A mum has split opinion online after she asked people to be kinder to parents who choose to send their children to privately funded schools instead of state ones - as she insisted they are often unfairly "demonised".
The mum said she's "fed up" with seeing private school parents "bashed" for buying their children a "better education", and claimed that not all those who send their kids to private school are "mega-wealthy".
She also said that she and her husband were both raised in working-class environments and have "worked bloody hard" to afford a private education for their children, and doesn't believe she should be criticised for it - despite admitting that private schools are a "major cause of inequality".
In a post on Mumsnet, she moaned: "I'm a bit fed up with private school parents being bashed for buying a better education for their children, while parents who 'don't believe in private education' and spend a fortune on homes in catchment areas for 'good' state schools then another fortune on tutors seem to get off scot-free.
"I'm also fed up with private school parents all being lumped in the same category. We're not all selfish, mega-wealthy, Bullingdon Club alumni; many of us are ordinary people (I'm a working-class lass from a council estate whose parents worked as cleaners and in warehouses) who've worked bloody hard to be able to afford a better start in life for our children than we had.
"We've managed to achieve social mobility against the odds, yet we're not allowed to celebrate this because we've chosen to invest in our children's future rather than over-priced property in 'good' state school catchment areas."
The woman went on to say that she believes all children should have access to "high-quality education", and agreed that if private schools were closed and teachers and students moved into state schools, it would "make things more equal over time".
However, in the next breath, she argued that private school children should not be "part of a social experiment", and that parents should be "given some credit" for working hard to put their kids in private schools.
She argued: "Yes, we all know that private schools are a major cause of inequality. Parents like us have literally lived and breathed that inequality our whole lives and we'd do anything to prevent our children from having to do the same.
"We think that all children should have access to high-quality education in safe, inspirational environments where they can achieve their potential, not just ours. But most state schools in the UK just cannot meet this requirement.
"We also know that if catchment areas for state schools were mixed-up, and the schools in deprived areas had an influx of children from more affluent areas and vice versa, then this would likely make things more equal over time. But our children are not part of a social experiment.
"In short, if those of us who had difficult starts in life and went to terrible schools choose to work our arses off so our children don't have to, can't we be given some credit?"
Commenters were split over the post, as some agreed with the woman and said that people have the right to spend their money however they wish, including on their child's education.
But others branded her hypocritical, as they said she now making choices that "perpetuate inequality".
One person said: "You don't need to justify your choices, everyone wants what's best for their children."
However, someone else disagreed, writing: "So what you are saying is, we suffered by living in a highly unequal society, so we are going to actively make choices to perpetuate that inequality? Inequality is only a problem if I'm the one who is suffering, right?"
And a third posted: "So as soon as you're wealthy enough to do so, you choose to entrench that inequality. Alright then - you crack on and keep pulling up the ladder for those that come after you.
"I could play my tiny violin as well (raised in poverty; succeeded in the state school system; the first kid in my family to go to university; blah blah blah) but now I've been lucky enough to forge a good life for myself, I'm not going to use that good fortune to support the very system that works to keep people like me in their place."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@trinitymirror.com.
