Should Private Schools be Closed?

foggy_lad · 01-12-2016 10:11PM #1

Just heard a horrible story on the news about the sexual assault of a 13 year old boy in King's Hospital School in Palmerstown, It appears the boy was assaulted with a hockey stick by eight other students in a dormitory in the school last Thursday.

Is it time that these elitist boarding schools were shut down and students put into mainstream education instead?

If the school thought they could not report this serious assault for a week what other assaults are they covering up? It seems the Protestant religion and their schools are just as bad as the Roman Catholics when it comes to cover-ups. I wonder were the family asked to keep the assault quiet? have other assaults in the past been covered up?

http://www.broadsheet.ie/tag/kings-hospital/

The Garda and child and family agency Tusla are investigating an alleged incident at a major Dublin boarding school, following a claim that a 13-year-old boy was sexually assaulted in a dormitory with a hockey stick by eight other pupils.

The incident is alleged to have taken place late last Thursday night at the 450-year-old Church of Ireland-governed King’s Hospital secondary school in Palmerstown

However, it was not reported to the Garda, Tusla, or the Church of Ireland authorities until Tuesday.

… In February 2008, King’s Hospital and Swim Ireland agreed to pay substantial damages after a 10-year dispute to 13 female victims of convicted sex abuser Derry O’Rourke, who had been employed by the school as a swimming coach.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/boy-13-allegedly-sexually-assaulted-by-pupils-at-boarding-school-1.2888315

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 01-12-2016 10:18PM

No. I went to a public school where almost everyone was bullied. Nasty vicious little sh1ts will be nasty no matter where they are

osarusan · 01-12-2016 10:20PM

Probably best just to close all schools.

Bridge93 · 01-12-2016 10:26PM

This thread should be fun to watch...

Water John · 01-12-2016 10:28PM

Everyone welcome, just be sure to bring your prejudice with you.
No toleration of other opinions, tolerated.

Happened in a factory down my country a few years ago with an air hose. They didn't close the factory.

Mena · 01-12-2016 10:32PM

How the hell is this a reason to close private schools? Serious logic fail.

dotsman · 01-12-2016 10:32PM

Should Private Schools be Closed?

No - are you crazy???
57% of students attend private schools - if we were to close them, where exactly do you see these students getting an education???

Renegade Mechanic · 01-12-2016 10:33PM

foggy_lad wrote: »

Just heard a horrible story on the news about the sexual assault of a 13 year old boy in King's Hospital School in Palmerstown, It appears the boy was assaulted with a hockey stick by eight other students in a dormitory in the school last Thursday.

You reckon stuff like that doesn't happen in public schools? Lol...

Armchair Andy · 01-12-2016 10:34PM

Water John wrote:

Happened in a factory down my country a few years ago with an air hose. They didn't close the factory.

That was fvckin horrible that was.

Temptamperu · 01-12-2016 10:35PM

Why are their Skool tho?

Dr Crayfish · 01-12-2016 10:42PM

dotsman wrote: »

Should Private Schools be Closed?

No - are you crazy???
57% of students attend private schools - if we were to close them, where exactly do you see these students getting an education???

57%? Right.

Anyway, the idea of Private Schools is kind of wrong to anyone with socialist leanings, but on the other hand why shouldn't someone who can afford it be allowed send their kid to a better school? Although maybe if all schools were public people would put more money into the schools their darling sons and daughters are attending for better facilities? That sounds like the best outcome really.

Grayson · 01-12-2016 10:47PM

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

57%? Right.

Anyway, the idea of Private Schools is kind of wrong to anyone with socialist leanings, but on the other hand why shouldn't someone who can afford it be allowed send their kid to a better school? Although maybe if all schools were public people would put more money into the schools their darling sons and daughters are attending for better facilities? That sounds like the best outcome really.

I'm assuming that all catholic schools are technically private schools.

