sounds as if this thread has reached the end of its useful life.

So here's my contribution to finish it off.

After a lunch in a city hotel I was standing at a urinal beside a well dressed businessmen. As I started to leave he said to me: "At Christs College we were taught to wash our hands after going to the toilet."

I told him: "At Wellington College we were told not to piss on our hands."

[STRAT]

I don't know how they can get through the day without knowing 9 x 8 = 72 e.g. , .Cell phones and I pads. The quickest way to disarm anyone under 20 is to take those away. Of course if you do they may require a 3 year course on Prozac to get over the emotional damage and Mental Trauma.

[p2r]

Me and my 3 brothers went to the local and an accountant,vet and lawyer. It was OK and we were self motivated.
I don't think schools are what they were 20 years ago.
There are two colleges in our town and they are so similar and so mediocre. The swearing is bad.
We home schooled our kids for a while and it is great for the basics but a lot of work. Lot of time wasted at school comparitively. A lot of parents give extra tuition to kids these days.
Reading is bad after NZ dropped phonics for a while.
Private schools were hammered by the last labour govt, not so fair payingtaxes and then again. The intergrated schools have done OK.

[robo]

Me and my 3 brothers went to the local and an accountant,vet and lawyer. It was OK and we were self motivated.
I don't think schools are what they were 20 years ago.
There are two colleges in our town and they are so similar and so mediocre. The swearing is bad.
We home schooled our kids for a while and it is great for the basics but a lot of work. Lot of time wasted at school comparitively. A lot of parents give extra tuition to kids these days.
Reading is bad after NZ dropped phonics for a while.
Private schools were hammered by the last labour govt, not so fair payingtaxes and then again. The intergrated schools have done OK.
Ive spoken to a local Gent who is reknown locally for holding eletronics and robot programming course during the holidays for kids and he discribes the nz public education as an elaborate baby sitting service and if your kids are gifted or show special talents in specific areas you should home school, p2r when did you start home schooling and what sort of impact did it have on interpersonal relationships within the family unit?