Fee Paying Schools

cson

(I would have put this in the Education forum if there was one, and I could probably have stuck it in the Leaving Cert forum but its the parents opinions I'm after really.)

I'm after reading a piece on fee paying schools in the Indo this morning. Over 25,000 students in Ireland attend fee paying schools in this land. We've had a lengthy debate on this over in the Leaving Cert forum and my opinions on this are steadfast.

I think it's absolutely ludicrous that the State helps pay the salaries of teachers in these schools, gives money to aid the building costs in Catholic schools and gives aid to Protestant schools due to their minority status. Having been educated in a community school myself I believe it's down to the individual mostly and that if you work hard enough you can achieve everything to an extent. Having said that having a two tier education system is against my principles. I would ideally like to see a more socialist type system where everyone is equal and oney cannot buy one into a supposedly "better" school. I can dream.

The main question I want to know though is, would you send your child to a fee-paying school? And if so, why?

Nevyn

Hedge Schools FTW

Define fee paying ?
Is that a direct tuition payment or a cotrabution to the running of the school ?

mikemac

If it was the Atari Jaguar school.

Down with socialism!

biko

No

cson wrote: »

(I would have put this in the Education forum if there was one, and I could probably have stuck it in the Leaving Cert forum but its the parents opinions I'm after really.)

The main question I want to know though is, would you send your child to a fee-paying school? And if so, why?

Parenting?

My kids will be homeschooled

Terry

Undecided

I'm going to tape you to a flag pole, Biko.

An Citeog

No

cson wrote: »

I think it's absolutely ludicrous that the State helps pay the salaries of teachers in these schools, gives money to aid the building costs in Catholic schools and gives aid to Protestant schools due to their minority status.

Could you please clarify this point?

I went to a Christian Brothers school where we had to pay a "voluntary" contribution of about €100 a year. It's a very good school and I'd happily send my kids there.

That said, I've got nothing against private schools. Results don't lie and although they may be seen as exam-oriented rather than offering a more balanced education, it's up to the individual. I don't think anyone should have the right to force their beliefs on another.

Ruen

Undecided

An Citeog wrote: »

Could you please clarify this point?

I went to a Christian Brothers school where we had to pay a "voluntary" contribution of about €100 a year. It's a very good school and I'd happily send my kids there.

That said, I've got nothing against private schools. Results don't lie and although they may be seen as exam-oriented rather than offering a more balanced education, it's up to the individual. I don't think anyone should have the right to force their beliefs on another.

Yeah but if the private school is getting thousands of euro per student every term should the school still get capitation grants and have their teachers salaries paid by us?

ferdi

ugh not again

TPD

Hedge Schools FTW

Terry wrote: »

I'm going to tape you to a flag pole, Biko.

Dont forget to get your kid to tape his kid to a bench.

Voodu Child

Undecided

Would i send my kids to a fee-paying school? No.

If they were so stupid that I had to pay thousands of euro to help them pass the joke of an exam that the leaving cert is, i'd probably disown them.

Nightwish

Undecided

No. The fee paying school in my town is crap. Its in no way superior to any of the other schools in town but you have to pay €4000 a year for it! Not to mention they've Saturday school. I wouldnt put any kid through that.

eamoss

No

Private Schools FTW

I went to a fee paying school for 6 years, did my LC in 2006. We paid about €2500(I think) a year about 80% of that went to paying for extra teachers so that our classes were small about 20-25 students in each class.

No scumbags in Private schools only wanna-be-scumbags

sdanseo

No

eamoss wrote: »

Private Schools FTW

I went to a fee paying school for 6 years, did my LC in 2006. We paid about €2500(I think) a year about 80% of that went to paying for extra teachers so that our classes were small about 20-25 students in each class.

No scumbags in Private schools only wanna-be-scumbags

Same, to the T. My school was more expensive but definitely worth it.The sense of community in a small school makes it worth any money, especially if you're not that great at getting to know people.

One regret is that college is a bigger, wilder world coming from a small school.

ejmaztec

No

Unfortunately, there are some teachers in the public education system who should never have become teachers. As if by some divine intervention, they carry on for years in their secure jobs, seemingly without them having to prove that they know what they're talking about.

