As one of the relatively few expat parents of a St Stephen's Girls' College student, I would like to offer my perspective on the current controversy concerning the entry (or not) of the school into the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS).
Firstly, I believe that school fees should be viewed as an investment (in the child's future) rather than a cost. The question is not whether or not St Stephen's should become fee-paying, but whether the additional quality of education and opportunities to be provided with the resources raised would justify the fee, both at an individual level, and for the community.
There is a danger in thinking that a victory has been won because the school remains fee free: a free school will always struggle to provide the same level of education and opportunities as a properly priced fee-paying institution.
Secondly, I fear that St Stephen's entry into DSS will be rejected not because of a rational and considered analysis of all of the facts, but because there is a vocal section of the community campaigning for the status quo, based on a fear of change.
To reject DSS simply on the basis that St Stephen's has been fine in the past and will be fine in the future is a risky proposition. To quote Spencer Johnson from Who Moved My Cheese?: "If you do not change, you can become extinct !"
Considered, rational analysis is required, rather than hysteria over the level of fees, or scaremongering over the prospect of change.