I went to a school that had boarders and day pupils. Nothing like what happened in the OP ever occurred there. Sure there were pranks. Some of them not nice but they never descended to violence and I doubt that a public school is any different.

biko · 01-12-2016 10:48PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psl7ZVwiRl4

Water John · 01-12-2016 10:51PM

I suspect the OP really meant, fee paying schools.

01-12-2016 11:13PM

No, private ( ie feepaying schools) should not be closed.

This is a horrible incident but did not occur because the school was fee paying

nice_guy80 · 01-12-2016 11:13PM

Grayson wrote: »

I'm assuming that all catholic schools are technically private schools.

I went to a school that had boarders and day pupils. Nothing like what happened in the OP ever occurred there. Sure there were pranks. Some of them not nice but they never descended to violence and I doubt that a public school is any different.

Cannot be private schools if fees are not charged

So 95% of schools are public

sjb25 · 01-12-2016 11:21PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

No, private ( ie feepaying schools) should not be closed.

This is a horrible incident but did not occur because the school was fee paying

Exactly this the little ****s didn't do that because they are in a fee paying school they are just scum

dotsman · 01-12-2016 11:30PM

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

57%? Right.

As Grayson has already stated, all religious schools are private. See here for more details...

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Anyway, the idea of Private Schools is kind of wrong to anyone with socialist leanings, but on the other hand why shouldn't someone who can afford it be allowed send their kid to a better school? Although maybe if all schools were public people would put more money into the schools their darling sons and daughters are attending for better facilities? That sounds like the best outcome really.

Well, if it appears wrong to people with socialist leanings, then it's probably the best thing to do!.

the parents of those attending fee-paying schools are already paying for non-fee-paying schools. Often, many, many times over. Closing fee-paying schools would leave a massive shortfall in the education budget.

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Cannot be private schools if fees are not charged

So 95% of schools are public

Of course they can be, and are, private, regardless of fees. Fees are often dispersed from the fee-paying private schools to the non-fee-paying private schools. But they are all private.

Pac1Man · 01-12-2016 11:33PM

It's political correctness gone mad.

Goya · 01-12-2016 11:34PM

I thought non fee-paying religious schools in Ireland were state schools.

Water John · 01-12-2016 11:34PM

Went to a private school, no fees, not religious.

srsly78 · 01-12-2016 11:36PM

In many boarding schools the fees are just for boarding, the teachers are the same as anywhere else - paid by the state.

Thus it's difficult to say whether a school is private/public.

Del.Monte · 01-12-2016 11:37PM

They should just close down all Protestant schools as we all know they are the devil's spawn.

spurious · 01-12-2016 11:38PM

Flimpson wrote: »

I thought non fee-paying religious schools in Ireland were state schools.

Technically, they are privately owned. The State schools would be the VEC/ETB schools. Usually when people say private school in Ireland, they mean fee paying, not the Holy Faith up the road.

srsly78 · 01-12-2016 11:38PM

spurious wrote: »

Technically, they are privately owned. The State schools would be the VEC/ETB schools. Usually when people say private school in Ireland, they mean fee paying, not the Holy Faith up the road.

And what about day pupils attending a boarding school that pay nothing?

01-12-2016 11:38PM

Point of information: the vast, vast majority of schools in the 26 counties are, in fact, "private schools", with the largest private owner being the RCC. Only about 15% of schools are genuine public/state schools - e.g. community colleges/VEC/ETB schools - owned by the Irish state. That, I hope, will be changed.

The OP I assume is really talking about fee-charging schools, which are a decreasing minority of Irish schools. I don't think this incident is an indictment of them - bullying happens in all schools to varying degrees. However, I do believe we should not have our taxes supplementing the existence of fee-charging schools.

If people want to send their children to fee-charging schools, let them pay for them fully and not be supplemented by our taxes. That €100 million plus subsidy would be better spent building up a state school system. If that were removed from fee-charging schools their fees would increase from c. €6500 to c. €25,000 per annum (which is the sort of fees charged by "Independent Schools" in England, where private schools have received no state subsidies since 1975).

