What’s Better
Public or Private Schools?
Which schools are better, public or private? When it
comes to choosing a school for your children which would you prefer? If parents
could afford it, they would probably prefer a private school. “In fact,
according to a 2009 Great Schools and Harris Interactive poll,
nearly one in four parents are currently considering switching their child's
school either from private to public or public to private as a result of the
economy.”(Great Schools) “It's an age-old debate. Nobody doubts that private
schools tend to outperform public ones on average. The statistics prove it.
Public schools have traditionally educated a wider array of student population
– less affluent and more ethnically diverse.”(Great Debate)
The biggest difference between public and private schools
comes down to cash. Private schools generate their own funding, which comes
from a variety of sources: tuition, private grants, fund raisers, alumni and
community members. Public schools can’t charge tuition. Public schools are
funded through state and local taxes. They function as a part of government and
must follow rules and regulations set by politicians. Private schools do not
receive tax payers’ money, so they don’t have to follow the same rules and
regulations that the public schools do. Private schools have a different curriculum
and programs geared towards religious beliefs.
Public
schools have to accept any child that enrolls at the school as long as they
live in that district. Private schools because they are not state funded have
certain criteria that a student must qualify to be able to attend that school.
Children applying to get into a private school may have to go through in depth
applications, multiple interviews, essays and possible testing. Most private
schools try and keep their classroom sizes fairly small with low student to
teacher ratios. Many states are realizing that small student to teacher ratios
in the public school system is better for the children.
Discipline action between public and private schools is
totally different. When you sign a contract to attend a private school, the
rules are clearly laid out for you. The students have to abide by the contract
which includes consequences for infraction of the discipline code. The code of
conduct is enforced. There is no room for disrespecting teachers or classmates,
bullying a classmate, fighting, or having disruptive behavior in a classroom. In
public schools you have constitutional rights which should be respected. The
process of disciplinary action takes time and is a complicated process. During
the lengthy process, students figure out how to beat the system or play the
games. There is also a code of conduct in public schools, but it doesn’t seem
to be enforced as well in our school systems today. You are always hearing of
the guns and knives that are being brought to schools. Bullying is becoming
more and more popular.
With discipline issues in public school, violence is a
top priority for administrators and teachers. With the public hearing about the
shootings and other acts of violence in schools today, security measures such
as metal detectors and placing more stringent rules are in effect. Public
school teachers see that crime and threats are more common.
They also see certain
negative attitudes and behavior problems from some of their students. Lack of
parental involvement is more likely to be seen as a serious problem in public
schools. “Ninety percent of children in the US attend a public school.”(School
Debate) Having a common public education is one of the things that unite Americans
regardless of race, color, ethnic background, or religious beliefs.
When I was younger I attended public schools, so I can’t
really compare my education to a private school. I had several teachers that
were awesome and I really enjoyed their classes. In elementary school I was
involved in safety patrol, the newspaper and kings guard. I also attended the
first after school program in Jacksonville. I feel my mother took her time to
find good schools for me. I have two children that are in the public schools now.
It was a very big decision when placing them into a school. I feel that a
child’s learning experience early on makes for a big impression later in
life. If parents became more involved
in their children and their schools, some children wouldn’t turn out so bad. “Finally,
an individual student's academic success depends not so much on whether he or
she attends a private or public school but rather on a complex interaction of
abilities, attitudes, and strengths or problems brought to school; the skills
and knowledge of teachers; and the quality of the learning
environment.”(Education World)
