Stress

Today I spent some time with someone that was trying to apply to a private school. She hasn't even started high school but since the rating in her school went down the last few years, she is applying to private schools near her home.

I remember when her parents spent a lot of time and money trying to find a home that was near a good public school about 7-8 years ago. What most parents buying a home for the first time say is that you could either buy a big nice house in a cheaper neighborhood that didn't have good schools. But you would resign to paying high school fees for private schools. Or, you could pay a high mortgage for a smaller house in a neighborhood with good public schools. 

But this family faced a unique situation where the school rating dropped. So now they are entertaining public school fees. As I heard the criteria for this private school entry, I felt my stress level rising. It is so ridiculous to put children through this type of entry process just to go to school. When I was a child, these types of things were one and the same throughout. I didn't have to worry this much before I took my school leaving exam.