Private schools for kids, or invest the cash for the kids?

Discussion in 'Money Management & Banking' started by mrdobalina, 20th Sep, 2015.

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  1. Mombius Hibachi

    Mombius Hibachi Well-Known Member

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    People that were (or are) fantastic in only one skill, useless in many others:
    • Albert Einstein
    • Christopher Columbus
    • Jimi Hendrix
    • Ernest Hemingway
    • Stephen Hawking
    • Michael Jordan
    • Mozart
    • Isaac Newton
    You want me to keep going?

    Most people that are successful in their chosen... whatever have a laser point focus on a single thing and focus all of their energy into becoming great at that one thing.
     
    Last edited: 22nd Sep, 2015
    Mombius Hibachi, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #81
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  2. Ace in the Hole

    Ace in the Hole Well-Known Member

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    What if your kids don't want to go to uni?
    Will you let them make the decision, or will you encourage them to go?
     
    Ace in the Hole, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #82
  3. mrdobalina

    mrdobalina Well-Known Member

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    there's more to life than working
    We'll encourage them to go to uni. It's kinda assumed (and expected) in our extended family.
     
    mrdobalina, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #83
  4. AndrewTDP

    AndrewTDP Well-Known Member

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    So 8 out of, oh, let's say the 108 billion humans that have ever lived.

    Wow. You really do have high hopes for your genetic material.

    Interestingly, Hawking went to school, not home schooled. So not sure what you are actually trying to argue
     
    AndrewTDP, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #84
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  5. Mombius Hibachi

    Mombius Hibachi Well-Known Member

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    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

    *that's the sound of the point of my post going completely over this guy's head*
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 24th Sep, 2015
    Mombius Hibachi, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #85
  6. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    One suicide, one drug overdose, one died in poverty at 35. That's something to aim for.

    I've nothing against people focussing their own energy for a goal. This young man seems to have his parents channeling somebody who may or may not benefit in the long term. Like Mozart's father.
     
    Last edited: 22nd Sep, 2015
    geoffw, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #86
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  7. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    We chose private (pretty cheap though) private school for our oldest. We were fairly sure he was gay, he was already being targeted at the local primary school by the "jocks" and being teased because he didn't play sport in his lunchtime. His (fantastic) teacher told us he would do better in a private school as they would (generally) have more power to deal with bullies if he was bullied.

    We took her advice. He was bullied. His private school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively, once we convinced him we should bring them into the situation. He ended up friends with a couple of the bullies by the time he got to grade 12 and everybody had matured somewhat and grown socially, but had he gone to the much larger, (but very good) state high school we were considering, he would still almost certainly have been bullied, and he would have been lost in the crowd (more than likely) and may not have had the support he did. By grade 12 he may have lost interest or left school, or worse.

    That was the driving reason for us. Next two kids just followed because we were very happy with the school.

    We are not at all interested in the "old school tie" but it IS alive and well. We see it working with families whose kids have gone to the prestige schools. It does grease the wheels for those who use it... not us.

    We were very happy with the school our kids went to, inclusive, welcoming, church school (but we are not a church family), religion less pushed than some schools we looked at, and mainly the lesson was to "be a good person" rather than pushing a certain religion.

    There were rich families, poor families, no flashing of wealth. Pretty cheap too. And once the fee is paid, not a cent more is asked for.

    If we had to have chosen the large public school or one of the expensive elite schools, we would have chosen the public school. We were lucky we had the middle ground.
     
    wylie, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #87
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  8. legallyblonde

    legallyblonde Well-Known Member

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    I have been helping a (very distant) cousin with her year 11 maths homework recently because her mum couldn't help her.... This was the applied maths unit (super easy) about percentages, volume, area ect.... The booklets spelled out all the equations ect.... It was idiot proof... So not sure if the parent was lazy or not.. But the more likely scenario was that her mum (who didn't finish school due to her inability to use contraception) actually couldn't do the homework.

    In other news.. I am positive the above is what I did in year 8 at my good public school o_O

    If you are capable.. Nothing wrong with home schooling... Your child can be well educated... but not necessarily well rounded! Grades are not the best measure of success.
     
    legallyblonde, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #88
  9. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    30k would be a top end private school,15k would do the same job from my experience,but the test is what happens after they leave the school network,start uni or go into thier parents business model ..

    The other way by investing the money in a index tracker EFT,could by the way the markets are heading and with the start of black October one could end up with zero,and a repetitive manual labour job..
     
    willair, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #89
  10. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    I reckon go public primary school and if the kids are close to making it to a selective, get them to do practise exams at a coaching college and if they do well enough in that then you get options.

