So first off is the money, it is unknowingly assumed that because private schools come with a price they are automatically better that public schools. This may be true for some but being that private schools do not have to follow government regulations or education requirements, private schools can basically teach anything they want, so depending on the school this could be better or worse, it would require looking into the actual school itself. Definitely find out if that private school is what you want for your child and more though because according to Private versus Public the average tuition is around $17,441 a year.
Also, unlike public schools students must be admitted to private schools which would involve applications, testing, and interviews. It could be good college prep, but stressful for students so young like my eleven year old cousin.
In public schools teachers are required to be state certified but in private schools there is no guarantee the teachers are certified teachers, instead they might just have "subject-area expertise"(Private versus Public). As said earlier there is also a set curriculum in public schools, each teacher has guidelines for what they must teach and how much time must be spent on each subject, for example, every day my mother must spend 90 minutes teaching her 3rd grade class math. Private schools though have the freedom to teach what they want, which could result in better or worse test scores.
Special needs programs are often not provided at private schools, and if they are it may result in even more of an expense for the family. According to Private versus Public a lot of private schools practice "counseling out", where they recommend that children with learning disabilities go elsewhere for schooling. I found this very offensive and believe it may change some families minds about private schooling, especially those with special needs children.
So there you have it, just some of the basics about private versus public schooling, there are pros and cons to both, each family is looking for and needs something different. In my opinion, one isn't really better than the other it just depends on the individual. I thought it was interesting all of the freedom private schools have, but that the qualifications may not be up to par. It definitely takes some research to figure out what is the right choice for the student so choose wisely!
I find it interesting that you compared private and public schooling in the United States. As someone who attended only public schools throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years, I would certainly recommend public school for the obvious the benefits. The benefits being that school is free and a person is more likely to get an experience of the real world in public schooling. I wonder how private schools can teach anything they want and still be recognized by the country? It doesn't seem fair to me. However, I feel that when a private school uses effective teaching and can choose its material, it could much more beneficial to the students. At the end of the day I feel that the students are the most important thing and I agree that everyone is looking for something different, so you must choose wisely!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about the differences between private and public schools. Like Sean said above, I have only ever gone to public schools so it was very interesting hearing how others have differences in private schools. To be honest, I don't think I would even enjoy being in a private school! But like you said, different schools are for different people. I really enjoyed you using real life examples from you aunt and cousin in this blog post. It made me relate that much more to the post. .
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about the differences between private and public schools. Like Sean said above, I have only ever gone to public schools so it was very interesting hearing how others have differences in private schools. To be honest, I don't think I would even enjoy being in a private school! But like you said, different schools are for different people. I really enjoyed you using real life examples from you aunt and cousin in this blog post. It made me relate that much more to the post. .
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog was very well written and thoughtful. I believe that it doesn't just depend on the person but also depends on the school itself. I went to Okemos High School, which although it is public is one of the top ranked schools in the State. Our teachers are very carefully chosen and are generally given a fair amount of freedom. They make sure that they push harder and exceed minimal expectations so that when standardized testing is done, the students perform better than the norm. Even with these high expectations, the school provides excellent resources for students with special needs, whether those are due to learning disabilities or because the student is academically gifted. My sister started elementary school in a Catholic school. They definitely did not have the resources for students with special needs, in fact she was "kicked out" when she was in first grade because she was reading at a middle-school level and doing math at a sixth-grade level. Yes, I guess that means that she was too smart for them. How can that be?
ReplyDelete