This is the vexed question. We have three children, two of whom attend an academically selective government high school - our third has been attending a private church school since kindergarten. Why are they not at the same school? Well, I felt that the youngest was so different in temperament that she would get lost in the government primary school system. The private school offered small class sizes and a nurturing environment but in their high school, things are about to change....
My memories of the school I label as my favourite were particularly coloured by some of the relationships I had formed there. It was in Madrid and a post on the school will follow at a later date. I know I didn’t work to my ability there, I was having too much fun. No, the academic push came later when I returned to Australia and attended an all girls school which was strictly Methodist and consisted of girls from mostly very privileged families. Although I scored a good pass in the Higher School Certificate and was able to gain entry into university, I graduated as an innocent and sheltered woman with little knowledge of the outside world. I could have married a boy from a similar Sydney private school background to mine, but I didn't - I decided to give living in Newcastle a try.
When I moved to Newcastle, a very working class city in those days, I had to fight the label of being a "silvertail". I've tried to rebel ever since from upper middle class values. Our youngest daughter is going to Newcastle Grammar School (yes a well to do private school). My upbringing which valued elite private school education was hard to shake off when it came to my children. The older two are at an academically selective government High School. Anna (youngest), asked us six months ago if she could have a change of school. She has successfully auditioned and been offered a place at the Hunter School of Performing Arts (government school) majoring in Drama. Government run education here is very underfunded. I am relieved in a way that she will be with children who come from all socio economic backgrounds but that old entrenched belief system that private education is best still gnaws away at me inside. I am already worrying that she may not get the education that she may need for her future whatever that will be. Its worrying how our own childhood upbringing can have such major effects on how we bring up our own children - I really want my children to graduate as thoughtful members of society with good social justice values and yet........they have to be able to support themselves. It is perceived here that the privately educated children have the advantage because they are so coached in the 3 R's - social conscience doesn't come into it.
The social scene in the private school children is also developing at a very early age. Anna calls the "in" group the "popular loud group" or "PLG" in code. They can judge others by the size of their houses, car etc. they are already learning to be the beautiful, privileged people. By rights we should be in that set - Doctor/professional label/desirable company - but I abhor the shallowness of it all. Today as I ran the gauntlet of luxury model cars at school pick up time (in my old Ford station wagon), I rejoiced that this was going to come to an end next year....but am I doing the right thing allowing my child to pursue her love of drama particularly as it is not considered a mainstream “mark getting” area? Will she be disadvantaged compared to the children who attend the “hot housing” private schools?
Should we listen to our children or should we be moulding their education and career potential for them? Are private schools better than government funded schools? Are examination results everything?
I encourage your posts on the topic “What makes a good education” and would love to hear about your own experiences with the education system that has or has not “moulded” you.
Because so much emphasis is placed on it, it is an easy trap to be fooled into thinking that the goal of 13 years of school is all about getting a good result in the final exams. While an important function of education is to learn that the results you get are generally dependent on the effort applied, it is also important to learn to keep it in perspective. It is important to set goals, but equally important to accept that not every goal is attainable even with the best effort and you must have a "plan B". I have seen high expectations cause considerable harm when some unexpected obstacle arises and the goal suddenly becomes unobtainable. The successful student is the one who can refocus and quickly redefine their expectations. And final exams do not measure that other purpose of school education which is to help moral and social development and aid the growth of emotional and mental resilience. Our Minister for Education, Brendan Nelson, is 
