Choosing Public Or Private School For Your Child

When you were just a youngster heading off to school chances are you probably attended the public school just a few blocks from your home, or a short bus ride away. Not so long ago parents didn’t have a lot of choices.

Things have changed a lot! Today education is not only a complex issue we have many choices such as public, private, French emersion, and religious schools.

Every day there is discussion about our public schools, the quality of education, their accountability, and the teacher to student ratios. These debates will not go away soon nor are we likely to see many changes in the public school system. An that means if you’re not happy with what they are providing you need to look at your options.

No longer can you just assume your child is getting the best education by trotting off to your local public school. You are going to have to do some homework because no other decision will be more important to your child’s future than the decisions you make about their education.

It’s even getting difficult to distinguish between private and public schools. With such diverse programs being offered by both you may find that the public school just down the block is the perfect choice for your child and that’s great!

The biggest draw back to private school is the cost, and the better recognized the school is on a national level the bigger the price tag. There is a false myth that because you are paying so much money your child is getting a better academic education. The price you pay has no direct bearing on the quality of education your child receives.

In fact for a really good general all rounded education sometimes a public school just can’t be beat. With a wide range of programs it offers some of the best education alternative without huge monthly cash outlays. Even with all the negative things we hear about the public school system it truly does have some of the most dedicated and best teachers there are.

Public schools have plenty to offer. More than you might imagine.

Studies conducted by the National Center for Education show that public school teachers tend to be more educated then their counterparts in private schools. Studies have also shown that kids in public school spend more time on the core subjects and have more sponsored activities than many private schools. As well your child is exposed to a much more culturally diverse population when public school is attended.

On the other hand private schools usually offer smaller class sizes with a much better student to teacher ratio. There is also less bureaucracy in a private school and the ability for the parents to be more actively involved. Private schools are not required to comply with state or provincial law.

In the end it makes no difference whether your child attends public school or private school as long as the school you choose fits your child’s needs. If you cannot afford private school but you are not happy with the public school that is near you then speak with the school board and make arrangements to have your child attend a different school.

Sometimes it’s not even the school, it could be a conflict with a particular teacher. Have your child moved to another classroom and see if things improve.

Don’t forget there is also the option of home schooling. If you are a stay at home mom or dad you may want to look into this option. Course curriculum is available from your school board and you then have total control over the style of learning and what you teach your child.

As a parent you’ll know what’s right for your child. Just follow your intuition and you won’t be sorry!

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