Tough on toffs?
The closing of private schools in Scotland makes inequality worse, writes John Mclellan.
The thing about closing private schools will be the saving for richer parents. They will all move to areas with good schools, and those schools due to the influx of motivated patents and kids will prosper. Of course, house prices in the area will be much higher so only the wealthy can do this.
Spooked Just remember this – parents who send their kids to a private school still pay a huge amount of tax to educate others’ kids!
Tom Lamb
Give our kids an equal chance. It’ll never be properly equal, but it’ll be a hell of a sight more equal than this elitist sham.
Nations should rule themselves
A few thoughts. 1. The SNP don’t seem to have a problem with young children going to private nurseries. It only seems to be later on in education that private becomes “bad”. 2. Is there really capacity in the state education sector to cope with an influx of an additional 30,000 pupils? 3. If pupils from private schools are “forced” to join the state sector, then some state schools will then become more “exclusive” (for want of a better word) as there is already some educational apartheid in the state sector with parents buying houses (often at over the odds prices) in catchment areas for certain schools.
Hazel Smith
Private education is just another industry. As Thatcher would have said: “Let the market decide which schools sink or swim.”
Samuelcoldstream
Everyone with a child currently at a private school should register them for their local state school, whether or not they have any intention of sending them there. Then sit back and watch the Scottish Government’s suggestions to councils as to how they might cope with an extra 30,000 or so pupils.
St25
The state school education system is failing and offers no choice. All that the state offers is PC gender lessons, bigoted Scottish history and so-called Curriculum for Excellence. The sad reality is parents need to pay if they want a better option.
oneworld72
If people want to send their children to fee-paying schools that’s their choice. But these schools are not what most people would consider charities and should not be treated as such.
Mackays Abacus Apartheid in Scottish schools feeds the racism and religious intolerance that so blights us. Put simply, ALL children should attend the same type of high-class comprehensive schooling. End apartheid. Since air fares tend to be lower than alternative modes, maybe these ancillary charges help restore a little balance. And of course there is public transport and taxis, so basically no sympathy for an over-pampered sector.
Windy Miller If it isn’t already, it ought to be illegal to have a one-way road leading into a barrier which requires payment to get through. It is effectively a toll, and tolls are supposed to have been abolished in Scotland.
Antaeus More than Trump pays to park his jumbo at Prestwick...
Weary cynic
Well, you all rejoiced when the Witch Queen of Grantham privatised the British Airports Authority.
Gustav Gustavsson
The free drop-off and pick-up at Edinburgh airport is miles away, I’ve never used it and I don’t know anybody who has, I think only strangers use it. If I get dropped off, or drop someone off, I do it as close to the airport as possible so that I don’t get held to ransom by the drop-off charge which I’m sure must be illegal. If a shop charged you £1 to get out, the police would be there in seconds.
Ali South Edinburgh is £1 for first 5 minutes but by the time you queue on the way in and then at the barrier on the way out, it easily jumps to £3 or £4 mentioned. Make sure you have a supply of pound coins or you will be stuck at the barrier.
Hugh Mitchell Almost as bad as being ill and having to pay exorbitant parking at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Ian Mulvey We pay just $1 for 1hr at our local airport in Victoria, BC. Cost me a fortune when I picked my cousin up after a delayed flight in Edinburgh. Just ridiculous.
Angela Hughes