Friday, March 23, 2012

Private Schools

I never went to a private school, it was over populated with over 40 kids per classroom, no teacher-pupil interaction. You went got your shit done, went home did homework and projects. Got marked on it and passed.

It had all the normality's of school life, the popular kids, the nerds and the sport fanatics.

I hated school. I was a maths and science geek and then a rebellious outcast.

The education was a normal education that most of people receive.

I want to send Aiden to a private school, for education, for good education. That's what they all about or supposed to be about.

However my sisters experience at a private school has made me think otherwise about the hefty school fees and promise of a fabulous education and one on one teacher relationships.

It's filled to the brim with politics, over drive forcing of sports, hypocrisy and down right lies and judgement.

Maybe because it's a Christian based school, religion always has a way of messing things up.

The cost is about R4000 a month and she is in Matric now.

They have taken so much time worrying what sport she does every term but charge extra for extra lessons after school with the teachers you already pay.

They stress them out, telling them they all going to fail but my argument is, isn't it a teachers job to actually teach! To prepare you for exams and make sure you know you're work for the exams.

They freaked out and took prefect badges away because kids got drunk at my sisters 18th all with permission from there parents. Rumours were spread like wild fire about my sister and our family. What it had to do with anybody outside of who was at that party is beyond me and as Christians it's there job NOT to judge.

Last year it was swept under the carpet when students went to the principle with proof that the HOD was helping a student cheat on exams but they hold such high principals when it comes to drinking and missing papers because you are in hospital with a pipe up your ass getting a scope and biopsy's done.

On top of all that a lot of the teachers aren't even qualified teachers!

I could go on and on but here's my first experience with private schools and maybe it's best if Aiden gets just a normal experience with school instead of a conceited, pompous and stressed out life of that of a private school.

Dealing with popular kids and bully's is one thing, dealing with the politics of power greedy adults is another.




3 comments:

  1. Such a contentious issue. A difficult decision to make and often times not so difficult.

    When we stayed in Edenvale I was happy knowing that I could send my children to public school, they had great balance, great teachers, great sports & culture, great pass rates and I didn't have to pay private rates.

    Now I live in a town where the only public English school is really crap! I have an option of 2 private schools - I'm hoping I get into the one where the 2nd language taught is Setswana!

    Public and private all come with their own pros and cons. A public school is more balanced in terms of low-mid-high income (generally) where private schools often come with status.

    The private school I'm after has the option of partial funding for parents that can't afford private rates, it's part of integrating students from the community into the school and giving them an education. That's what private school should be, No?

    I think we have to take each school on it's own merit, whether public or private.

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  2. At the moment my two year old son is at a private German school. They teach English and German to Grade 5 then add Afrikaans. At first I was really happy with the school but after an incident where my child was repeatedly hurt by another child at school I am not so sure. I posted on FB about the incident with no mention of the schools name. Somehow it got back to them and I was made to feel like a naughty kid. I was beyond angry but things had settled down so I let it go. the end of term news letter had a ref to my FB post. They are just petty and pathetic.
    We live in a small town so currently there is no choice. We are planning to have moved to Sydney, Australia by the time Ewan is 5. I really cant wait and yes then I will send him to a public school as I trust their education system.

    In the end you have to find the school that suits your son.

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  3. I was helping out this school with a fashion show and I took my sister with to help me and 2 teachers reprimanded me like a 16 year old pupil with no respect about bringing Casey with and when we complained they condoned the teachers behaviour as right! I am in shock that people actually behave this way!

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