This week I came across the advice of an American billionaire, philanthropist and investor known as the ‘Oracle of Omaha’ (don’t squirm just yet) in an article from a few months ago. Warren Buffett believed he had the answer on how to solve our 21st century educational problems. “Make private schools illegal,” he said.
Our sagacious friend is however an example of a problem that is far more profound. As private schools have become a taboo in British politics, so a culture of criticism of independent education for the sake of it has become embedded in our society. Some (many, even) may think this is fair but I for one do not. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether our private schools really do deserve the reputation with which they have come to be associated.
The answer is, at least as far as I can see, that they do not. Our great independent schools are great because they provide an excellent education, both academically and in terms of inculcating the wider skills needed for life. Many of our private schools add to our national culture and way of life; they have become institutions embedded in our history.
Furthermore (and most forgotten) is that so many schools, through financial support schemes, enable children whose disadvantaged background would otherwise prevent them from attending such a school, to do so. And that is without even considering the extensive community outreach programmes that are at the core of what many of our independent schools do.
The problem then is too often looked at upside-down. The solution is not banning private schools but making them, and their methods of education, more accessible.
Many of the things that independent schools get right, whether that be in terms of scholarship or wider education, should be adopted into our education system. But most significantly, private schools should be made more financially accessible – an aim pioneered by the Sutton Trust – and be open to all, regardless of financial background. Whilst many of our schools are good at providing bursaries, many are not, a failure that is inexcusable for many such institutions with the resources (and alumni) they have at their fingertips.
It is bonkers that as a country we should so often vehemently criticise what is in effect something good. What we really need to do is accept that in Britain we have an excellent legacy of education and build upon that, making it accessible and profitable for everyone.