    Other than that, I dunno about private school.

    I went to a fairly good public high school but in some grades the student body wasn't as bright as others, seems the results of the odd years were not so good for some reason I do not know.
    I was in a bright cohort year, our top 24% of students got TERs of 88 or better.
    I still pass the school everyday on my way to work...
     
    Gockie, 22nd Sep, 2015
    #90
  11. LibGS

    LibGS Well-Known Member

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    I want you to explain the "only one skill" these people were good at.
     
    LibGS, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #91
  12. cheekykoon

    cheekykoon Well-Known Member

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    Thats why you ONLY do invest in properties and not on paper asset like the ETF... o_O
     
    cheekykoon, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #92
  13. Esel

    Esel Well-Known Member

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    Yep. I couldnt even guess what christopher Columbus' one skill was supposed to be?
     
    Esel, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #93
  14. AndrewTDP

    AndrewTDP Well-Known Member

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    Getting lost on the way to finding a shortcut to Asia.
     
    AndrewTDP, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #94
  15. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Well he wasn't a great navigator ... but I'm sure that wasn't his only skill cause he sure didn't sail alone and self-funded
     
    Lizzie, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #95
  16. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Christopher Columbus' main skill was in raising high risk venture capital. He started a 15th century startup, a highly successful one which returned an extremely good return for those who got in early. An early Mark Zuckerberg.
     
    geoffw, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #96
  17. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    Who determines what success is?????

    Some may say its a nuclear family with decent money and ability to live comfortablt

    Some may say its to be passionate about what you do even if you are homeless

    Some may say its to have 20m homes with 1m cars and your own private jet

    Some may say its to have enough money and food to live normally and to be happy with your self

    I for one, stil havent worked it out
     
    TMNT, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #97
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  18. Joshwaaaa

    Joshwaaaa Well-Known Member

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    Depends on the kid really. I went to private most of my schooling life, hated it. Was aimed solely at putting kids in uni, which was the last place i wanted to end up after school. I bailed after year 10 and went to a tech based public school and thrived. Finished up year 11 on straight A's and had an apprenticeship locked down before i had even finished up the year.

    Drug use, underage drinking etc was way worse at the private school too, which was fun at tge time, haha
     
    Joshwaaaa, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #98
  19. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    We are considering home schooling mainly to get away from the "teachers" and inefficiencies of school.
    Teachers don't have the best human interaction skills, they are just force feeding info and getting them to stay in line, be quiet and go home. You can spot a teacher a mile away in most cases, they don't listen to others they just tell, and they are always right! But when you're surrounded by snotty noses and kids that can't vote there's a good chance your smarter regardless. Teachers won't see it that way though. But there are some good ones out there of course

    We've been travelling around and everyone says "do it when the kids are young before school" etc etc... Depending on the person, depends how much I'll stir the pot but you get the oldies and we'll say we're thinking of home schooling the first few years (age varies on the person) and the response is "what about the social interaction?". Then I'll stick it to them and say when was the last time you had a conversation with a 3 year old? They don't have much to say then. Instead of just socialising with the same age and teacher our daughter will talk to most people.... The ones she doesn't talk to are the ********s that we/most people wouldn't talk to!

    You can't knock home schooling when through this whole thread there's a multitude of options and variables for each child and family. There's no one set way to do things. It's finding a balance and putting the effort in to find the best option available.

    There are heaps of families travelling the country that have taken their kids out of school and home schooled, there are great resources available and it is a legit option! some families do struggle, and it's not for them. Others thrive, others plod along and get it done. One thing is that they are keeping up with the "school" level but in a matter of a few hours per day rather than a full 6 day at school. their lunch times and free time will be a lot more valuable.
     
    bob shovel, 2nd Oct, 2015
    #99
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  20. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    There's also Montessori and Steiner schools which are more aimed at the child ability and let's them direct the learning more, rather than force feeding. Be interested to hear from anyone home schooling /Montessori /Steiner.

    With regards to the "contacts" of a private school etc I think it's more likely am high standard of family plus bragging rights to a degree of one going to a "private school " or "x branded catholic school ". I look at it like the bell curve of private schools sits higher at both ends, and median too but only slightly compared to public.

    With the catholic schooling I've had a good history worth them:eek:.... Priest that baptised me in jail, teacher/priest from primary school in jail and high school deputy currently going through court for incidents at previous school. Had no interest in the catholic schooling anyway, not based on these but it doesn't help the name!
     
    bob shovel, 2nd Oct, 2015
    #100
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