What you say has a lot of merit, but I do think that the district you live in plays a big part in the quality of public education. In private schools, there’s an expectation that parents are paying for more access to teachers, and more input into their child’s learning. Magnet schools are public schools that require a higher academic standard and a competitive admission like private schools. This is NOT true with private schools! Even with the above differences taken into consideration, there is a valid argument that states that your elite-level students will excel in any environment if you merely encourage their independent learning skills. Now obviously any discussion about the public vs private school systems has to acknowledge the caveat that there is a massive range of experiences within those two categories. When these students are not challenged they never learn how to climb academic mountains and overcome obstacles. I admit that there is something to the idea that students that attend private schools will suffer from “living inside a bubble” because they don’t get exposed to a lot of the “real world.”  While this is true to some extent, I believe the solution on an individual level is pretty simple. Teacher man talks from his experience to give you a baffling review. Parents are a very important ingredient, they model behavior, they make education an emphasis and help the teacher be more effective. Certain school districts may have variations to this rule. This post is from a student, parent, or professional contributor. I don’t have a lot of experience with extremely large public schools in terms of talking about what they offer, but I know that the private schools I’ve seen are way ahead of the game on average than their public counterparts. I don’t know if all school privatization would make a ton of sense. Similarly, magnet schools are public schools that have high academic standards and competitive admission like private schools. It’s impossible, and the academic-elites that are promoting this view have likely not been in a high school classroom in the last 10 years (at least). Public schools are being held responsible for fixing every social problem society has. Comparing private and public schools can be more or less like comparing oranges and apples, two very disparate things that can never be held on similar standards. However, private schools almost guarantee smaller class sizes, since they are exclusive and require special admissions. Plus, they are under more bureaucratic red tape when it comes to regulations and rules. When you send your child to private school, there is much more to do and decide than public school. Publi… Which of course, is a fantastic comment on the Australian public school system. One important thing to keep in mind when determining a school choice is the long and short term effects on students and their views. Like many teachers, the high school students who run Spectrum Robotics have made major changes to their courses for students with autism. It appears to soak through their pores and influence everything they do. Having an independent education is important, but it is also something that comes at a price for some households that exceeds what they can afford. 1)I agree with the idea that if parents are willing to invest in their child’s education they are likely to place a high value on education, which to me makes that type of people all the more attractive to influence my child. …, How a Student-Run STEAM School Adapted to the Pandemic, A Teacher’s Perspective on the Pandemic: “This Is All Temporary”, Private School vs. Public School Breakdown. My husband was an 8th grade public school science teacher for 4 years and is in his 2nd year as a public school librarian, and yes, if we have kids, they will either be home-schooled or be in private school. I have probably raised a few eyebrows with the comments I have made on our site here at My University Money, as well as those I have made on comment boards around the blogosphere concerning the argument of public vs private schooling. And according to Niche data on tolerance, private schools are more likely to be accepting of students from minority groups and more prepared to combat bullying with anti-bullying campaigns. Public schools are required by law to employ certified teachers. Public vs. The teachers never returned any of my assignments so neither I or my mother knew how my grades were determined. A comparison of public and private schools, the pros and cons of each, and a look at the cost of getting a stellar education at both. Probably because people have argued for years about their benefits and drawbacks. I grew up in a small rural area, and went to a very tiny K-12 school (around 160 students… yes, these schools do exist). Most people will point out things like “better discipline” and “more qualified teachers,” as the main reasons why private schools see better results. As public schools are based on zones, private schools in my opinion offer more schools to choose from, which give you more options as a parent. My first suggestion for… Read more », BNL, I know what you mean about having a lot to say, I could easily write a book on this debate. This is a good option for public school teachers to embrace out of necessity, but please don’t tell me that it is a substitute for the environment of achievement that exists in private schools. Because public and private schools are governed by different federals laws and regulations, the quality of teachers can vary. The secondary education experience that I had was not typical or average in anyway. I think all school should be privatized. Public schools, like charter schools, offer the structure of private schools without the cost. I agree with you about a number of things. A lot of personal finance blogs talk about investments and rate of return. No longer is 50% the