Discussions about schools in ED - disturbing?

[snorky]

Family room.Mmmmm

Amongst the buggys for sale and various breastfeeding tips, is the slighty creepy obsessivness of posts on Schooling, ranking & fighting for places, seem a little disturbing ?

Does this happen on all sites or is it just ED with this penchant for early years educational fetishment ?

[Mellors]

Given that ED has more kids per square inch than anywhere on the planet (it would seem) and all parents want the best for their children, its hardly surprising that schooling is a hot topic. Especially when the kids are being shipped off to Peckham/New Cross at primary level so can't go to school here. It does rather freak me out though.

[clux]

it is disturbing - but when you find yourself not getting a place at any of the schools you've applied to and instead being offered a totally unsuitable school instead, its hard to not get slightly carried away on the subject. i never wanted to be a neurotic pushy parent but i guess we all just want the best possible education for our kids, and there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion

[lenk]

You hear of people with UNBORN, NON-EXISTENT children on waiting lists for nurseries around here.

that's quite weird, isn't it?

[*Bob*]

Snorky,

I admire your efforts to crowbar-in some 'Family Room' fodder to the main area where things can get more shouty and proper argumentative.

With a bit of luck someone might mention pushy middle class parents and we can be off!

(You could even do it yourself?)

[antijen]

Gotta say although I've only 2 left at school, I was bewildered with school applications, and I hoped for my children not to enter the schooling system. But my daughter wanted to go to school and her two brothers came along to have a look, they had been home educated for a couple of years. We visited all the local schools (Camberwell) and I let them have most of the choice, hoping they would all agree on same one. I heard from most people it would be almost impossible to get three if them into a good school, but we were offered a place at all the schools we looked at. Secondary school was when I noticed, especially for the kids, who get caught up in all the panic, how stressful it is for most people. When I was growing up you went to the nearest school and that was it.

[snorky]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> Snorky,

> I admire your efforts to crowbar-in some 'Family

> Room' fodder to the main area where things can get

> more shouty and proper argumentative.

>

> With a bit of luck someone might mention pushy

> middle class parents and we can be off!

>

> (You could even do it yourself?)

I try to work my subervisve magic wherever I can, but this is a genuine post from me.

[*Bob*]

Fair enough.

Well, the answer is, it's because of all the pushy, middle-class parents.

[Mellors]

It would be fantastic if we could go to our nearest schools (Heber, Goodrich, St Johns, Dog Kennel Hill etc etc), but sadly it seems that no matter how close you live you are now less and less likely to get into a school in ED, which is what is freaking people out. Heber was even on the BBC news the othr night as an example.

[Moos]

Total of 122 posts on the relatively important family topic of where your kid goes to school hardly qualifies as creepily obsessive or fetishistic.

Non-event.

[Cassius]

I don't have kids, I don't go in the Family Room and I don't read threads about schooling. Why should anyone who is not actually affected by this bother? Incidentally I only read this thread because I wanted to see what 'Snorky' - any version improved or not, had to say about schools.......... should have known really.

[antijen]

About 10yrs ago there was meeting for all parents in southwark regarding secondary schools, a councillor was there for parents views about why people chose to go out the borough. It was held in whats now peckham academy. It was one of these, must do meetings where they said they wanted parents views, but he didnt listen. He was met with extremely angry parents, as at that time, not sure about now, there was no sixth form in any peckham schools. He was supposed to pass on our views at a public meeting. Parents from all diffrent schools turned up at the town hall as they did not believe this man could be trusted. They changed there agenda, where school admissions were dealt with first, as they could not cope with the angry parents, and sure enough, points that were made were not passed on, but unfortunately, being a PUBLIC meeting we were not allowed to speak. This was all going on the same time as the fight to have a new secondary school in dulwich. Many people were angry, especially parents in peckham.

[snorky]

Moos Wrote:

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> Total of 122 posts on the relatively important

> family topic of where your kid goes to school

> hardly qualifies as creepily obsessive or

> fetishistic.

>

> Non-event.

Have you actually read them ?

[antijen]

Cassius; Why would anyone bother?

Because its unfair, it is about class, and it takes a big part of the responsibility, whether you have children or not, if kids are being searched in school for blades and such dont you see even a little how that may affect nice quiet streets like Melbourne Grove.

[Moos]

snorky Wrote:

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> Have you actually read them ?

Yes, although not all. A few came from a point of view I don't share, but there was just a general feeling of parents discussing what 'they had got' and some people asking for advice on what to do next. I read your post as implying that the majority or the general feel of the thread was creepily obsessive or fetishistic, and I don't agree that it was.

[????]

Zzzzzzzzzz...how about the Xoo post threads on Favourite Bar or Is William Rose a rip off.....my lamb chops or where the most likely place to pull all far more important issues...

2/10, detention, must go back to old standard of work Snorky

[snorky]

Maybe

Unless you knew the schools in the area, then ( for me anyway ) reading some of the posts would scare the buggery out of me - some seem to be portrayed as a Compton SOuth Central LA Crips and BLoods training academies, whilst others seem to be heralded as feeder schools for Oxbridge and a fast track into the Diplomatic service and undreamed of riches.

of course, nother are true, but the Goodrich/Heber fetishment does seem to a bit disproportional to their actual positon in the real world - they are OK schools, but not as good as some people seem to think.

[snorky]

snorky Wrote:

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> Maybe

>

> Unless you knew the schools in the area, then (

> for me anyway ) reading some of the posts would

> scare the buggery out of me - some seem to be

> portrayed as a Compton SOuth Central LA Crips and

> BLoods training academies, whilst others seem to

> be heralded as feeder schools for Oxbridge and a

> fast track into the Diplomatic service and

> undreamed of riches.

>

> of course, nother are true, but the Goodrich/Heber

> fetishment does seem to a bit disproportional to

> their actual positon in the real world - they are

> OK schools, but not as good as some people seem to

> think.

As many arrivals in ED now seem see an OK primary schol to be a free stopgap until they can get their offspring into one of the private schools in the area - cheaper than a prep / pre-prep - hence the trampling on each other to get the best primary school for their kids

As the demographics change and more privately educated parents decamp in ED, then I am seeing a change in attitudes and approach.

Im sure that a bunch of places always seem to come up at Dulwich primary after a couple of years, when parents begin to get their kids into the the private schools - a rather unappealling mercenary tactic to me personally, but what do I know .

[Moos]

EDF In Some Posts On A Thread A Bit Odd Shocker. Although your exaggeration did make me smile.

You have kids - did you never try to find out what your local schools are like by asking other parents?

[snorky]

Moos Wrote:

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> EDF In Some Posts On A Thread A Bit Odd Shocker.

> Although your exaggeration did make me smile.

>

> You have kids - did you never try to find out what

> your local schools are like by asking other

> parents?

I found both Heber & Goose Green smelled of piss if thats any use

[Moos]

Was that before or after your visit?

[snorky]

Moos Wrote:

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> Was that before or after your visit?

boom tish!

[Moos]

I know. I like to think that I make up in fragrance what I lack in comedy value.

[*Bob*]

So what you're saying is that people would prefer not to spend money on something when there's already something free which is just fine.

That's what my Gran said about blackberries. I don't think it's much of a revelation.

[Cassius]

antijen Wrote:

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> Cassius; Why would anyone bother?

> Because its unfair, it is about class, and it

> takes a big part of the responsibility, whether

> you have children or not, if kids are being

> searched in school for blades and such dont you

> see even a little how that may affect nice quiet

> streets like Melbourne Grove.

What I was saying was that I don't care how many threads there are in the Family Room about schooling - and I didn't understand why Snorky does. I honestly cannot see how someone without children can be bothered about "posts on Schooling, ranking & fighting for places" Can't see where knife crime comes into my comment tbh!