Who Provides a Better Education: Public School or Private School?
Written by: Kim Sawyer
For parents, this question can pose a major dilemma simply because I think every parent wants the best education for their child(ren). Personally, I am an advocate for private school because I believe private schools offer not only a better education, but possibly, better opportunities. To those of you who would argue that public school also provide an excellent education, my response is – only to a certain extent and, only if you reside in a “good” neighborhood with a good school district. And in today’s society, how often do you find that? And before you bring up the cost of private schools, I am very much aware that private schools can be expensive, but I think the benefits totally outweigh the costs.
Because I am Pro-private school, I’ve listed some of the reasons why I feel private schools provide a much better and thorough education than public schools: 1) smaller classes – the ratio of students to teacher is significantly less. On average, private schools have a student-teacher ratio of 9:1 as opposed to about 17:1 in public schools; 2) less bureaucracy – private schools teachers spend less time on mandated paperwork and more time on instruction, which allows teachers to have more creative control over their teaching method; 3) parental involvement is extremely high – private schools encourage parents’ participation, which means parents are not excluded from having an input into their child’s education; 4) private school teachers tend to be subject matter experts in the subject they are teaching, which provides hands on experience as well as theoretical knowledge to the student; and last, but certainly not least, 5) better security (do I really have to explan this?)
If you feel that public schools provide a better education than private schools, let me know why. I’m always open to hearing others opinions and weighing them against my own. Let me know what you think about who provides a better education. It’ll be interesting……
June 19th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I am on the fence on this one. On the surface, from your facts, yes, I’d say private schools are better. But… I know toooooooo many people, who have attended private schools and trust me, they are no better than many kids who attended public. A long time ago I saw a study and the percentage of private school kids who got in trouble compared to the percentage of public school kids who got in trouble was greater. Why? Because of the lack of bureaucracy, there are not always clear cut, etched in stone regulations when drugs, alcohol, sexual harassment, etc. come into play in the private schools. And they do.
Another downside I’ve seen is that many of my friends that started out in private schools begged, kicked, and screamed until their parents let them out of the private school and into the public school. Many times, kids want to be with more of their friends that are attending the public schools.
This point has nothing to do with whether the school is better for the child or not, it has to do with the parents. I cannot stand parents who think their child HAS to go to a private school for the prestige of it. And many of those same kids are brats and troublemakers. So much of what parents do in the name of their child is really in the name of them looking good and keeping up with the Jones.
Living in Indiana, I have acquaintances / friends whose kids went to a smaller – still public, but much smaller and intimate – school. They swore by this being “better” for their child than the one large high school we had because it offered: more one on one attention, less crime, better curriculum, etc. It was the closest thing to a private school in the parent’s minds. Some parents would even fake addresses so their child could attend. But let’s look at the statistics. That little, small town, “better” school had the highest teen pregnancy rate in Indiana! Not just the county, but the entire state! And they had one of the highest problems with alcohol among middle and high school kids. But the parents swore by this school! Also, I have a friend whose friend is sending her son to an astronomically high private school. She has had a car repossessed and her house is in foreclosure, but her son is in private school! All she has is bragging rights because she ain’t got her car and about to loose her house! I believe most private schools are for the parents and not really the kids.
Bottom line for me, I do think private schools can benefit children but I also think there can be different benefits – sports, diversity, extracurricular activities, and unique opportunities and programs, etc – in the public schools not offered in the private schools. It is all a matter of what benefits are most important to the parent. Let’s just hope the next Michael Jordan isn’t at a private school without a great sports program!
June 20th, 2008 at 6:10 am
I think the answer is much more involved than just choosing public or private. At the heart of the matter, for me, is how much teachers are paid. If public schools are a concern, we could double all teachers’ salaries across the board. This would allow us to weed out bad teachers and would draw some good teachers back to the profession. I think this would make the country smarter in the process.
My niece just graduated from a public school in Missouri. The top ten graduates were announced along with the schools they are attending. Out of the top ten, 5 of them were attending Washington University, a school slightly below ivy league level, one was going to Duke, one to MIT and the top graduate will be attending Harvard! Just to add topping on the cake – literally – the top junior chef in the country was in the class as well. It is possible to have a public school be every bit as good as a private school. It just takes some people who care.
The last thing I would like to say is I think there is something normal about going to school with little Billy from down the street. The neighborhood atmosphere where kids play together and go to school together is how I grew up and what I want for my daughter.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Ahh, Kathy but that’s key — not putting your child into private school just for the “prestige.” I believe parents have to do their research – not just go by the consensus that a particular private school is the best school. As a parent, I believe you have to be hands on with your child’s education, no matter where they go. As you know, a private school can be religious based or not and if a parent chooses to send their child to a private school, I feel the parent should make sure that private school has and follows the same beliefs as a parent. As a Christian, I would personally look for a private school that is Christian based. But I just wouldn’t take the school’s word for it that that is what they do. I would be actively involved in the entire process of my child’s education. It’s too important for me not to be. Diversity is also important to me. So I wouldn’t put or subject my child to a school that does not have diversity. And yes, there are private school out there that are just as diverse as public schools. Especially if you’re in a metropolitan city. Take for instance the Washington DC area. A lot of those private schools are very diverse. But if you’re in a small city, a lot of the private schools will not be as diverse, hence, the Indiana example you pointed out. Regarding the drugs, alchol sexual harrassment example you made, that goes for private and public schools. I believe that as long as the parent is actively involved in their kids’ education (at home and at the school), this will be curtailed. Lastly, I too read a current study (2207) comparing private schools to public schools and really the only differences between the two were in the SAT scores. Private school scores were much higher than public schools. And whether you agree or not, those scores matter as they reflect the type of education the child has received.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Okay, here’s the thing. I never said that there weren’t good public schools, but we all know those are few and far between. Here’s the kicker though. In my research, I’ve found that in some cases, private school teachers are paid LESS than the public school teachers. So, really does it boil down to teacher’s pay? I’m not sure it does. I think it has to do with whether or not that teacher has the passion to teach. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter how much he/she is paid, they still will not provide the best educationf or your child. I am of the belief that more of the private school teachers are more passionate about their job, thus they give more, which means the kids benefit more. Now, as it relates to the friendships in the neighborhood. Kids adapt quickly. Kids make friends wherever they are. And who said that just because they don’t go to school together, they can’t be friends? That logic makes absolutely no sense to me. I went to a public school as did most of my friends. But I also had friends that went to a private school and the friendship prevailed there too.
