Private Schools Obsession

The author John Birmingham remarks in his entertaining read "He Died with a Felafel in his Hand" that Melbourne is all about the private schools. Having now lived in the so-called cultural capital for a few months, I would have to agree. I'm a public school boy, and with good reasons. I grew up in reasonably rural towns where private schools weren't an option, my parents would not have forked out the money (insert random poor immigrant story here), and my family has no faith - the godless heathens.

I once remarked to a fellow PhD student here that we couldn't afford graphining calculators at my old public school. He replied that he was a public school boy as well, and that we were rare at the Uni of Melbourne. Addionally, last week I was playing pool with a couple of country Victorian lads now living in Melbourne. They had observed that Melbourne people often asked which school you attended. Like it matters?

I'm not sure if it's a big city phenomena (I realise now I don't actually know many people from Brisbane public schools), or is it just Melbourne. Perhaps Sydney is the same, and all cities with with wealthy families send their beloved litle ones to their local rugby-playing private schools. Whatever it is, the trend appears to be on the increase:

More and more parents are willing to make big sacrifices to send their children to private schools. And the schools are coming up with ways to help them pay.

Judging people by their schools and unis. I still laugh when people respond with "Oh, you go the Uni of Melbourne". Pfft. Like I care. I did my undergrad at Griffith Uni - the underdog of Brisbane (though it does get more research funds than QUT). I wonder if UQ students get the same reaction? Not from me, I can assure you.