I have had the chance to go to a public school that had a special programme for gifted students. I come from a very poor background and my mother never approved of education in general (she would have had me marry young and start having kids at not even 20...)I chose to pursue it myself.

The teachers had started that programme decades ago and it was still as demanding as they had first designed it to be. It was actually a pretty efficient competitor to the private schools. What they promised was simple: small groups of students, excellent education and extremely competent and knowledgeable, motivated teachers, for the same price as public education! The student body was composed of gifted kids from poor families (to whom the programme was intended) and from kids that would otherwise be in the best private schools, but whose parents saw the economic advantage of sending them here. All the kids I know from there got into university and are doing very well academically-speaking.

We were to do all the science classes they could cram in our schedule (that meant cutting in half the number of hours allocated to them normally) one year before they were supposed to be given, with additional data to learn (as the teacher saw fit). The time freed by the compression of the science allowed us to take more classes (French grammar and litterature every day, computer programming, robotic and electronic, history, etc). Basically, that was the core of our studies.

As you can guess, it was extremely demanding and many were pushed into strings of anxiety crisis or general self-abasement. We were several hundreds in the first year of high school and about 45 students at the end. They threw out of the programme several students, but many more simply could not bear the pressure. It was a very common occurrence to see a student cry, the teacher would do nothing if it happened in their class and we even had a special room were we could go in that kind of situation. We were all social misfits. I had to work on improving my social skills in college.

Furthermore, we faced the outright hostility of the students who were attending the same school as us, but who were not in the programme and the spite of the teachers who were not chosen to teach to us. We got called âelitist bastardsâ all the time. It was horrible. The thing is, that was probably true.

Still, I greatly value the education I received and it is now a thing that is helping me greatly to excel in my field of studies. But then, I am in a field of studies that could be said easily to be one of the most demanding, elitist, and devoid of concern for all the things in life other than academic studies... I guess I simply took a liking to that kind of thing, as it was all that was valued and that I was taught to do. Most of my colleagues come from very similar backgrounds (we get along nicely).

All the students from there that I saw a few years later considered themselves lucky and proud to have gone through all this â it certainly showed us perseverance and resilience - and my friends who stayed in the normal programme end up regretting it, often blaming their so-so academic record on that. Yes, it was hard. Yes, it asked us to forget about ourselves and only concentrate on our studies. However, the benefits were greats: we learnt a lot, we knew directly what was academic rigor, we learnt how hard work pays, it gave poor kids a change of milieu and values and it opened doors for us.

Yes, we were social misfits, but all that was fixed as the time passed. Still, even though we did not have much time to talk back then, now that some years have passed, we noticed that we are still bonded by what we went through.

To sum things up, I can advice the same kind of education as mine only to some kids: those who are very stable, very bright, and highly motivated. The rest will drop out, without much ado. Good support from their family would help, but cannot do much if the student does not have it.

If they can pull it off, good for them!

Post Last Updated:27.07.2007 at 07.11

very inspiring eloise. good on'ya.

Post Last Updated:01.10.2008 at 07.53

I've only ever been to a public school - I think if you find a good one, it's the better option. There are so many things to consider though!

I attended highschool in an insular outer suburb, and while the teachers tried hard, it was an incredibly uninspiring place - it just wasn't cool to be a good student. The small town mentality and relentless gossip culture instilled a fear of failure (so why bother trying) in the students.

I count myself lucky as my boyfriend and I were able to escape it and strive to be sucessful (mostly due to our parents, rather than peers and teachers) but personally, I'm plagued by self esteem and confidence issues because I fear I'll never be good enough - I can't escape where I grew up.

On the other hand, several people I know attended private schools - most are spoiled and have this huge sense of entitlement, but this is more down to upbringing I guess? A male friend told me how he was coached on how to cheat in his VCE exams by several of his teachers at the private school he attended - one went so far as to complete his assignments for him. But, generally I think that private school students are encouraged to excell, which is something I dearly wish had been exposed to.

Sadly, where you went to school still has such a huge bearing on getting work. Several people I know have great jobs because of who their parents are or who they went to school with.

The most well-balanced, intelligent and personable people I know went to decent, single-sex public schools - they're educated, driven and secure within themselves without that icky "rich kid" sense of entitlement.