sought-after academic standard (as it is in public schools). The differences between them can help with the. To teach their children the necessary skills for an ever-changing world, many parents are choosing private school education.With options ranging from boarding schools to alternative schools to preschools, there is almost certainly a school to suit each and every child. I’m a British teen, last year of Highschool (year 11), attending a private school in England. I got into a fist fight with some guy in my science class. The most obvious discrepancy between public and private schools comes down to cold, hard cash. We don’t have kids, but we’ve talked about what we would do for school if we did. Obviously they still have the standard teenage issues that all school environments have to some degree, but this passion to excel in the classroom and whatever else you choose to do – the idea that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing RIGHT – is immeasurable in its value. There are many, many reasons why, but the foremost reason is that while our standards have slipped a little, international standards are going through the roof. What group do you want your child hanging around with and learning their cultural norms from? Moreover, private schools don’t have to have certified teachers, which can also be risky, and if a child has special needs, special needs programs aren’t always available via private institutions. There is no doubt that quality is attached to where you live. In the private school vs. public school debate, there are no easy answers to find. Things may have certainly changed since then, but I found private school extremely limiting. The private versus public school debate seems like a tale as old as time. Also, unlike private schools, public schools have a set of standards to hold to, with teachers that are state-certified and special education programs for students that learn differently from others. The average public school classroom in Los Angeles has more… Read more ». It can be a difficult decision for parents to make, and should be made after careful consideration of what is best for your child and family overall . This is why I honestly think it may be a great investment for a lot of people (especially since you don’t have to pick the most expensive ones to get the majority of the benefits). I’m not sure that private schooling is the answer, but I can say with a large degree of authority that there is a huge difference in the level of education I have seen at private institutions versus those of public schools. It is neither pro private nor pro public. I am definitely not saying that students cannot succeed coming from the public school system, or that all private school students are going to be Einstein and are superior to their public school counterparts. Am I just a cynical public school teacher? I attended Catholic school for K-12, but my parents often considered sending me to public school. Have you considered private or home schooling? Every community has a zoned school and students attend their respective zoned school. While I enjoyed this experience very much, I don’t believe it is at all representative of the vast majority of public high schools in North America right now, and it certainly has no correlation to a private school experience. My position is this, do your research, know all your options available, have the facts, and then make an informed decision that best suits you. This is fine for the spoon-fed environment of high school, but then they hit post-secondary education, or a competitive job environments and… well you can see the results on every international test score. I have seen many parents that are fairly agnostic decided to send their children to religious-based schools simply for the advantage I’ve talked about. I have many many opinions on this topic. A school is an institution where students acquire knowledge and skills that will be of use in their future, so choosing the best school for them is vital. Nearly 50 million students enroll in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.Most people might assume that private schools would be hands-down better than public schools because of their unique offerings and smaller classes, but that’s not necessarily so. A public school student may or may not have a parent with a high opinion on education, but I suspect it’s a lower percentage. Interesting that we are both public school teachers who are seemingly unimpressed with the system. Choosing the best option is often one of the most significant decisions that parents will make for their children. Yet, in retrospect, I wonder if sending our kid to private school would have been a better move for her! While these suggestions may have some degree of merit, I would suggest that they are vastly overrated. Is standardized testing the answer? Any specific reasons you think it may or may not have been right for her Barb? Private Schools vs. Public Schools: Pros & Cons Parents all over the country ar e at some point faced with the question: public school or private school? But unlike public schools, private schools can design their own curriculum, which can be both an advantage and disadvantage since this independence can foster lower standards. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. If we had a kid who was really in to the performing arts or wanted to become an aeronautical engineer, we’d be set, but… Read more », I am a product of private school education. Take a look at some of the most expensive schools, notable public school alumni, and learn more about “private” public schools. ), and the truth is that the teachers weren’t that much smarter than most of the ones I have worked with in the public system. Anything the government has a say in seems to turn to crap. Trying to keep it to under 1500 words was a challenge for me! A parent that send their kids to private school most likely has a high opinion of formal education, and high expectation for their kids in that regard. We do have a number of really good charter schools in the area, but they tend to be very focused. Canadian Ancestry: Should I look into it? They gain valuable experience in focusing on homework, and multiple extracurricular activities that require extensive commitments and sacrifice. 