Private school children are disproportionately represented at the top universities. So this means that private schools are obviously better, right? Maybe not:

• Australian academics looked at 26,000 students aged (8-9) and (10-11) from state and private schools. The raw data showed privately schooled kids did better, on average.
• However. Once backgrounds were controlled for (parental education, health, household income) they showed that there was no difference between private and state schools.
• The most significant correlation was between birth size and low academic success.
• Overall, their results show that a child’s home life matters much more for their academic success than their place of education.

Admittedly, the study only looks at pre-teenage children, and a follow-up study on children of more varied ages would be of great value. For more information, head on over to the TES.

Source: Times Educational Supplement