“But we have no intention of paying for school fees!” I can hear you say.
So, what if circumstances change? They did for us…
In 2005 we made a definite decision. We felt we had to decide then & there whether our financial targets should include saving for a private education for our kids. We looked the pros and the cons, and the financial viability of both options. We have an excellent State primary school by us (village schools have so much going for them!) and the son was happy there. Our daughter would start there in a year.
What of the secondary schools? We heard of the bad press, but kids tend to survive them, don’t they? Numerous success stories abound.
We decided to stay with the state system, after all, private education is massively unaffordable…
So – what changed our minds?
Daniel, aged 7, was a fun-loving clown, who tended to not sit still in class, and lacked focus – in common with many boys his age. In addition, he had an exceptional talent for singing. His voice (as we were about to find out) was of a different quality to the rest. His violin teacher had pointed this out to us when he was 5.
At a parents evening, a teacher whom we knew and trusted told us again of his exceptional voice. He would benefit from this being brought on, she said, and he would also benefit from the stricter discipline in the private sector. Just see if he can get a scholarship, she suggested.
We were open to the idea, and started to explore the options. We were shocked at that Christmas performance, when Daniel’s brief solos in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” did indeed demonstrate that he had a different voice. He managed a scholarship at one, very strict school, but we opted for another, less strict, more fun, more suitable for his personality.
The fees are – well - high, but we saw a change in his focus immediately. He grew up – but not in a bad way. He took 2 terms to settle in, but is very happy there, with countless musical and sporting opportunities that would be unavailable in the State sector.
Of course this decision is up to the individual family, but maybe private education is something you would aspire to?
A friend of mine, a stalwart supporter of the State education, interviewed students for the new Brighton and Sussex Medical School a year or so back. He was quite taken aback by the difference in kids from the private and state sectors. The private kids were better-prepared, more able to think through a problem, and more self confident.
Surely a good baseline for the future?
Here’s to a financially free future!
Alison
Financial Freedom for Doctors can help you to work out how soon you can be financially free, enabling you to work part time, take better holidays or plan for an earlier retirement. Find financial freedom through property investment, the stock market and the internet.
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