exclusive schools

Vorsprung

model wrote:

No I do not know people who went there, I know people who go there, and they tend to prefer not to say they go to Rathdown. That's from people I know, maybe I'm wrong.

So do you reckon that's because they're ashamed of going there or because they don't want people judging them on the basis of their school?

Vorsprung

Deleted User wrote:

While I'm reluctant to suggest that one system or another churns out a better person, must say that in our small, mixed school with no uniforms and no discipline and no good teachers, we had a blast. Even now 15 years later many of us stay in touch and I could bump in to any of my former classmates and go for pint any time. That may be nothing to do with the school, maybe it's just cos we all grew up together in a small town, but all I remember were sunny days spent practising smoking and talking about girls...there was no bullying, no drugs, we were hammered in every sports outing, many were just passing time before taking over the farm, but they really were great days.

I agree and I wasn't trying to say that private was better than public. I'm just saying that if a school is hoping to be regarded as a good school, it needs to produce someone with more than a good leaving. This can be both private or public, and it often isn't private (or public).

model

bigjimthefirst wrote:

So do you reckon that's because they're ashamed of going there or because they don't want people judging them on the basis of their school?

Bit of both, if they don't want people judging them on the basis of their school, they'll most likely become ashamed of it.

This is from 3 people I know who go there, as I said I could be wrong.

Deleted User wrote:

Wouldn't agree at all. The average points depends on many factors, such as how many grinds Mammy and Daddy have paid for their kids, whether they've been sent off abroad for a summer or two for a foreign language, whether they can afford the crash courses in Bruce or Leeson Street etc. There are many advantages which people with money, being those who send their kids to fee paying school, can afford and which are out of the range of others.

Another person who assumes all people who attend private schools are snobs. That's like me saying "What about all the knackers who go to public schools in Northside Dublin who end up unemployed and get involved in criminal activities?"

model

model wrote:

Another person who assumes all people who attend private schools are snobs.

Complete and utter rubbish. Please don't attribute to me opinions that I don't have.

I was merely making the screamingly obvious point that people who have the money to send their kids to fee paying schools can also afford to pay for grinds, trips abroad, crash courses etc. all of which might be relevant as to why kids in fee paying schools get etter results. Although I went to a public school, my parents did the same for me so I spent weeks in the Gaeltacht, in Bruce etc. etc. I didn't say they were 'snobs' at all, they could be tree hugging hippies for all I know - my dad worked in the ESB, but just felt that an education was vital. Most of my friends and neighbours didn't do this. But it had nothing to do with snobbery. The fact is that money opens more doors than just the address of the school and can be used to benefit kids facing the Leaving Cert.

LegacyUser

Private Schools = Life Contacts.

lodgepole

Deleted User wrote:

I was merely making the screamingly obvious point that people who have the money to send their kids to fee paying schools can also afford to pay for grinds, trips abroad, crash courses etc.

That's not true. My parents sent me to a private school but couldn't afford any of those things. Many students in private schools have parents working their asses off to keep them there. In my case i'd say about fifty percent were from wealthy backgrounds and the rest of use were from more moderate ones.

cheesedude wrote:

Private Schools = Life Contacts.

Ha. Is it? Anything to back that up? My school has never given me any oppurtunities beyond the education that I got there.

Lodgepole

Lodgepole wrote:

That's not true. My parents sent me to a private school but couldn't afford any of those things.

As you weren't sent on these things yourself, how would you know who goes to the Gaeltacht, who goes to Bruce, who takes grinds etc. etc.?

I was, hence I can tell you you're wrong, and the number of kids from rich backgrounds on these jaunts far outstripped the number of kids from deprived areas...

lodgepole

You said that people who could afford private schools could afford grinds/gaeltacht et al... Which isn't true. So i'm not sure how i'm wrong... I agree that there are probably more people from wealthy backgrounds attending these things, but am sating that private schools and wealthy backgrounds aren't mutually exclusive.

*Tripper*

melekalikimaka wrote:

no its not BS, I went to a family run private school , and i know people who tried get in and they were refused on the basis of their interview, what do you base your arguement on?

Firstly, if this is in practice is in place, i think its wrong in relation to secondary schools rejecting people on the basis of an interview/exam. Obviously with a job its diffferent but is it not illegal in this case?

Secondly, years ago it was a case of having your name down for years to get in but that has all changed now. Once you have the money your in, personally im fine with that.

Thirdly, family run private school. Couldnt be to many oof them around these days???

LegacyUser

*Tripper* wrote:

Thirdly, family run private school. Couldnt be to many oof them around these days???

More than likely Rockbrook Park School if what i have been told in the past is true...and either way, that school is the biggest joke. That I do know.

Macha

Confession: I went to Rathdown.

Yes it is that snobby & posh, one of my school friends had her own private jet...need I say more?

Oh, just that I was there on a half scholarship so no slagging

mloc

*Tripper* wrote:

Firstly, if this is in practice is in place, i think its wrong in relation to secondary schools rejecting people on the basis of an interview/exam.

I went to same school as melekalikimaka. There was an interview process. Why shouldn't there be? A school should be a community. Entry in to the community should be regulated, as places are limited.

Secondly, years ago it was a case of having your name down for years to get in but that has all changed now. Once you have the money your in, personally im fine with that.

For many schools, in particular popular primary schools, there are still waiting lists. I know of several schools where it is almost a neccessity to put your name down during pregnancy, unless you have other children in the school already (the schools favour entry from siblings). This occurs for both public and private schools.

