Public Schools vs Private Schools Compare and Contrast

Public schools have their advantages and disadvantages. Private schools offer an alternative. Which works best for you? That's the real question which you have to answer. Let’s compare: My daughter, now an adult, attended private school and public school, therefore, I am going to base much of my information on my association with the schools she attended. Attending public school in kindergarten I noticed an unusually large class size.There were about 30 children in her class.

On the opposite side of the spectrum her cousin, who was six months older than she and in the same grade, attended a private Catholic school with only twelve students in the class. There are generally about 10 – 15 students in a private classroom setting vs. 35 – 40 students in public school. I was impressed with his learning progress and believed it to be an advantage to be in a setting where the teachers could really devote time to each student. This is only possible with small sized classrooms.

I decided I would be send my daughter to private school the next year for first grade. As a matter of record, public schools do have more students in their classrooms than private schools. According to Education Week 32 states now have class size reduction programs or limit class size by law. Whether my daughter attended private school or public school I was always involved in the welfare of her education.

Some parents leave that up to the school system. I always believed that my involvement gave me an advantage of knowing early on if my daughter were failing or misbehaving in school.When my daughter was in public school, it was always up to me to find out her progress and grades whereas in private school, the administrative staff was always on top of notifying me of my daughter’s progress. Private schools expect parents to be actively involved in their child's education. The concept of a three way partnership is an important part of the way most private schools work. Public schools must adhere to state standards regarding what can be taught and how it is presented.

Certain subjects such as religion and sexual practices are taboo.Rulings in many court cases over the years have determined the scope and limits of what can be taught and how it is presented in public school. In tough economic times the first programs to be cut in public schools are the extras such as sports, art programs and extracurricular activities. Private schools can teach whatever it likes and present it in any way it chooses. That's because parents choose to send their children to a specific school which has a program and educational philosophy with which they are comfortable.

Ideally you want your child to have a balanced program in school.A balanced program can be defined as equal parts academics, sports and extracurricular activities. Most private schools try to achieve that kind of balanced program. In private school everybody takes part in sports.

(Comparison of Private and Public Schools) Discipline in public schools is somewhat complicated because students are protected by the law and constitutional rights. This has the effect of making it difficult to discipline students for minor and major offensives of the school's code of conduct. Public schools must accept all students within their jurisdiction with few exceptions.Behavior is one of those exceptions, really bad behavior which must be well-documented over time from a prior school. Discipline is not usually a problem in private schools. There are two reasons why most students are in private school one, because they want to learn and, secondly, the codes of conduct by which most private schools operate, are enforced.

If a student misbehaves or breaks the rules, there will be consequences i. e. , suspension or expel. Private school students are governed by the contract which they and their parents sign with the school. It clearly spells out consequences for what the school considers unacceptable behavior.

Violence in public schools is a top priority for administrators and teachers. The highly-publicized shootings and other acts of violence which have taken place in public schools have resulted in the application of stringent rules and security measures such as metal detectors to help create and maintain a safe learning environment. Similarities: Both private and public school administrators have your child's safety on top of their list of priorities. Private schools are generally safe places.

Access to campuses and buildings is carefully monitored and controlled. Because a private school usually have fewer students than a public school, t is easier to supervise the school population. Both private and public schools use some kind of testing and review transcripts to determine the grade level for new students. A private school, on the other hand, accepts any student it wishes to according to its academic and other standards.

It is not required to give a reason why it has refused to admit anyone. Its decision is final. Both private and public schools use some kind of testing and review transcripts to determine the grade level for new students. The rate of public school students entering college after graduation has fluctuated between 62-67% in recent years.

A variety of factors come into play that results in relatively low matriculation rate. The drop-out rate in public schools tends to have a negative effect on matriculation data. In private schools the matriculation rate is typically in the 90-95% range. Minority students who attend a private high school are more likely to attend college than minority students who attend public school according to NCES data. I have three nephews that attended private school and all three graduated from college.

I also have one nephew that did not complete public school but his sister graduated from private school and college.He did not want to go to private school and his parents did not force him. My daughter also graduated from college after attending private school. I am not saying that all black Americans that graduate from private school will go on to graduate from college but the statistics prove the number are higher.

The reason my family sent our children to private school was the area we lived in. The school in our district did not have a good reputation for a good education therefore we felt it was better to send them to the private catholic school in our area.The reason why most private high schools do well in this area is that they are generally selective. They will only accept students who can and want to do the work.

Private school or public school? What worked best for our family was private school. It was about the same distance as the public school in my district. It was easy for me to drop my daughter off at school on my way to work and her dad was able to pick her up on his way home from work. I had had a run in with the kindergarten teacher about her studies and was told I expected too much from the school for her grade.She had been in an advanced learning day care center and was ready for reading in kindergarten, but the school felt it was too soon and it was not included in the school curriculum.

That is when I made the decision to send her to private school. It worked well for our family and it prepared her for college. She also earned her associates degree the day after high school graduation having participated in the running start program while in high school. She continued college to earn her B.

A. degree. Yes, I believe private school was the best solution for us.Reference