Should taxpayer dollars be used to fund private education?

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Griff

Public education should only be for the poor or disabled. PE allows parents to disengage from their children's lives and makes the state the parent.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this point of view, because at the moment it has absolutely floored me, so I think I have either misunderstood you, or you have access to information I don't.

I went to a state school (what you call a public school) as did almost everyone I know. Some of these people did have parents who disengaged from their lives, but this would have been no different if they went to private school.

In fact the few people I have known who went to private school were more or less left to get one with things - one person's family seemed to have the view that as they had paid for their son's education they had done more than most and therefore discharged their parental responsibility.

In an ideal world I think all children should attend state schools. The money that is currently spent on private education could be funnelled back into the state system via fundraising drives and donations from those who could afford it. Children would mix with all classes, types and abilities at school and therefore get a better understanding of different classes, abilities and lifestyles. And those who wanted more for their children could supplement state education with extra curricular activities. The great and the good who care about their children's education would make far more of an effort to raise the standards of state schools if it directly affected their own children.

I know it will never happen, I know it's impractical on many levels but I also know it's similar to the way I was educated until I was 12 and it gave me a great start in life.