Dickensian generosity at KES

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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ews147
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Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:47 pm

Post by ews147 »

CM,

You have not whipped up tension at all, your views merely echoed my own but perhaps not quite as strongly! Whilst Nathair and Alice have given dignified responses and justified their bursaries, i do not feel it is really appropriate to dignify some of the other postings with such a response at all.

It is a shame that what was actually an interesting OP , it has disintegrated into the usual 'politics of envy'.(controversial - but it has to be said)
mad?
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Post by mad? »

I hope I haven't offended already and I don't want to now but I think there are a few things that are clear.
1. There are many (the majority no doubt) recipients of bursaries who fully merit the bursary.
2. Bursaries (where correctly allocated) widen the diversity of an indep school and that has to be a good thing IMO.
3. There are many families who would not qualify for a bursary despite or because of both parents working NOR would they be able to afford fees.
4. Those families either don't have an indie education for their children or they almost kill themselves getting one...and are likely to be in area without grammar schools...and (in my experience) are often from disadvantaged backgrounds themselves.
5. Not all of us are able to work, some of us are not willing to, if it is a the expense of our bursary.
6. There are some people who cheat the bursary system, by all the methods outlined before (plus in my experience a friend suddenly working part time when it mattered!).
7. Those people (6) are awful, they cause distrust, stress and cynicism amongst those of us working every hour of the day to scrape the fees together...this in turn makes people applying/in receipt of bursaries feel uncomfortable/pressurised/vulnerable when having to justify their entitlement.
We can all talk about holidays we haven't had, the childcare that working wouldn't pay for etc, some of us with much more legitmacy than others no doubt.
IMO bursaries are a good thing, but to work, like any means tested benefits system, they need to be robust and as free from exploitation as possible, otherwise it leads to resentment.
I sit in 3 and 4 here and it hurts.
Rant over. :shock:
mad?
ews147
Posts: 152
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:47 pm

Post by ews147 »

Anyway, isn't KES a marvellous example of how some less advantaged pupils can be assisted by previous pupils who also received assistance ? A stark contrast to the Dickens style approach used by Harrow's benefactor. :wink:
Chelmsford mum
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

I am sorry mad. :(
I also want to acknowledge how ridiculously low some schools set bursary limits.45k as a joint income if you live in the South east or similar and have a mortgage and more than one child, may as well be 25k in other areas.
Some schools still give out bursaries at 70k :shock: :shock: . it all seems mad and unregulated.
ews147
Posts: 152
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:47 pm

Post by ews147 »

CM - It maybe mad and unregulated but that's the nature of the private sector generally isn't it?(And imo, if someone is earning 75k and above (whether as a dual income or not, they are well off and should be paying the fees - likewise 5oK or above.) But gain, there will be variances as the private sector dictates it's own rules. Just as SOME of the fee payers have gained their wealth from being' economical with the truth', there will always be winners and losers. If it's fairness your looking for, avoid the private sector(most do have another option) and don't vote for Cameron .
mad?
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Post by mad? »

Chelmsford mum wrote:I am sorry mad. :(
No need to apologise :lol: have just paid DD1 fees DD2's teacher is 'stuck' somewhere on an exotic holiday and I am 'stuck' working :lol:
mad?
Chelmsford mum
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

mad? wrote:is 'stuck' somewhere on an exotic holiday and I am 'stuck' working :lol:
Thanks... re the above, I am expecting a lot of teachers and pupils to be absent today. :(
Ews - I wasn't intending to give my vote to Mr C. I will leave that to others well known to this part of the thread who regard him as a bit of a "pin - up" :lol: :shock:
mad?
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Post by mad? »

Chelmsford mum wrote: Ews - I wasn't intending to give my vote to Mr C. I will leave that to others well known to this part of the thread who regard him as a bit of a "pin - up" :lol: :shock:
Thanks, that has made my day :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: just the thought of it eeewww indeed :)
mad?
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

ews,

I don't think we can put a figure on who should be paying the fees. £75k may seem a lot but not in London and not if you have 2+ kids. There is no way one could afford to fund all of them through inde school. £75k as a single income is also much less than if it were a dual income as the majority of the latter would be taxed at the lower rate whereas over half of the former would be taxed at the higher amount. Who on £75k gross can afford £30k net in boarding fees? Maybe if you managed to get on the property ladder when houses cost under £70k and have paid most of it off and have one child!

It is very difficult to make judgements on what is right because these opinions are based on our own lifestyles and we really have no understanding of what is going on, in financial terms, with bursary recipients. At the end of the day the school knows best, not us haughty parents! :roll: :lol:

EDIT: I cannot bear comments about having options. If you live in a lovely little GS belt or affluent suburbs then you may have options but I wonder what your opinion would be if you had been offered a sink school. :?
northernsoul
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Location: CORNWALL

Post by northernsoul »

The schools choose their bursary recipients from widely differing applicants. But it comes down to the school's choice. Just because a family apparently qualifies for a bursary doesn't mean that they are entitled to it. The schools choose the children they would most like to take (who meet the basic criteria) not necessarily those poorest or most in need even.
No need to be justifying your position - the school wanted your child and saw fit to help.
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