Industry News
Parents prefer private over state schools
Posted on 22nd October 2007
Some parents are concerned about the standard of education being offered in state schools and so are choosing to send their offspring to private school, a Conservative MP has said.
Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, has revealed figures which suggest an increase in the numbers of parents opting for an independent education for their children.
He told the Times: "In Hammersmith and Fulham, we have one of the fastest-rising rates of private school attendance in the country and one of the highest rates of surplus places in [state] secondary schools."
Some of this could be explained by the changing demographic which meant more parents can afford a private education for their children, however, some parents do have concerns about the standards in state schools, he claimed.
Last year, the then education secretary Alan Johnson said private schools helped create well-rounded, socially adept pupils and taught communication skills and teamwork, reported the Guardian.
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