Ernie, I'm not saying private schools aren't offering a better standard, clearly they are, and if anyone is in a position to go down that route good luck to them.
You've only highlighed half the sentence and I appologise if the word "mug" caused offense, you've concluded I'm having a pop at anybody who sends their kids private. I'm not, but I accept that's obviously the way it came across and I was wrong to put it in that context.
Taking the whole of the sentence, I'm saying private schools can charge what they like and they don't need to get help from charities, or government subsidies (taxpayers money) there will always be someone out there who will pay whatever they charge (ie. if they doubled the fees, wealthy folk would still pay it because it's the accepted norm that it MUST be better).
Hope that clears my post up - next weeks hot topic will be Sainsbury's or Aldi - where do we all shop?