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tilda_bookworm's review against another edition
Too dry, more like a history of what politicians have said about private schools through the ages.
ciaochow's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve never been a massive supporter of the private school system, and I bought this book really hoping it would make me think harder about the ethics of a private education system but it didn’t happen. What I found really unhelpful was how the whole book builds off from the premise that private schools are inherently BAD (with no balance of argument) — and that the main issue is that the children of the wealthy are able to gain unparalleled social capital into British society.
What follows is a 300 page rant (written by 2 privately and Oxbridge educated men who have casually managed to send their children to the top state selective grammar schools, mind you!) albeit full of interesting statistics about why the social divide created by the private schooling system is so harmful to society. Yes sure, the system causes inequality, but the writers provide no real solutions — and the fact that they speak highly of state schools whilst being able to send their children to top grammar schools doesn’t speak much for the masses or for the type of “social inequality” they’re so against either. :/
The first twenty pages of the book tell you enough about their argument. From the book itself I concluded that there is no need to reform the system………
What follows is a 300 page rant (written by 2 privately and Oxbridge educated men who have casually managed to send their children to the top state selective grammar schools, mind you!) albeit full of interesting statistics about why the social divide created by the private schooling system is so harmful to society. Yes sure, the system causes inequality, but the writers provide no real solutions — and the fact that they speak highly of state schools whilst being able to send their children to top grammar schools doesn’t speak much for the masses or for the type of “social inequality” they’re so against either. :/
The first twenty pages of the book tell you enough about their argument. From the book itself I concluded that there is no need to reform the system………
dani_sherlock's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book and found the statistics both interesting and relevant. I think that the problems are well summed up and I agree with the authors standpoint. However, it became incredibly repetitive and overdetailed towards the end.
As a teacher at a South African private school, I found the arguments good food for thought. The book opened my mind and put forward arguments which definitely impacted on my view of educational systems.
As a teacher at a South African private school, I found the arguments good food for thought. The book opened my mind and put forward arguments which definitely impacted on my view of educational systems.
sianami's review against another edition
4.0
Does what it says on the tin - analyses the nature of and problems with private schools in the country and proposes ways forward. I laughed out loud at the very arch postscript in the paperback edition where the authors slate all their reviewers. (And some other jokes throughout.)