Education is an important part of raising children to be good adults, and many parents assume that the public education available to their children is good enough. Sometimes this is true, but there are districts that just aren’t up to standards due to a number of different factors. There is an ongoing debate between private school and public school and which one is better. The truth is that the answer is not a question of black and white; there are subtle differences between the two types that may serve your child better.
Just the mention of the private school will fill your head with the vision of uniforms and better teachers, all of which cost a lot of money. Cost is really the biggest difference between the two types of schools. While public schools are free to attend, these schools generate their own funds and this is through donations and tuition.
So public schools are free, but this comes at a cost. Funding for these institutions comes from the federal government and as such can be unduly influenced by politicians and subject to certain standards that can make effective teaching somewhat difficult.
If you choose to go private, you will be forced to become more involved in the education your children receive. However, being independent means that the study plan can be free of any type of restrictions. Your child may receive a more in-depth or specialized education.
This specialization is especially important for children who have demonstrated certain aptitudes for certain subjects. If you follow this path, and you can do so with the support of a scholarship, they may be able to take advantage of your skills and talents, giving them an advantage as they move toward higher education.
However, this no longer applies only to private schools! Many larger metropolitan areas have charter or magnet schools that cater to majors like the arts or sciences and require nothing more than your child to apply.
Harnessing your own talents while getting a free education is a great benefit of finding good public options. Sometimes the number of applicants can be too much and your child will not have much chance of getting into the school of their choice and private may seem like a good alternative, but their selection process is even more demanding and they are under no obligation to accept your son.
Another difference can be found between teachers. Within the public system, all teachers are certified by the state, in addition to holding any other certification required by law. Private teachers do not necessarily have state certifications. This does not mean that they are not educated. Rather, many of them have undergraduate or graduate degrees within their area of expertise, or are general subject matter experts.
In the end there is no clear winner among these institutions and if you want the best education for your child, you will have to go visit schools. Visiting both types of places will tell you what each offers and what your children can get out of it.