You have to be able to administer discipline, and an environment where your position there is a privilege, not a right, controls behaviour a lot better. There is no point wasting energy on the 1% who really don't want to learn, than let the teaching of the other 99% suffer. It helps control bullying (to a degree), because again, you can kick them out.
That sounds like a very American thing. I could be wrong. I don't recall schools here caring too much about that.
True, but that's a two way street. They are being paid by ALL students, and if a few are requiring more "attention" (RE: discipline) that also failing all the rest (who pay the same) to get subpar attention. Either way it's not 'fair', so I'd favour on the side of those there to learn, not those who don't want to be there.
My philosophy is education is a right and privilege, but it's not one you should keep indefinitely. Easier to say, harder to implement. Thank god I'm not the education secretary.
I think there is a middle ground. YES, you can increase the overall "team" by the better performances of the upper end raising the bar, and pushing and challenging the rest. But the most effective way to increase the most, surely, is sometimes chopping away the 1% who are seriously hindering the progress of the majority?
I mean let's not try and completely remove any fault with the troubled kids. Some are just bad apples.
I think charter schools are a great way to both reward academia, and help low income students get a great leg up in life; as admittance is heavily based on grades, not money.
Maybe at the super high end private schools in the UK that's the case, but I went to a private school, as did my sister; and I saw zero evidence of any of that going on. Maybe my parents are just super chill, but I never saw friends parents behaving that way to others when I was round their houses. In fact, from memory, getting parents to do anything involving free time for anything linked to the school seemed more a hassle, than an 'opportunity' they leapt on. Remember most private schools are not Eton. There are way more Waitrose than there is Harrods.