[Aileen]

oh well it's all ideal then silly old idealist me thinking money should have **** all to do with teaching. What the hell is wrong with you people that you are content with something so obviously wrong and unfair. Do you actually want kids to be thick?

What I don't quite understand is your own stance in this matter.  First of all you say that your own three children were privately educated and went on to be successful, yet now you're apparently slamming the very same system.  Or is this something you perhaps regret doing?

As for wanting kids to be thick, obviously nobody wants that, but if a child isn't too bright academically then he/she is likely to remain that way regardless of which educational system you choose, and by the same token, as @strider pointed out, if I child is naturally clever and wants to succeed, then that won't make any difference either, and nor should it these days when there are other learning tools  around, such as the internet, where they can get information they might not otherwise get in the classroom.  Unfortunately my own generation didn't have this facility - in fact even owning a TV wasn't the norm - although books have always been readily available in public libraries, albeit a little limited in scope in small towns and rural areas.

Before I went on to being privately educated, I spent four years at a local primary school in what was largely a 'poor' area, so I've had experience of both sides of the system. and certainly enough to know that there are good teachers and not so good teachers in both, as well as very bright pupils in state schools and some real dimbos in private schools, so do you really think that making education a one-size-fits-all system would sort this out, assuming it was even possible to create such a system in the first place?

[tamila]

Absolutely agree Aileen. I started out at Army schools until I was thirteen. Army schools on the whole were extremely good. I then had to go a private school on our return to the UK. Although I had taken and passed the 11 plus equivalent they were pushed for places so my parents , who were in no way well off, opted to send me to private school. I did pretty well. Our own children went it state school but left with very little qualifications. The school they went to had deteriorated. They have all done extremely well since leaving. One is a vet and one is a quantity surveyor. On the whole children will do well if they have the motivation.

[althusser]

The problem I have with Catholic schools (and it would apply to any religion if it's state funded rather than private) is their hiring practices and the way they'll force kids who attend to adhere to their religion, regardless of what they were born into. I don't think a priest should be able to tell a school whether or not a teacher is of sufficient stock to be hired, for example.

I'm not a fan of state-funded faith schools either. Agree about hiring issue. Not sure they force pupils of other religions to adhere? Though perhaps you mean they have to attend catholic assemblies etc, which is probably true

[Iluvandy]

In the past, yeah. Now that I understand it all a bit better, I don't. I'm a Rangers fan, can't be bothered with the rest of it.

So bigotry can exist among those who have not been educated at a Catholic school.     If Catholic schools disappeared would bigotry disappear?    Interesting.

[boogers]

  He either knows what May is planning to say in Florence, or he is seeking to scupper what he fears she may be planning to concede.

The latter, I think. Lots of speculation, but it seems plausible that May will offer a not idiotic financial settlement (for example: maintaining current contributions for 3 years post Brexit for continued membership of the single market). This will cause considerable division amongst the EU27, but also enrage the union jack sock wearing crowd.

[strider]

So bigotry can exist among those who have not been educated at a Catholic school.     If Catholic schools disappeared would bigotry disappear?    Interesting.

Never said that.

And I'm of the belief that things aren't a tenth as bad as the media and government make out in Scotland, despite there being some issues.

But anyone who just ignores the influence of splitting kids into "us and them" with a state-funded school who will only hire or promote teachers if a priest tells them it's ok is dodging a big part of the debate, in my opinion.

If Catholic schools weren't funded by the government, I'd have no real issues with it. I wouldn't say parents shouldn't have the choice, even if my personal preference would be that no schools involve religion in that way. I just don't think we should be paying for that.

I'll be accused of bigotry or bias. I think that's an unfair assessment, but such is life.

[althusser]

But anyone who just ignores the influence of splitting kids into "us and them" with a state-funded school who will only hire or promote teachers if a priest tells them it's ok is dodging a big part of the debate, in my opinion.

One problem though is that there are no secular schools. All are meant to provide Christian acts of worship, and only specific faith schools e.g. Jewish, are allowed to be exempt.