General Chat

I thought this was a free country! and why should'nt she try and do the best for her child! Norah

We all do what we can for our children if we are caring parents. There will always be some who can do more than others but at the end of the day it is love that wins whether you are rich or poor Janet

I can't criticise her. We have an excellent special needs school where I live that my son attends but if we didn't and I could afford it I would send my son to a private school even if I was a Labour MP. My sons education would come first before anything else.

Any more?

Hypocrisy!!!! the labour party was supposed to be for the working class!! Ruth Kelly messed up the education system when she was the minister for it, closing special needs schools etc, but now cos she can afford it chooses to send her child private!!! i think it's disgusting , the parents of special needs children do not have the same choice!! Helen

Thats a good one Carol. I bet nobody has thought about how long and hard Ruth Kelly must have thought about this, after all, as I said earlier, Tony Blair and Claire short were slated rather harshly in my opinion, for doing a similar thing with their children.

Surely she is letting us all know what we have known/suspected for several years. The education of children with learning difficulties in state schools is not as good as it should be. In this age of equal opportunities, all children should be able to get the educational opportunities that they need, not just those whose parents can afford to pay for private education. Autistic spectrum children are being excluded from local schools which cannot cope with them, then sent to schools miles away from their homes. These children do not like change; some have to become weekly boarders, others have to rise early to get transport to school & after school have a long journey home. I know of a child who has to travel to a school 30miles from home, when there is a specialist school to suit him just 3miles away. The reason he cannot attend the nearer school is that the education department will not pay for him to go there. As a mother she is doing what she thinks is the best for her child; as a politician, who has worked in the Department of Education she must have thought hard about how this action will look. Has anyone thought that perhaps it was her way of bringing this education problem into the spotlight!!!

Hi TW, As another Mum of a dyslexic little lad who has been badly effected I have to say if I had the money I would pay for specialist help; He goes to a small village school and dont get me wrong the staff are superb but are not trained in dealing with dyslexia. I am doing a qualification with work for supporting dyslexics and just hope i can help him all I can, Caz xxx

State education is very patchy as we all know, including provision for children with educational special needs. Is Ruth Kelly ,as a politician, any more immoral by sending her child to a private school than other politicians who move house solely to buy into a certain area because of the local state schools? What they should all be doing as politicians is concentrating on improving opportunites for ALL children, regardless of where they live, so that all have the chance to make the best of their abilities. You can't guarantee that all will, but you should guarantee that all get the chance. Jay

I think the day of the parties being drastically different are long gone..... Labour no longer reflects the working class in the way it used too!! Times have changed and so has politics I'm afraid!

personally I couldn't give two hoots as to whether she's a hypocrite or not, there are far more important things going on that whether a labour minister sends her child to a private school ! That said - if I felt my child needed it because of special needs, and I could afford it, I'd do exactly the same - my childs welfare comes before my principles !

Well in that case I agree with everything Roxanne has said! *runs*

Jeanette, I'm inviting all opinions, for or against....so you have my permission to disgrace me this once LOL

Total Hypocrisy!! Shes a labour minister,originally the education minister, shes on the wrong side! Their all hypocrits, If they dont have faith in their own system why should we! Theres no excuse,if your a politician and a labour politician you should practice what you preach. Its A huge joke in my opinion,they must think were all so naive.

I was going to add to this thread TW but I didn't want to disagree with you twice in 24 hours! pmsl

Surely if all the parents that can afford to send their kids to private schools did; then the state system would have less pressure on it with over-crowding!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same as private hospitals v NHS!! Or is that just common sense?

Sandie, well said! You are so right.

That's too simple Diana lol True though!

my son has dyslexia. we couldnt afford to send him to private school . most schools these days have special units for children with learning difficulties so i cant see why her son couldnt attend one of those. jamie,my son,started secondary school with the reading age of a 4yr old.he left at the age of 16 with the reading age of a 12 year old. i think he done fantastic!!! susie

Susie, I'm glad your son did well, and yes there are excellent schools for special needs available within the state system, and a good thing they are too. But...the fact the Ruth Kelly has chosen to send hers to a private school at least leaves a space for another child who does not have that opportunity, who would possible have to travel further if they could not get a placement. I've heard of that happening too.