How to Choose Between Private and Public School?

It may be pretty difficult to decide whether to send your kids to a public or private school. The process may be made simpler by understanding what’s important to you in terms of your child’s educational experience, the distinctions between public and private schooling, and taking some concrete steps to investigate potential schools.

The Advantages of Private Education

There are numerous reasons why you should send your child to a private school. Some schools are quite small, but others have hundreds of kids in a single class. This helps teachers to give pupils more personalized attention because they can better monitor their development and assist those who need it.

Another reason is that some parents prefer to send their children to school, where they can concentrate on their education rather than worry about what is going on at home. Because many private schools are boarding schools, kids only return home on weekends.

This relieves parents who spend too much time worrying about their children while keeping them focused on their studies. As a result, many parents assume that sending their children to a private school will provide them with a better education.

The Cons of Private Education

Although boarding schools benefit the majority of students, many parents are concerned about sending their children away to school, especially when they are young. They are concerned that the child may miss home and their usual routine. This is worsened by the fact that they do not return home on weekends.

Aside from homesickness, private school is frequently more expensive than public education. While some students obtain scholarships, many parents must pay for their children’s private school education. Students who do not have enough money may be forced to work and miss out on educational possibilities.

For some pupils, the lack of diversity may also be a problem. If they are surrounded by kids who have well-off, educated parents, their perspective might not be widened. Additionally, they might not acquire the same social skills as those who grow up attending a public school where pupils come from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Advantages of Public Education

Private schools don’t typically provide special programs, although many public schools do. Though it isn’t always possible, students who are athletes or have other obligations can frequently participate in their extracurricular activities while they attend public school.

Additionally, public education enables pupils to receive a more varied education. They get to learn from and be among people who are different from them in many ways rather than people who are the same as them in terms of race, economic status, etc.

Diversity, for example, is one of the primary benefits of attending a charter school. They are able to have a different curriculum than the majority of public schools, which is the reason behind this. Instead of teaching students abilities they already possess, they might concentrate more on certain topics they feel are more vital, like teaching students how to handle their money.

The Drawbacks of Public Education

The fact that pupils are frequently mixed together in public schools, regardless of their academic abilities, is one of its main problems. It’s not necessarily a good thing when slow learners are grouped with students who can read and do math at a high school level.

One of the reasons parents want to enrol their children in private schools is that teachers can work one-on-one with them and support their progress. Sports and programs for students’ unique interests (music, art, etc.) are two examples of the types of programs that public schools frequently lack the funds to sponsor.

This implies that some kids may not be able to participate in these activities even though they would like to because they cannot afford the necessary supplies or training. Additionally, it implies that opportunities like this won’t be available to kids who ordinarily couldn’t afford them.

Determine whether your kid needs any accommodations

Knowing what modifications or support your kid needs to excel in the classroom if they have a learning or physical handicap will help you choose a school, whether it be private or public.

The Americans with Disabilities Act must be followed by all public and private schools that receive federal support.

While religiously affiliated private schools are exempt from the ADA, certain states have implemented legislation that controls such schools in other ways.

Private schools are allowed to set admission standards, but they cannot exclude a kid merely because of a handicap. Any rules or practices that restrict access to children with disabilities in private schools must also be changed.

Teachers

Private schools vary in how they feel about the need for teachers to be certified; some don’t, while others would but could be willing to accept certification from another state.

Teachers in public schools were required to be certified in the state in which they worked. Each state sets its own requirements for certification, which can differ.

Teachers Pay

Teachers in private schools are paid less than their counterparts in public schools and may or may not have health insurance. (In the UK, teachers in private schools are paid more than those in public schools.)

More money is paid to teachers in public schools than in private institutions. Additionally, public schools provide retirement benefits and health insurance. However, these options may vary by state.

Classroom Size

One of the key distinctions between public and private schools is class size. While most private schools maintain class sizes of 10 to 15 students on average, depending on the school, class sizes in urban public schools can range from 25 to 30 students (or more).

A student-to-teacher ratio may be disclosed by some private schools in addition to, or even instead of, the typical class size. The student-to-teacher ratio does not correspond to the average classroom size. Part-time teachers who could work as tutors or substitutes are usually included in the ratio, as are non-teaching faculty members who are active in students’ daily life outside of the classroom (administrators, coaches, and even dorm parents). With the availability of electives at many private schools with small class sizes, your child will receive individualized attention and have the chance to participate in class debates that promote learning. A Harkness Table, for instance, is an oval-shaped table that was invented at Philips Exeter Academy to enable all those seated at the table to gaze at one another during conversations.

Since there are fewer papers to grade, smaller class sizes also allow professors to give students longer and more challenging assignments. For instance, juniors and seniors at many academically demanding private colleges-preparatory schools write 10- to 15-page papers.

Inquire about the test results.

Ask about specific schools’ test results, even though you shouldn’t place too much credence in a school’s online reviews. Standardized test scores at private schools typically outperform those at public schools, which may have an impact on your child’s chances of getting into college.

Ask about specific schools’ test results, even though you shouldn’t place too much credence in a school’s online reviews. Standardized test scores at private schools typically outperform those at public schools, which may have an impact on your child’s chances of getting into college.

Academics and Extracurriculars That Matter

Private schools are able to offer distinctive and specialized programs because they are exempt from state restrictions governing what is taught in the classroom. Parochial schools may offer classes in religion, whereas special education institutions may support their students with remedial and counselling services.

Private schools frequently provide extremely sophisticated programs in the arts or sciences. More than $6 million was spent by Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles to create one of the most advanced scientific programs for private schools.

Attitudes of students

Private schools are able to choose pupils who are highly motivated since they usually have selective admittance processes. Many private school students want to learn, and your child will be surrounded by peers who value academic achievement. For pupils who aren’t challenged enough at their current schools, discovering a school full of highly driven classmates can be a big boost in their learning experience.

Getting Ready for College or Life After High School

Some public schools fail to adequately prepare pupils for college, while many do. According to a recent study, remediation rates for graduates attending the City University of New York, even from public schools in New York City with A ratings, are over 50%.

Although this varies by institution, the majority of college-preparatory private schools do an excellent job of preparing their graduates to succeed in college.

Transportation

Private schools may or may not offer students transportation; the availability varies from school to school.

Public schools are required to provide bus service to all pupils residing in the area chosen as the school’s designated residential area.

Further Resources

Private schools are able to provide more to pupils in the areas of science, technology, humanities, and the visual and performing arts thanks to funding from a variety of sources.

Public schools may not have the resources to provide their kids with technology tools, music, art, and other activities because of their reliance on government support.

Discuss with other parents.

Before choosing which public school your child will attend, speak with other parents and get their honest assessment of the institution. Most parents are open and forthcoming about their own and their kids’ experiences.

You might inquire about the Parent Teacher Association’s contact information if you don’t know anyone who is presently enrolled at the school (PTA)

View the campus

You might learn a lot from scheduling a tour of the private schools you are interested in. Do the pupils appear content and involved? Are the classrooms well-lit and tidy?

Based on your initial impressions after visiting a school, you might discover a lot about it. Bringing your kids along will offer them the chance to see the school and determine whether they feel at home there

Conclusion

Put a little bit of faith in internet reviews. Despite having lower ratings on internet rating services, schools in low-income areas may have excellent leaders and instructors. Don’t write off a school simply because its ratings are a tiny bit poor; speaking to other parents, school teachers, and the principal can help you determine whether this is accurate or not.