28 Up

435 magazine

Public School, Private School, Boarding School. Which One is Better?

There is no doubt that education plays an important role in the lives of people, especially children, but are there benefits to attending one sort of school over another? Does paying for school mean a better education?

The subjects of 28 Up share their viewpoint based on their experience with education. 

Tony the ex jockey, now taxi driver, attended a public school. The director, Micheal Apted, asked him what advantages he thought he'd had over some of the other people that were filmed. Tony responds, telling that, academically, they've had more advantages and states that the benefits are apparent in the film. However, he feels that the kids who attended prep school missed the love and care provided by their parents due to the fact that they were away from home. Claire Winter wrote an article for BBC over one of their programs Britain's Youngest Boarders, in which she discusses the effects boarding young has on kids. Overall Tony believes, "an education makes a person have more opportunities in this world".

Bruce who attended a boarding school, is now a teacher at Tony's old public school. He believes general education is better for society, "there is a class society, and public schools help its continuance". 

Although Andrew has  never experienced a state system, he thinks private schools offer a better level of education. He believes a good education is important because it is something that no one can take away, unlike worldly goods. John comes from a background similar to Andrew and even though he declined to partake in 28 Up he discussed this subject in 21 Up. As far as education is concerned, John feels he has had the best of everything, but points out that to get where he has, he had to work very hard. He believes that anyone who attends a really good school is at an advantage.

Jackie, one of the three girls chosen from Susan Lawrence Primary school in London, makes an excellent point concerning the advantage of one school over another. She states, "whether you class going to grammar school as an advantage is dependent on your entire outlook. If you don't class it as an advantage, then you're not gonna push it". I think that's true with private and boarding school, both have their advantages and disadvantages. The quality of the school is what is important and whether the higher quality school is private or public depends on the area. Which school is the better school also depends on the needs of the student. There isn't a straightforward answer of which school is the best, it depends on personal preference and many other factors. 

Although they prefer different types of education, one thing they can agree on is that a strong academic background is a key component to success. Ultimately, though, the responsibility to achieve success is dependent on you, not your background.