In terms of school results, I don't think whether paying fees or not has much impact on the final outcome. It will, in my opinion however, effect the overall education of the child.

melekalikimaka

*Tripper* wrote:

Firstly, if this is in practice is in place, i think its wrong in relation to secondary schools rejecting people on the basis of an interview/exam. Obviously with a job its diffferent but is it not illegal in this case?

Secondly, years ago it was a case of having your name down for years to get in but that has all changed now. Once you have the money your in, personally im fine with that.

Thirdly, family run private school. Couldnt be to many oof them around these days???

no theres not too many around anymore at all i think. i don't think its wrong to reject on basis of interview.
its privately owned-they get a fraction of the grants public schools get, they in general have superior facilities and in many cases teachers. they should be able to decide who they want to use their facilities, its like a club, you pay to avail of sevices that the government fail to provide. I think the waiting list thing isnt as bad as it once was but there is still a good few years waiting for most the private schools

melekalikimaka

cheesedude wrote:

More than likely Rockbrook Park School if what i have been told in the past is true...and either way, that school is the biggest joke. That I do know.

no its not Rockbrook Park, nice to see you've something constuctive to add tho

drdre

black rock college is the best:D

Sangre

melekalikimaka wrote:

no theres not too many around anymore at all i think. i don't think its wrong to reject on basis of interview.
its privately owned-they get a fraction of the grants public schools get, they in general have superior facilities and in many cases teachers. they should be able to decide who they want to use their facilities, its like a club, you pay to avail of sevices that the government fail to provide. I think the waiting list thing isnt as bad as it once was but there is still a good few years waiting for most the private schools

If this is a whites only 'club' then sign me up!

melekalikimaka

Sangre wrote:

If this is a whites only 'club' then sign me up!

:rolleyes: yes it was and we all wore white hood cloaks and used words like ya'll(you all) and Maw(mother)

Faith

Gee, I never realised the only "good" schools in the country are in Dublin :rolleyes: .

mloc

melekalikimaka wrote:

:rolleyes: yes it was and we all wore white hood cloaks and used words like ya'll(you all) and Maw(mother)

hmm... there was kev's facist day where we all wore blue shirts. Good times.

LegacyUser

melekalikimaka wrote:

no its not Rockbrook Park, nice to see you've something constuctive to add tho

Your welcome pugwall

melekalikimaka

cheesedude wrote:

Your welcome pugwall

let me guess...you didn't make the school debating team did you

DOLEMAN

Lol, the anger in this thread...

My 2 cents...

I went to a public school. All my friends went to private schools. Although I would not consider most of my friends to be "naturally clever" (you know what I mean) they all got good leaving certs, went to good universities, and were bred (sp?) by the private schools to be business focussed and confident.

On the other hand, my public school (Oatlands College in Stillorgan) churns out very average leaving certs and very "never going to change the world" students.

So, I believe private schools help set up children for a more successful life (financially, at least.)

JC 2K3

An intelligent person who goes to a private school will make lots of money and do well financially.

An intelligent person who goes to a public school is more likely to change the world.

melekalikimaka

JC 2K3 wrote:

An intelligent person who goes to a private school will make lots of money and do well financially.

An intelligent person who goes to a public school is more likely to change the world.

i think students who go private tend to get it handed on a plate

student who go public and do well IMO work alot harder

thebaz

some of my cousins go to mount anville, they are from wealth, and even they feal very average there. Apparently kids get slagged for arriving in anything less than 03 BM's and Merc's. was at a party last night , there was a bunch of ex Rock and Clongowes , and they struck me as a fairly aloof snobby bunch -- just curious are these the establishments where the serious wealthy in ireland get educated --- or is there more ?

mloc

DOLEMAN wrote:

On the other hand, my public school (Oatlands College in Stillorgan) churns out very average leaving certs and very "never going to change the world" students.

So, I believe private schools help set up children for a more successful life (financially, at least.)

I went to Oatlands before I moved to a private school. I have to agree, although being honest, Oatlands wasn't the best school in the world, public or private. In my opinion, it had a pretty bad management problem.

mloc

thebaz wrote:

some of my cousins go to mount anville, they are from wealth, and even they feal very average there. Apparently kids get slagged for arriving in anything less than 03 BM's and Merc's.

I don't think that is particularly true. I know a lot of girls who went there, from different groups of friends, and I think that is probably a bit of an exaggeration. Perhaps in the younger years that might be true.

What is true, however, is once they reach 5th year there isn't a dublin accent left in the school. I wonder what amazing system they have in place.

luckat

Half of Foreign Affairs seems to have gone to Clongowes; it also supplied a huge proportion of the TDs in the early years of the State. The Jeyes give a good education, and foster a value of public service.

IMHO, the important thing isn't the exclusivity or expense of the school, but the way it sets your abilities and passions aflame. There are a lot of schools that do this without being private schools - for instance what's that one in Cork that always cleans up in the Young Scientists? What about Mount Temple for the arts?

As for boarding school - well, there's different points at which it's good and bad. Sending a kid off to board full-time at the age of seven or nine was never good - and was normally something that was done because of family circumstances, such as a parent being too ill to have a bunch of kids at home, or parents working abroad.

But weekday boarding can actually be a pretty good thing for adolescents. A kid who's boarding from 14 to 17 or 18 but goes home at weekends gets a schooling that includes solid homework time and living in a community of his or her peers, plus mammying and hanging-out time at the weekend. That can work pretty well, especially when both parents are working, and being at home can just be lonely.

LegacyUser

melekalikimaka wrote:

let me guess...you didn't make the school debating team did you

Clearly you didn't.

LegacyUser

mloc wrote:

What is true, however, is once they reach 5th year there isn't a dublin accent left in the school. I wonder what amazing system they have in place.

You wouldn't really get in there though would you if you had a dublin accent?