Public

Just as it says.

The strange history of education in Scotland and England has had a questionable effect on semantics, thoroughly confusing anyone not raised here!

Charitable foundations such as George Heriots in Edinburgh were called 'Hospitals' and were there to care for the 'poor fatherless bairns, sons of freemen of the city'. They are generally now private, selective and costly.

Public schools in England are in fact rather expensively private.

'Public' was a word carved proudly over the doors and gates of state (local council) schools in Scotland, open to the children of the public.

There's much more to it, of course, but the I felt the worn stonework on the gate post at Dr Bell's in Leith was a little sad.