If one has to pay to get away from this problem, then, unless you want a dimwit son or daughter, you've got to get your wallet out.

Geography teachers talking about Czechoslovakia, when it hasn't existed since the early 1990s.

Other teachers who insist on saying Westminister, when it's always been Westminster.

It makes me cringe.

Ruen

Undecided

eamoss wrote: »

Private Schools FTW

I went to a fee paying school for 6 years, did my LC in 2006. We paid about €2500(I think) a year about 80% of that went to paying for extra teachers so that our classes were small about 20-25 students in each class.

No scumbags in Private schools only wanna-be-scumbags

My parents paid a contribution of €100 each year and I was never in a class of more than 25 for the whole 6 years, seems like a waste of 15 grand just to be in smaller classes.

Ruen

Undecided

ejmaztec wrote: »

Unfortunately, there are some teachers in the public education system who should never have become teachers. As if by some divine intervention, they carry on for years in their secure jobs, seemingly without them having to prove that they know what they're talking about.

If one has to pay to get away from this problem, then, unless you want a dimwit son or daughter, you've got to get your wallet out.

Geography teachers talking about Czechoslovakia, when it hasn't existed since the early 1990s.

Other teachers who insist on saying Westminister, when it's halways been Westminster.

It makes me cringe.

I went to a public school and I'm not a dimwit, in fact most people I went to school with are not dimwits either, and my parents never got their wallet out.
Oh and just out of curiousity are there any teachers like that in private schools or are they all perfect?

ejmaztec

No

Ruen wrote: »

I went to a public school and I'm not a dimwit, in fact most people I went to school with are not dimwits either, and my parents never got their wallet out.

You obviously didn't have "some" of the teachers that I mentioned.:)

Ruen

Undecided

|Cookies wrote: »

6 Grand a year for the school i went to, kept the scum out anyway!

thoes fees helped pay for new buildings such as classrooms, libary, sports hall.

*shrugs*

It's just a pity you have to live in the real world when you're finished, can't keep the scum out of that eh.

eamoss

No

Ruen wrote: »

My parents paid a contribution of €100 each year and I was never in a class of more than 25 for the whole 6 years, seems like a waste of 15 grand just to be in smaller classes.

Looking back now I am really thankful that my parents sent me to a private school. I really enjoyed my 6 years (we had to do TY) there and I know if I had gone to any other of the schools in my area I would have hated my 5 years in them schools.

My parents where going to send me to a non fee playing school where most of my mates went to but they knew I wanted to do Tech Drawing and Construction which that school didnt offer and they thought I wouldnt enjoy my stay there. How right they were.

I got a lot of slagging off all of my mates for going to that school. But to say that I would enjoy going in everyday and sad leaving at the end of the school day says something.

Like I said I was able to pick subjects that they didnt offer in other schools like I did GCSE P.E as well.

For my LC I had two big classes Geography (30) and Construstion (25) which was the biggest Construstion class my teacher ever had all my other classes had about 18 or so students in them like for Tech Drawing (10), GCSE PE (6) Business (18) and German (3)

If I hadnt gone to private school I know I would have gotten 100 less points than I did.

ejmaztec

No

Ruen wrote: »

Oh and just out of curiousity are there any teachers like that in private schools or are they all perfect?

If the teachers are crap, the school will fold through lack of results. It pays the teachers to keep up with what's going on in the world.

kirving

I go to a community school, and believe me, the teachers and facilities are second to none!

cson

Undecided

Thaedydal wrote:

Define fee paying ?
Is that a direct tuition payment or a cotrabution to the running of the school ?.

Direct tuition payment, i.e. paying €6000 a year to attend a school

An Citeog wrote: »

Could you please clarify this point?

According to the indo; "catholic fee-paying schools recieve money for a portion of their building costs"

Mary Hanafin is certainly shaking up the Dept of Education at the moment, revising the leaving cert timetable and that no new fee-paying secondary schools will recieve state support.

Time Magazine

If it was the Atari Jaguar school.

