My View: Lessons from real life over sexist attitudes

Many, says the article, have enough money to educate one child privately , but are left with the dilemma of who to choose if they have a son and a daughter.

Of course, concludes the (I hope) tongue-in-cheek article, it would be the son. Apparently, boys, whether we like it or not are much more likely to end up earning their family's crust, while girls – especially if they're pretty – can always marry someone rich. Girls, being more sophisticated, devious and socially adept than boys, are more capable of negotiating the state-school system than boys, it continues.

While many may find the whole idea abhorrent, I have more reason than most to feel more than a little outraged. I was one such "victim" of the sexist divide in our family.

My brother, two years my senior, was taken out of the state primary we both attended when he was eight, leaving me to cop the flak from our disgruntled head teacher. At the time I was too young to truly comprehend the implications of my parents' decision. It was only later, probably after reading too many Mallory Towers novels, I asked if I too could go to prep school.

All I remember was my request being greeted with surprise and being told :"He's the boy. You're a girl".

It wasn't until much later that I realised the impact of my parents' decision on my brother. He constantly felt under extra pressure to succeed. Where I was praised for getting a B in any subject, he felt he had failed if he didn't reach the top grade.

He was rather large, spotty and wore glasses and so was obvious sport for the bullies endemic at that time in the private education system. For him, the experience of public school was far from my rose-tinted Mallory Towers picture. Where I believe I would have embraced all the positives of a public school education, they were the things he grew to hate.

Eventually, when my parents divorced just before his

O-levels, my brother was put back into the state system. In the end we both got our A-levels, we both went to university and graduated with the same grade of degree and we are both lucky enough to pursue careers we enjoy. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

My parents are no longer around for me to quiz them further on their decision. I am sure they thought they were doing the best for us. I had hoped that some 30 years on we would have moved forward, but it seems not. Surely we should look at our children as individuals, not just as being defined by their sex. If you can't afford something for both, then you can't afford it for one.