At any rate, fee-charging schools are not good value for money in the vast majority of cases as there are many excellent public schools. For instance, the school in the state with the highest number of students going on to university is not a fee-charging school but a free gaelscoil in Stillorgan, Coláiste Eoin. Given the advantages the €6k plus fee per year gives to fee-charging schools in terms of resources this says something about the merits of fee-charging schools. An engaged/involved parent is a much greater benefit to a child's education than the extra resources which a fee-charging school can provide - e.g. sailing lessons.

Essentially the fee-charging schools are about aping the English public school system - have you ever seen a fee-charging school that is not anglocentic/does not promote English sports? - but getting the Irish taxpayer to supplement this institutionalised cultural cringe. Let these jumped-up Paddys pay in full for their notions.

Del.Monte · 01-12-2016 11:41PM

Where are the men of '98 when you need them?

01-12-2016 11:49PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Cannot be private schools if fees are not charged

So 95% of schools are public

This is factually incorrect. Indisputably so. Let the state try and take over the local Loreto or Mercy and watch the RCC's lawyers sort them out.

josha1 · 01-12-2016 11:52PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Point of information: the vast, vast majority of schools in the 26 counties are, in fact, "private schools", with the largest private owner being the RCC. Only about 15% of schools are genuine public/state schools - e.g. community colleges/VEC/ETB schools - owned by the Irish state. That, I hope, will be changed.

The OP I assume is really talking about fee-charging schools, which are a decreasing minority of Irish schools. I don't think this incident is an indictment of them - bullying happens in all schools to varying degrees. However, I do believe we should not have our taxes supplementing the existence of fee-charging schools.

If people want to send their children to fee-charging schools, let them pay for them fully and not be supplemented by our taxes. That €100 million plus subsidy would be better spent building up a state school system. If that were removed from fee-charging schools their fees would increase from c. €6500 to c. €25,000 per annum (which is the sort of fees charged by "Independent Schools" in England, where private schools have received no state subsidies since 1975).

At any rate, fee-charging schools are not good value for money in the vast majority of cases as there are many excellent public schools. For instance, the school in the state with the highest number of students going on to university is not a fee-charging school but a free gaelscoil in Stillorgan, Coláiste Eoin. Given the advantages the €6k plus fee per year gives to fee-charging schools in terms of resources this says something about the merits of fee-charging schools. An engaged/involved parent is a much greater benefit to a child's education than the extra resources which a fee-charging school can provide - e.g. sailing lessons.

Essentially the fee-charging schools are about aping the English public school system - have you ever seen a fee-charging school that is not anglocentic/does not promote English sports? - but getting the Irish taxpayer to supplement this institutionalised cultural cringe. Let these jumped-up Paddys pay in full for their notions.

Is it not true to say that the parents of children in private schools also effectively subsidise public school students, since public schools do get more funding for certain things?

Are you aware that most of the 'extras' offered in private schools such as extra support, study hours etc are in no way provided for in taxes? Do you think that parents should not have the option of these?

If all private schools were closed tomorrow, would there not be a massive shortfall in funding for all schools? If on the other hand, taxes are not put into private schools, albeit significantly less amounts than public schools, as per your recommendation, should parents of people in private school have to now completely subsidise public schools for no benefit?

[In response to the OP, this has nothing to do with being a catholic school, a protestant school, a fee paying school, a private school, a school in Dublin, a mixed school of anything else of the matter. It's to do with bullying, that occurs everywhere.]

Widdershins · 01-12-2016 11:53PM

I presume the thinking is that it wouldn't happen as easily if the students weren't together, unsupervised, in dormitories. It doesn't happen often, so it's not a reason to worry about boarding schools.

Berserker · 01-12-2016 11:53PM

Can the state afford to pay for the education of the students in these private schools, if they are closed down?

Should Private Schools be Closed?

Comments