There are advantages and disadvantages to both public and private schools. Here are some areas to consider if you’re trying to make the choice for your child.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both public and private schools. If your child is about to enter school for the first time, or if you are thinking of having your child change schools, you should know that you have choices. Do some comparing to become well informed. Here are some areas to consider while keeping your own child’s interests in mind.
Special Services
Public Schools tend to have more services. If your child needs any kind of special service, such as a gifted and talented program, a program for learning disabilities, speech or counseling, you’ll be better served in a public school. By law, a child can go to a private school and still receive these services from a public school, but the reality is that it is more available and convenient if the child actually goes to that school.
Opportunities
Public schools offer more opportunities in terms of programs such as foreign languages, sports, music and the arts, etc. They have more teachers, more money, more space, and therefore more resources. Private schools often have to fund-raise for money to provide these types of extra opportunities. Private schools, on the other hand, have different types of opportunities, such as religious classes, more one-on-one time with teachers (and therefore a student’s education is more individualized), and smaller classes. Private schools often do have sports outside of school as well, depending on the size of the school.
Classroom Size
Private schools tend to have smaller teacher to student ratios. Especially if it is a small church school, your child will get more individual attention. Public schools normally put as many kids in a class as they legally can. I once had a (private school) class size of eleven. We finished the entire curriculum for the year by mid March, so we were able to get a head start on the next year’s curriculum. On the other hand, I once had a (public school) class size of thirty-two. With so many kids and their different needs, we did not finish the curriculum for the year in a couple of subjects. But it’s not all about curriculum. With a small class size, your children have fewer choices of friends.
Behavioral Issues
Ask any public school teacher and she’ll tell you that behavior problems get worse every year. It’s true: kids get tougher and tougher to deal with. You have to ask yourself whether your child will be affected in such an environment. Ask a private school teacher about behavior and the answer may be different. It may be because parents who are willing to pay for schooling are more involved, or maybe it’s because of smaller class sizes, or perhaps it’s something as simple as required uniforms, but students in private schools seem to be better behaved in general. Also, because private schools are freer to expel students, students who chronically misbehave are often asked to leave.
Parent Participation
While parents can volunteer freely in both public and private schools, often private schools actually require a certain number of hours of volunteer work. Both private and public schools have versions of parent -- teacher associations.
Character Education
Public schools do teach character education, focusing on good traits such as being a good citizen, friendship, loyalty, patience, etc. If you’re thinking of sending your child to a religious school, there will also be the added Bible focus, including all of the teachings of morality from the Bible, memorization of Bible verses, learning Bible stories, etc. In a Jewish school the students may learn Hebrew, in a Catholic school they would include a study of the saints....you get the idea. There are some private schools which are not religious, and those schools would do basically the same type of character education as a public school would.
Curriculum
Public school curriculum is state mandated so that every school in the state has the same textbooks, standardized testing, and (in some subjects, such as math) tests. Private schools are not required to use state curriculum, so the textbooks and testing vary widely. In some very small private schools, the curriculum is written (for the most part) by the classroom teachers. Larger schools will buy curriculum. Parochial schools tend to buy textbooks with a religious slant. If the private school is accredited or working towards accreditation, then there will be some form of standardized testing.
Administration and Licensing
Public school administrators (principals) are required to have a master’s degree in administration. Teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and a teacher’s license. Private schools often require these degrees, but they do not necessarily have to do so. You may find in a private school that some of the teachers are not licensed because they could not find a licensed teacher to fill the position. That’s because private schools generally pay their staff members considerably less than public schools do.
Cost
Pubic schools are free (except for the taxes we all pay). Private school tuition ranges so widely that it is difficult to give an estimate for what you might pay. Many private schools have scholarships or work programs to help out those who need it. Staff members generally get a choice of a break in tuition or another option such as further education or health insurance.
Teacher Salaries and Support
Everyone tries to take care of their teachers, but public schools are able to do a better job. Public schools pay more, have incredible insurance and retirement plans, and offer more support in terms of paraprofessionals or aides to help out on a daily basis. Private school teachers are not so fortunate. They have significantly lower salaries, and in many cases there is no retirement or health insurance offered. Support staff is often non-existant. Private school teachers are willing to sacrifice these things for various reasons, such as religious preference, more ease of classroom management (smaller classes and better behavior), or tuition breaks for their own children.
Transportation
Public schools offer busing services. Private schools sometimes offer a shuttle type busing service, such as having a bus available on one campus to go to another, but they typically do not have a bus that will pick your child up at home. Parents of private school kids tend to be pretty good about organizing car pools for this reason.
Fund Raising
Both private and public schools ask students to do fund raising, usually in the form of selling something such as wrapping paper or candy. Private schools do more of this type of thing, branching out into silent auctions and pumpkin patches and bake sales and the like. Usually the funds from fund raising go towards the PTA.
You’ve got a choice in your child’s education, and it’s important enough to check out all of the options. Look around in your area to see what is available. Talk to neighbors and other parents to find out their opinion of local schools. Interview administrators to find out if their school is right for your child. Once you get all the information, you will be able to make an intelligent, informed school choice.