Fees for independent schools have gone through the roof in recent years. When my nieces were in Haberdashers's Girls School in Boremwood between 2000 and 2009, fees were only £3,000 per term. Now Mr Woo has to pay two and half times that amount. I suspect young Miss Woo is in one of the top schools in Bristol, if not the country, if her school make students stay until five with additional Saturday sessions thrown in. Among immigrant groups, Chinese and Indian parents are most hell-bent on going private even if they are not that rich. It has to do with the mind-set that the quality of education is better when you pay for it. Private schools have smaller classes and most of them do better than state schools (although the best state schools have better results than their top private counterparts.) Some parents also aim to give their children a sense of superiority and enable their children to built up a "desirable" network which could benefit them far beyond university. People do find privately educated students more confident , polished, and well-spoken which give them an edge during interviews for jobs etc. But times are changing on that front too. Oxbridge and Russell groups universities are now ordered to give preferential treatment to state school students; and top private schools have to provide bursaries and outreach programmes for less advantaged youngsters in order to keep their charitable status. It is a crime that politicians on both sides of the political divide largely destroyed the Grammar School system in the name of "equality." Grammar schools enabled many working class kids to fulfill their potential and many of the most accomplished in this country were a product of that set-up. Since the 1990, Chinese (and Indian) students have topped every academic league table in the UK in the UK. And statistics show that among students who depend on free school meals, Chinese students again come up on top among all ethnic groups. This has been copious studies and discussion as to the reason why Chinese kids, including those in low-income groups, can be so successful. Reasons give are Confucius tradition of reverence for learning, strong family units with high parental expectations, the "tiger mother" phenomena, sense of filial duty to do well and contribute to the family on the part of youngsters, a carry-over work ethic and mental toughness from East Asian countries like Hong Kong where academic conditions are more harsh and competitive etc. For me, I don't like Chinese students being singled-out and "studied" like a "rare specimen." It only stereotype our children as some single-minded "examination machines" and stir up envy and hostility among other ethnic groups, including the native white populace. Therefore, it is unwise to us to boast about this "achievement." In fact, we have to worry about why our children have not been able to get employment commensurate with their academic accomplishment. Just look around your local council; opticians, dental and GP surgeries; in the news and entertainment media, on the teaching and administrative staff in schools and universities; in the Houses of Parliament etc etc, how many Chinese names and faces can you find? Indians and blacks, there are galore, but not us. The only exception is in the finance sector which has a lot to do with the rise of the economic prowess of Communist China. This is something that we have to deal with, especially with the mass surge of BNO parents with high hopes for their children. Is there systematic but hidden discrimination towards us? Is it because we are the "model minority" who never complain? Believe me, if a black person feel that he/she is prejudiced during the recruiting process, there would be official complaints and court cases. Ivy League universities in the US are now openly denying places to Chinese students with much higher grades than other minority and white applicants. Is this the same road for us here too?
