Too School for Cool?

The discussion going on in our household (and work, and on the phone) is about schools.  To my shock and amazement (and relief), Lochie's Dad told me Sunday night that he was not thrilled with his school and that he would be looking for another school.  I did answer that perhaps WE should look for another school, and perhaps talk about it??  Anywho, after a brief discussion on all things uncool about Lochie's school, we agreed to look into some alternate educational solutions for our almost 14 year old. Which translates to - I spent the week looking into some alternate educational solutions for our almost 14 year old, then shared this information with Lochie's Dad.

I spent a couple of hours on line looking through Catholic school websites.  I sent messages and chatted to friends who have children at said schools, questioning their happiness with the education provided and also querying the terrifying price (OK, not so terrifying, but certainly thousands more than we are paying now) we would have to pay to get a better education?  And I then called schools only to find out that they have waiting lists.....

Sooooo, this week I will be photocopying reports and filling out application forms, trying to say all the right things, in the hope that my intelligent young son will gain a place at a school that will not tolerate the type of classroom behaviour my son's current school seemingly does.  I will then sit on the edge of my seat for the following months wondering if I wrote down all the right things and whether his great reports (in my unbiased eyes) are good enough for him to be allowed a better education?  And if he DOES gain entry into one of those schools, I will then panic about always being able to pay the fees required to keep him at a school that offers more than what he is getting at present?

What has become clear to me, and many parents I have spoken to, is that you really don't know what a school is like until your children are actually attending.  Which, I guess, is the same as life in general?  You don't know what people are like, until you get to know them.  You don't know what a job is like, until you're working it.  And you don't know what the future holds, until you're living it.

Have you had to change your kid's schools part-way through their education?  Do you think we need to set the bar higher in terms of Government school expectations?  Discuss.....