To promote social cohesion, there is a strong argument to use Index of Deprivation measures to ensure that every state funded schools takes a balance of pupils from all social backgrounds.

I would also ban traffic within a half mile radius of the school during start and close times. Not only would this improve road safety for children to cycle and walk to school, it would stop illegal parking but also have the effect of parents beginning recognising the value of sending children to schools within their local community.

http://blog.yesassess.co.uk/2009/07/is-teaching-socially-mobile-career.html

This is a very interesting debate and I agree that it’s “touchy”. All parents take choices and, having taken a position i.e. state or independent I get a sense that they become entrenched in their positions which makes it difficult to discuss rationally.

I take a different view from you. From my perspective (as a middle class parent) there’s nothing worse than middle class parents taking an “active role” in their child’s school, although I have to confess that I don’t know precisely what “active” means. My experience is that almost all parents are self-interested and “active” tends to mean getting the best they can for their own child at all costs. I would much rather that parents didn’t get involved. And I don’t agree that the “middle class” ethos is the best way to encourage social mobility. It’s as if you are saying, only you know what’s best for everyone else. I appreciate that may not be the case, but it’s a fine line.

On a personal note, I have a son at Dulwich College and my guess is that he’ll feel at ease with as many people in life as your son. You appear to be assuming that boys at DC are privileged and don’t mix with other people outside school. My experience is that most of the boys are quite normal, and in my son’s case activities outside school give him plenty of experience in dealing with people from all sorts of backgrounds. I guess we’ll have to beg to differ on that one.