Cson, private schools receive funding for the simple reason that it saves the state money. It subsidises private schooling for those who would otherwise would not be able to afford it ("We can afford €6k a year, but not €7k") and gets the parents to pay the majority of it; otherwise the state would have to pay for all of it. Pragmatically, it is good to support them.

Secondly, with regard to the "socialist ideal" of removing the two-tier system, private schools are defended with some vigour in the constitution.

That said, at this point in time, I'd have concerns about sending my kids to private school. I think it gives them an unfair advantage. I expect paternal instincts will cop that on if I ever have a kid, though.

Lizzykins

Undecided

If I had millions I wouldn't send my kids to private school in a fit. I read that indo article and it said some of the private schools like Gonzaga and Blackrock College are over subscribed and the rest are actively looking for kids.
My kids go to a community school in South Dublin. It has an Astroturf pitch and the most up to date equipment and facilities you can ask for. And as far as I know the max in each class is 30 or so. In practical classes it's much less.
As someone else said"how will the private school kids cope in the real world when shock horror they have to mix with the rest of us!
those.
And don't think the results are any great shakes either. If you are not bookish to some extent they don't offer practical subjects like Tech Graphics or Woodwork.

Terry

Undecided

|Cookies wrote: »

6 Grand a year for the school i went to, kept the scum out anyway!

thoes fees helped pay for new buildings such as classrooms, libary, sports hall.

*shrugs*

Money well spent.

FlutterinBantam

|Cookies wrote: »

6 Grand a year for the school i went to, kept the scum out anyway!

thoes fees helped pay for new buildings such as classrooms, libary, sports hall.

*shrugs*

Fookin bargain:D:D

Firetrap

Undecided

At the moment, the Yes vote is 21 and No is 13. I notice not very many people who posted a comment on the thread said they'd send their kids there. Does this mean that saying you'd send your kids to fee paying school is like admitting you vote Fianna Fáil or wear kinky underwear - you'd never admit to such a thing in public yet you do them behind closed doors

cooperguy

My brother repeated his leaving cert in a fee paying school last year. He brought up his points by 180. The school definatly helped him improve.

Twinkle-star15

No

I go to a private school, because I had a choice between that and an all-girls convent school . I didn't actually want to go to either of them, but I'm glad I picked the way I did. I thought the school would be really posh and stuck-up, but the people are (generally) really nice, even if the principal is a bit of an *ahem*.

I think we get a better subject choice- I know there's no way I'd be able to do the subjects I'm doing now in any other school in the county. I don't think anything else is much different though... Since it's a Protestant school with a Catholic majority as well, I think we get a less biased religious education, which I really like. It also puts a really big emphasis on personal development as well as academic.

In the end it comes down to what suits the individual, and some people are going to do well no matter what school they go to, and vice versa. But I don't think fee-paying schools should be ruled out automatically- if you can afford them/qualify for a grant why not?

Pinker

eamoss wrote: »

Looking back now I am really thankful that my parents sent me to a private school. I really enjoyed my 6 years (we had to do TY) there and I know if I had gone to any other of the schools in my area I would have hated my 5 years in them schools.

My parents where going to send me to a non fee playing school where most of my mates went to but they knew I wanted to do Tech Drawing and Construction which that school didnt offer and they thought I wouldnt enjoy my stay there. How right they were.

I got a lot of slagging off all of my mates for going to that school. But to say that I would enjoy going in everyday and sad leaving at the end of the school day says something.

Like I said I was able to pick subjects that they didnt offer in other schools like I did GCSE P.E as well.

For my LC I had two big classes Geography (30) and Construstion (25) which was the biggest Construstion class my teacher ever had all my other classes had about 18 or so students in them like for Tech Drawing (10), GCSE PE (6) Business (18) and German (3)

If I hadnt gone to private school I know I would have gotten 100 less points than I did.

Did they teach grammar in them schools:rolleyes:..?

ejmaztec

No

Pinker wrote: »

Did they teach grammar in them schools:rolleyes:..?

Don't need grammar for bildin' and tech drorin':cool: