1. In Favour of private schools and arguing against the article called ‘Why Private Schooling isn’t worth the
money’
Para
No.
You suggest
that…/You state
that... / An
interesting idea
that you raise is...
Show that you think
that their idea is a
nice one
connective to show
that you disagree
Your argument
(examples given: use this and / or write your own)
1 Spending time
with your children
is more precious
and worthwhile
than a perceived
better education
 If you have a very
stable relationship
with your family
then this family time
could be ‘precious’
but/however/yet  It depends the family (they could be dysfunctional or abroad a
lot for work…)
 Family is often the cause of a lot of stress and conflict
 Short term vs long term. Long term a better education will
enable to you to be … more financially stable, independent and
successful.
 Living at home all of your life vs learning to be resilient and
independent.
2 Manners and
discipline should
be taught at home
(not at school)
 Of course you can
try and encourage
good manners
whilst your child is
at home.
but is this really going
to be wholly successful?
 Children are influenced by those around them and if the school
has a particular emphasis and tradition of teaching manners
then what you teach at home will only be reinforced at school.
 State schools can reinforce bad habits learnt from peers as
teachers fail to address bad language or offensive insults (as
you mentioned, you had concerns about the racist language in
the playground).
 It isn’t about whether o not they hear poor language or
derogatory terms but it is what they perceive as the reaction to
this… the teachers simply don’t have the time or energy to deal
with all of these ongoing problems and so they learn that this
type of language or attitude is acceptable.
3 State education is
mostly okay or
even fantastic.
 Encouraging to read
someone feeling
positive about the
government funded
education available
in our country
However,  ‘mostly okay’ is surely not what we are striving towards. You
state that, after love, ‘a good education is the best thing you can
give your children’ so no parent would choose, if they had an
alternative, to send their child to a educational establishment
that was ‘mostly okay’.
 They don’t get another chance at education – have to get it right.
 What do we mean by ‘mostly okay’. The teachers are ‘mostly

2. In Favour of private schools and arguing against the article called ‘Why Private Schooling isn’t worth the
money’
okay at conveying a love of their subject whilst they ‘mostly’
manage to control the students and are ‘mostly’ interested in
learning.
 The dangers of settling for mediocrity… the outcomes, in every
sense, are mediocre.
4 You describe how
your daughter
doesn’t need extra
curricular
activities because
she attends some
classes at a
community centre
 It is fantastic to see
that there are many
activities available
to her outside of
school
But / nevertheless /
despite this
 The range is substantially better in independent schools.
 Discuss certain sports that you might never get the opportunity
to play
 Theatrical performances in a public theatre
 Trips and speakers attending the school that would open your
mind….
 You’re right – it is not just about the grades but it is about so
much more than that
5 Deeply unfair (that
some people have
fewer
opportunities)
Paying for a better
education does seem
unfair
Yet …  We need to be truthful and realistic. The world is not a place of
equality and fairness and people with money have always had
benefits.
 That is why they want to try and ensure that their children are
as successful as they are. Only human.
 You can get scholarships to these schools (sport, music,
academic)
 We need these schools to develop our next athletes, academics
and politicians. Surely we want the people running our country
to be more than simply nice and well-rounded?
6 Children are at
school with
students who have
‘a variety of
backgrounds and
beliefs’
This is certainly true of
some state schools
where students might
come from…
Yet it cannot see how,
as a general rule, this is
the case as…
 In many independent schools there is a huge number of
students who have come from abroad to study there or their
parents are in the civil service or military and their children
board because they travel so much.
 The difference is that all the students are from different
background but are united in a good purpose – the desire to
succeed and do well.