I can’t connect with colleagues who went to private school

A woman sparked a debate after revealing she struggles to connect with colleagues who were privately educated.

Taking to parenting platform Mumsnet, the British woman explained her privately- educated colleagues ‘seem entitled’, and asked if others think they have an ‘unfair advantage’. 

Explaining her point of view, the woman wrote: ‘If you didn’t go to a private school, what do you think about those who did?’ 

Views were mixed, with some saying private education ‘is unethical and perpetuates inequality’.

Meanwhile another said they don’t think the type of schooling actually ‘gives an advantage’. 

Posting on Mumsnet, the British mother wrote: ‘Do you feel they had an unfair advantage? Do you care? Do you think they don’t know about the real world?

‘I really struggle to connect with colleagues who were privately educated because they seem almost entitled to the job. 

‘They seem fearless about finding alternative work if needs be, yet I just don’t have that confidence. 

‘I assume it’s their background as it’s the only difference between us in the academic/work context.’

Many rushed to the comments saying they think private education ‘perpetuates inequality’ while others said it is ‘immoral’.   

One person wrote: ‘Whether or not I went to one has no impact on my opinion that private education is unethical and perpetuates inequality.’

Another wrote: ‘Private school is immoral in my opinion. I’d avoid being friends with someone who went to one.’

Meanwhile someone else said: ‘Yes I think they have an unfair advantage and yes I think they don’t know about the real world.

Taking to parenting platform, the British woman explained her privately educated colleagues ‘seem entitled’

‘I try to be far and give them the benefit of the doubt but I find they often have a very entitled attitude.’     

Others said they find people with private education ‘hard to get on with’ and ‘over confident.’

One person wrote: ‘I do have one or two friends who went to private school but generally I find such people hard to get on with, because they tend to look down on me. 

‘The friends I have are the ones who got out of their rarefied bubble and saw the world a bit (eg adopted kids, worked in the public sector). 

Another said: ‘Over confident, often the does to make a speech or dominate a discussion regardless of whether or not they have anything to really say, not very resilient as they had so much hand holding through school, often oblivious about their privilege.

‘Generalisation – but I work with a lot of private education types and the normal, smart and modest ones are a rarity. They’ve often ‘bought’ their qualifications.’ 

 

Many rushed to the comments saying they think private education ‘perpetuates inequality’ while others said it is ‘immoral’

While another said: ‘Over confident but very lacking in substance and ability on the whole. Obviously there’s exceptions to this but you have to look hard!’

A fourth wrote: ‘I think the confidence of private school educated people comes less from their school, and more from the fact their families are wealthy and they have led a very privileged life. 

‘People from wealthy families have a self-assured attitude because they have a greater security, knowing they’ll never have to worry about money and how they going to make enough. It’s assumed that they’ll go on to be rich like their parents before them.’   

Meanwhile some people disagreed, saying they don’t have an unfair advantage and those who didn’t go to private school are showing ‘jealousy and resentment.’

While some people disagreed saying they don’t have an unfair advantage and those who didn’t go to private school are showing ‘jealousy and resentment’

One person wrote: ‘I don’t think it gives an advantage. I think you can work your way up in any career if you have the desire and drive.

‘Especially nowadays with the advancement of technology we all have more equal opportunities to show what we can do.’ 

Another said: ‘I think people who went to private school were fortunate, I wish I could have gone too, but I don’t begrudge them their education. 

‘If I’d had children I would have made all the sacrifices to afford private education, as so many parents do. It’s what anyone would do if they could – try to give their children the best start possible.’