2. The bad news is that public schools are complicated, often underfunded operations influenced by political winds and shortfalls. But could we please get back to a decent starting time for the show? The latest HSC results from 2017 show that while the top-10 schools are dominated by public selective schools, the top state schools also outrank a number of high-fee private schools. Moving to Australia: Public vs Private Schools If you’re looking at Public Schools in Sydney, we have an interactive map showing the School Catchment Areas at https://liveable.co/schools … According to the National Center for Education Statistics , private school teachers earn an average of $10,000 – $15,000 less than comparable public school positions. Our analysis compared the results of 229 private and 278 public schools. If I was in an underserving urban area I would be a lot more tempted to pursue private education, but the public schools in my area are highly rate…though you raise some good points about public education overall. When it comes to private versus public schools, there isn’t a right answer to the question, “Which is better?” But given the different qualities of each type of school, there is a right answer to which one is right for a particular student. The bottom line is that peers have an undeniably massive effect on teenagers. From my outsider view this is even more true in the USA with their recent education policies regarding funding as a reward for past results. I’ve always been a proponent of public schools. I have also been involved with probably 20 or so public schools at this point, all within Manitoba, Canada, but I will say that I am fairly active in reading the most recent educational research and staying informed on events within the global education community. We continue to educate teachers to “differentiate” instruction to all levels, and while I fully believe teachers should try to make personal connections with all of their students and adapt the curriculum as best they can for different learning abilities, it is just not realistic to believe that a teacher can meet 30 different students at their level in a 60 minute class. In this globalized world, that is a major issue. Because private schools are independently funded, parents and guardians of private school students pay tuition, which goes toward financing the school in addition to other amenities. Deadlines are enforced far more thoroughly (we actually are just coming out of a phase in Manitoba where students didn’t lose any marks for late assignments; there was no penalty of any kind allowed). Choosing the best school for your child is one of the most important decisions parents have to make for their children but most parents rely on rumors and hearsay in deciding on whether to send their children to a private or a public school. This Australian Research Council Life Course Centre (LCC) project examines the impact of private schooling on primary school aged children across Australia.. Knowing how important teacher quality is to you and your child can help you weigh the difference between public and private schools. I did much of my student teaching at the most prestigious private school in Manitoba (or at the very least the most expensive! Education is something that everyone considers a priority. Depending on how you look at it, there are certainly some pros about private schools, including that they tend to have smaller class sizes, better quality materials and school equipment and a more flexible curriculum that they’re able to tailor to suit your child. Students get used to intense competition against the best and brightest. Are teacher’s unions too strong, and counterproductive to the good of the overall education system? That is the question. I am very interested in hearing what everyone has to say about public vs private schooling. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 5 million (roughly 10 percent) of students in the U.S. attend private schools. As a teacher in many places across North America right now, you are expected to teach an incredible range of students. Obviously lots of what I have to say will be anecdotal, and conclusions will likely be drawn from generalities as opposed to scientifically-collected data. Anyone that tells you different is blatantly lying, or has been misinformed. This Sunday on 60 Minutes, more behind a manslaughter case, private schools and the extra-talented Sam Smith.. This would breed a higher performance from those kids, even if the education were identical. I went to private school until the end of 6th grade, and then to public school through High School graduation. How much do you think parenting has to do with this? Public school skip the private school tuition but have larger classes and less teacher-student time. In fact, some public schools, like charter schools, offer the perks of private schools (flexible curriculum, regulation exemption) without the cost of tuition. Public Education. But unlike their private counterparts, public schools have larger class sizes and not much flexibility when it comes to curriculum. And despite Niche users reporting private schools as more accepting, public schools are notably more diverse, so private schools could be measuring tolerance on a smaller, less unique scale. I just don’t know if a 6-hour school day leaves us enough time to fix all those problems and still teach students to a high level. 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