There are points in this article which I agree with. However, as with public schools and independent religious schools, I think it’s simplistic to categorise all private boys schools the same. The school I send my son to is very conscious of privilege, service to others, respect for women and giving back.  The boys have sisters, female friends and very strong mothers.  Bullying and toxic behaviour are not tolerated.  There are some schools which are doing single sex education the right way. 

I wasn’t offered any pain relief and the pain lifted me off the table. Then I had to trudge through the hospital corridors doubled over in  pain and drive myself home. Ridiculous. When I get it removed, I’ll be requesting anaesthetic. 

@hallovey this is one of those instances when I think that unless you are part of the queer community, you don’t get a say. It’s not about the police or the heterosexual community. It’s about the queer community and what they decide is right for their parade.  Unless you are in the queer community, you cannot understand this particular issue. 

I think the men placarding are petulant and should be embarrassed at their tantrums, however I do have another viewpoint. My son attends a boys private school and we selected it very deliberately. My kids don’t have a Dad and they have no influential male family members living in our city. I chose a boys school to balance the oestrogen in our house 😆. There are more male teachers and the teaching methods and huge sporting facilities give him something he doesn’t get elsewhere. He is very much a feminist and is surrounded by strong women. Sometimes the choice of single sex schools is not about misogyny and outdated traditions etc. Although those protesters are absolutely ridiculous! 

@restingcatface I do understand the humour, but I didn’t gender it. It is gendered by being call ‘girl math’. I believe this term diminishes women.  It suggests we are frivolously spending money (our husbands money perhaps?) and that we have no concept of finance or value.  Ridiculous. It might have been funny if it had been called ‘shopping maths’ or something like that. Equally applying to men (boys?). 

I’m sure this is lighthearted and fun, but really? Girl math? Make women sound stupid and frivolous and superficial. We are not idiots. We can do real maths. Or is that boy maths?

Goodness.  This public vs private school bashing is so repetitive and boring. 

@snorks it is equity that is needed, not equality. If a group of society has historically been disadvantaged in health, education and opportunity, then that group require additional support to get them to the same starting line. . You cannot claim that a wealthy white kid from Double Bay/Toorak/Ascot starts in the same place in life as a poor indigenous kid from Redfern or Inala.  It takes more than hard work to succeed. 

@mamamia-user-964440740 I guess it’s the difference between it being your mother and being your husband? Seems pretty clear that it would be a different support level and intensity. Your comment feels like you are shaming her for being able to take care of herself. 

This feels mean. You dropped a friend because her fatal flaw was that you were (in your mind) more intelligent than her? 

Thank you.  

It is possible to mourn the Queen and be a republican. The two can exist together. We know what privilege there is. We know the wealth. We know the whiteness. We know it’s outdated. But could you just let us have these 10 days and a funeral? She was a great lady. 

@cat I used the term pastoral in the sense of school community care, not the original religious sense. My children would never be sent to a religious school - it gives me the shivers too! I don’t think private is always a better option - it depends on the child, the family and the schools on offer.  But my point was that kids from private schools have an advantage, particularly in Brisbane where the first question still seems to be “where did you go to school?”  As a non Queenslander, I found this odd when I moved here. 

From observation of my children and my own education, there is a massive difference. Sure some private school kids do badly and sure, many public school kids do wonderfully well. But the better engagement, better resources, broader range of co-curricular opportunities and higher pastoral care does make the private schools a more attractive option if you can afford them. Not all are single sex and certainly not all are religious. Of course our education system shouldn’t be like this - but to pretend otherwise is naive. 

April fool 😆

@anonymous here we go.... another opportunity to bash private schools. Are you that naive that you think abuse and rape don’t happen in public schools?  I assure you it does. The problem to be solved is the parenting of boys - not the schooling. There are plenty of us with boys at private schools who are actively raising them to understand respect and consent.  Stupid parents exist everywhere. Rapists exist in all levels of wealth. 

This is an extraordinary series. A must watch

Thank you for writing this. I am the daughter of an army officer, the granddaughter and the niece of veterans. I grew up in the army. This past few weeks have been tough on my Dad and my uncle. They served with honour and they suffer with PTSD decades later.  It has affected every part of our lives and we continue to try and support them as best we can.  Those who have no experience of combat should keep their judgements to themselves. 

Um. I’d like to suggest that this is quite unusual. I’ve been negotiating birthday parties for 14 years now, with multiple kids and schools, and I’ve never heard of a parent asking other kids to take a day off school for a birthday party.  I don’t really think this is a big problem amongst parents.