General Chat

Helen,Thats exactly how I feel:-))

I think it is a big assumption that you get what you pay for-i know people who have spent fortunes sending their kids to private school and theyve ended up with about 3 gcses each !!.....if the child is not interested or not bright it makes no difference- OK facilities might be more comfortable but private education wont turn a child into a genius ! tony Blair was privately educated as were most of the Cabinet.....so it is no surprise that their children will be.........Diane Abbott -as red as you get.......child in private education.....I dont know why people are surprised -theyve always been champagne socialists.......slowly eroding the infrastructure set up by their predecessors that founded the party.

I agree with those of you who think that as a member of our government Ruth Kelly is sending out the wrong message to the rest of us. I also support anyone's right to spend their own hard-earned money any way they see fit. Labour politicians as public servants who insist the rest of us send our beloved children to the nearest school, however good or bad it is, should do the same themselves. If they wish to exercise their rights as a private citizen then they should resign from government.

We all have the RIGHT to freedom of CHOICE - Kelly exercised hers Thats what makes our country such a wonderful place to live in! regardless of its negatives there are abundant positives to living here in the UK. After all said and done Education is only as good as the person teaching and will depend greatly on the individual who recieves it what they will do with it. I'm privately educated ( a waste of my parents money if you'd like my HO) I have a child in grammar school and a child with dyslexia going to a state school - I could pay for them to go private ..... my choice not to for my own reasons and because I have the right as a parent and the freedom of choice.

Roxanne as the Mum of a severely dyslexic 7 year old with a reading age of 4 but the IQ of an 8 year old it is difficult for me to give an unbiased opinion, I have to ask myself if i could afford it would send Will to a private school with specialist dyslexic tuition. it has taken 7 months for the literacy team to even see him and I feel I now know more about dyslexia than his class teacher, A very tricky subject, Caz xxxx

Hi David:-)) I think you make a very good point. I too think that good education should be available to any child from any walk of life. Jim, that would be a great thing to put into practice, it would certainly get my vote.

I Agree with the minimum income should apply to all footballers etc, but they can’t dictate to peeps on how to spend there money whether it would be private education holidays what ever. my hubby has his views on how money should be saved spent I have mine, so just cos someone works in and job and gets paid to do it don’t mean it has to be implemented in your private life, if I came home and said to my hubby I need to implement this cos its what I promote at work he would tell me to take a running jump of a short pier. P.S and lets face it if her and hubby want to spend there money that way all the more in the benefit pot so to speak Lilxx

If I had my way no Public Employee, whether they be Prime Minister or whatever, would receive a higher Salary than a fixed link to the minimum income. When the economy is booming they can earn up to 10 times the minimum income, and when there is a recession, then perhaps only 3 times. I specifically say minimum income rather than minimum wage because otherwise those receiving any Benefits whether they be Sickness, Unemployment or Pension would lose out. Then we will see which of our Politicians have the Interests of the Country and its Citizens at heart, and which are only interested in lining their own pockets.

Hi Jim,Just my point:-)) You either believe in your politics or you dont Ruth Kelly obviously does not, what I find laughable is that these labour ministers(Blair Included) are so hypocritical. I would send my child to a private school,but Im not a labour minister, secretary.

I agree that she should do her best for her children, but as a Public Employee I am concerned that she can afford to pay more to have 1 child educated than the majority of families in this Country earn in a year. £15,000 was the figure I heard mentioned. How many of us would like to even have an income of £300 per week? Labour has definitely lost its focus on the 'Working Classes'.

Hear Hear Kris, we also need to remember her Husband in all this he has his views as well and no doubt contributes to the fee's Lilxx

No worries Roxanne! I just had to Google as I thought I must have misheard the news this morning! Even so, it just goes to show that she can't have done a very good job whilst in the post if she's had to turn to private education!

Good for her!! She does what she thinks best for her child. She will be expecting a big fuss but puts the child first. If we are able to afford better things for our families we don't deny them just because others can't afford. Hazel

Whoops sorry was trying to update my post and deleted by mistake!! (that's a state education for you lol) The point I made was that Ms Kelly would have had the best interests of her child at heart and did what she did as she thought it best. If you surveyed most MPs how many will have sent their children to private schools and will have had private health care. I think the ones that are worse than the MP s who send their children to private school are the likes of the Blairs who used their influence to get THEIR children into the best State schools

As the education secretary she is paid from our taxes to improve education for all. Is the fact that she is now using her salary to pay for her child to go into the private sector an admission that she has not done her job properly, and that state education system has failed her child (as it has failed so many others???) Perhaps she should be on performance related pay- then she would not have a huge salary to pay private school fees with!!!

Sorry but its her job, not her life, she has to consider what her Hubby's opinions and views too he may have complete different view’s who knows, I for one do a job which I am paid to do does’nt mean I take my work home and implement it. Lilx

Ruth Kelly is no longer minister for Education. She is now Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Hi Jeanette, Thanks for that!OOpss! I stand corrected:-))

I think the crux of the matter is Roxanne......is that these facilities should be provided by State education.....available to all of us......and not those who can afford to pay.... If you are an affiliated party member, you should abide by the aims of the party....which in my understanding is to give a good Education Service to all, as well as a good Health Service.... I won't go into my political mode.....gets too boring.....

Kris,Probably not! But If you dont have faith in your product,how can you expect others to have faith in it,thats my point:-)