June 20th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Kim, if I had it to do all over again, I might send my kids to a private school if I could afford to. I want my grandson to have the best education, wherever it is. Let me say, when my daughter was young, she was in a gifted program. Part of the day she went to school at the gifted program, in a different location than the public school she attended. This was during her elementary years. The teachers repeatedly talked to me because, although she was smart and apparently gifted, she hated being there. The friends that she knew from her neighborhood and from the public school she attended weren’t there. She made herself sick crying and throwing up, etc. I, the parent with bragging rights, made her continue to go and it continued to be drama. Finally when she went to junior high/middle school, she BEGGED me to quit. I let her. My child was not going to do the best she could while she was in agony. No matter how hard I tried, I could not convince her of the value of the program and she was getting nothing out of it. She wanted to be with her friends. So I can’t say what Tom said makes absolutely no sense. Have you never heard of that before? Kids not wanting to go to a private school or vice versa because their friends weren’t there? As unreal as it seems, boredom, unhappiness, lack of camaraderie, etc can hamper a child’s learning, wherever they are.
…and although my kids were in public school and I was a single mother, I did my best to stay involved and on top of things. When they started kindergarten, everyday I would say to them before they got out of the car, the more you learn, the more you know, and the more you know, the more you can have in life. I brow beat them with this at 5 years old! In middle and high school, I would type up letters asking the teachers how my child was doing, what their current grade was, and send it to school with them between grading periods. Yes, they were embarrassed but I didn’t care. The teachers complimented me and some said it was the first time they had ever seen any parent do such a thing. Although in public school, my children’s education was still of the utmost importance to me! I guess my problem with it all is, I couldn’t afford to send my kids to private schools and the parents that can, talk bad about public schools, because they can afford it. But what if they couldn’t afford it and their child had to go to public school with the lower class kids? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, we all want what’s best for our child and ourselves. We want our kids to have high SAT scores and the best preparation for college and life. It’s as though I am made to feel bad and less than when I hear people condemning the “horrible” public schools. Public school was the best I could do for my kids at the time. For all the parents who can afford, just do it. Why do you have to bad mouth the majority of the population!
June 20th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Yes, I’ve heard that kids want to be with the friends they have in the neighborhood. But I also know every child is different. I don’t believe you have to base your child’s educational experience on what someone else’s child has experienced. I have quite a few friends who’s children go to private school and their children have friends that both go to private and public school. And their kids are not miserable. Everyone has opinions and typically, if given the chance, everyone will voice their opinion. But. what it really boils down to is what’s best for your child. Like I’ve stated before, I went to public school and I’ve never felt lower class to anyone. So I don’t agree with the statement, “But what if they couldn’t afford it and their child had to go to public school with the lower class kids?” That’s generalizing a little too much for me. Yes, some people may feel that way, but I don’t.
The people who are able to send their kids to private schools, but bad mouth public schools, are just wrong. I don’t think you have to bad mouth something or someone you disagree with. Hence, all of the points I made about going to private schools did not demean or condemn public schools. I do agree with you that a parent can be hands on with their children regardless of where they attend school, hence my statement, “As a parent, I believe you have to be hands on with your child’s education, no matter where they go.”
Lastly, I see you are very passionate about public schools. I am just as passionate about my believe in the opportunities and education that private schools offer. Therefore, I am of the belief that if a parent has the opportunity to ensure their child will receive an excellent education, and that education is via a private school, by all means, take advantage of the opportunity! And it’s not about bragging rights, it’s about how beneficial it will be to the child — in the long run!
June 21st, 2008 at 9:04 am
Your child, your choice! Hence, do your thing Kim!
June 21st, 2008 at 9:53 am
I never said that there weren’t good public schools, but we all know those are few and far between.
That statement is your opinion and many public school teachers, public school students/graduates, and public school administration would say an insult, hence “bad mouthing”.
and I’m done with it…
June 21st, 2008 at 10:18 am
It’s so easy to go back and forth — for each person to argue their point, so at this point, let’s just agree to disagree.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
You are all lucky to be able to choose which school to send your kids.When we moved to France we didn’t have any choice of private or public school all we were looking for was an English school.We found the British school of Paris which was very expensive.We were never happy with the quality of education there but then what can we do.After about four years we decided to move our son to a French school,he didn’t stay long there before we moved to South Korea.The search for another English school began,we found an American christain school in another town about 3 hours drive from where we live.This school was the best he has ever attended although it is very expensive,what they have in academics they lack in discipline.My son was in the boarding house because of the distance.I have not really had the choice yet to know which one is better,maybe i will soon in our next relocation.Just do what is affordably best for your kids.Good home training matters a lot in the upbringing of a child, we as parents should not leave all the work for the teachers.
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