I think home life plays a massive part in how you turn out as a person - my boyfriend and I are proof that strong parental rolemodels can instill values in you that can cancel the negatives of either schooling option :)

Post Last Updated:15.08.2007 at 18.49

I went to a private school for a couple of years, and I didn't like it. There was a lot of snobbyness and bitchiness...Stupid things like "Everyone in my class is going to my birthday party except you"
My years spent at a public school was much better...More down-to-earth people, less fakes, and definitely a more friendlier relaxed atmosphere where people respect each other not just those who are very well-off.

But don't get me wrong, I don't think all people from private schools are like the people I met.

One other thing, private schools do have more activities than public schools. Such as sailing days and flying a plane and science badges (I did 2 of those 3 when I was at a private school)...I didn't get opportunities like that when I was in a public school.

dont lyke private school..got a scholarship there but bcoz i was not of any posh background...or spent the tyme going to horse tracks or dreaming about a pony....or spent tyme it bread and cucumber sandwiches with their crusts cut off...had to endure the snobbness of sum posh bitches who fink the sun rises and sets on their over indulged asses (no offence to posh pple)...
i had to leave the school coz i just could not even bare the sound of their over-english accents..got ma nerves in knots..lol

but the education is good..but i wuld alwayz prepere the state school full and graffiti and all...not trying 2 sound bush and all but i feel right at home there.

i think it largely depends on the school
i attend public however we have a school bus, tennis courts, rowing, cadets, aerobic teams, countless clubs and groups u can join, we have blazers and touch screen white boards and plasma screens all over the school, and no shortage of bitchy girls
a good student will achieve their potential anywhere, what helps however are good teachers, however good teachers are scarce and are not heavily concentrated in private schools, its rather a random distribution

Private schools aren't all that great...it just means the kids are in a stricter environment and aren't allowed to do "normal" kid stuff...
Personally, public is better...but I am going to a private college so I guess I'm somewhat contradicting myself...

Post by kaz

i think it largely depends on the school
i attend public however we have a school bus, tennis courts, rowing, cadets, aerobic teams, countless clubs and groups u can join, we have blazers and touch screen white boards and plasma screens all over the school, and no shortage of bitchy girls
a good student will achieve their potential anywhere, what helps however are good teachers, however good teachers are scarce and are not heavily concentrated in private schools, its rather a random distribution

damn thats sum public school. thats better then my private school i went to.
private schools are like communism, good in theory but bad in practice and dont let kids be kids, to strict for a 12 yr old to have to be perfect.

It comes down to the student's mentality to want to learn and to strive for the best, academically. Both private and public school have their strengths and downfalls.

I've been been privated schooled since grade one, so grade prep was the only year that I spent in a public school. My parents transferred me into a private school by a way of disciplining me as they believed I was a troubled child in grade prep, and being in the enivironment at the public school had a negative impact on me, and the fact that they believed that public schools are more carefree and the teachers are more laidback, compared to private schools. I actually remember my first day in grade one at a private primary school. The teachers were very welcoming and the enironment wasn't so chaotic and casual compared to my experience at the public school in grade prep.

My experience held at private schools, was simply that the teachers took more initiative to help each student and rules were constantly enforced upon students such as wearing the correct uniform, as well as wearing the uniform correctly, no make-up, etc. I remember my highschool was obsessive with upholding their reputation.

The bad thing coming out of a private school is that I was so used to teachers coming to me, that when I arrived into University, it lead me to put in a lot of effort into contacting teachers for enquires etc. The adjustment to University was a big one, as I went to a Catholic primary and highschool, in which the majority of the students were catholic, that meeting a broader range of diverse people at Uni was a major change. I guess I took for granted that I had the privilege of attending a private school where teachers spoonfed me. From my experience is that private schools did socially prohibit me from associating with other students from particular religions, cultures and backgrounds.

In general, I think that private schools offer a better environement compared to public schools, because the teachers tend to enforce rules more, and tame bad students frequently. Private schools also get the privelage of various activties and excursions, but I think it all comes down to school fees.

There are bad kids everywhere, whether its in private or public schools.

Nonetheless, I will most likely send my future children to a private school.