Private Schools Provide the Best Education - Essay Example

Private Schools Provide The Best Education Public schools are schools that are provided by and federal funding. Ninety percent of the children today in America attend public school. Private schools include both parochial schools and non-parochial schools. According to a special report published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 2002, in 1999-2000, approximately 27,000 private schools accounted for 24 percent of all schools in the US and 12 percent of all full-time-equivalent teachers. Clearly, there are many more public schools that provide education to American students than their private counterparts. Usually when considering private versus public school, parents will have one or more factors that concern them. When looking at public or private schools, the following factors come into play: Academic reputation and college preparation School size and Class size Safety reputation Special programs Costs Religious and Moral instruction Location Ideology Academic reputation plays a big role when considering private versus public schools. School systems vary greatly in their academic reputation. For as many wonderful public schools that exist, there are also those that perform under the bar. Unfortunately for most families, children must go to the public school that their home is zoned in. Usually there is a perceived or statistically supported issue with a public school's academic record that flags a parent's concern and willingness to move their child into a private school. Private schools usually have a more rigorous academic reputation. But within the public school system, Charter Schools and Magnet schools both blur the distinction between public and private schools. Related to the academic reputation is the focus of the school on college preparation. Within the public school system, the percent of children that go on to college differs depending on the location of the school. You can't lump all the schools together. However, you can look at the school's overall focus and whether it is on college preparation or not (and whether that is your shared focus). School Size and Class Size can be correlated to a school's ability to execute on its academic goals. Basically, when a school gets too big, it can become burdensome to administer. Students and programs may fall into the cracks. But a school that is too small may not have enough money to support specialized programs. Class size is another factor that parents will look into when considering private or public school. How many children will the classroom teacher be responsible What is the overall student to teacher ratio Usually, the smaller the class size, the more attention each individual student will receive. Safety at school and the general school environment is another factor that parents use to decide whether or not to keep their children in public school or move them into private school. Many public schools have perfectly safe environments, yet in some school districts, children may be safer in private schools. Some of this may have to do with the fact that private schools may pick and choose who they enroll, therefore keeping their classroom milieu safer. Special programs impact parents in two different ways when considering private versus public schooling. Because public schools have a responsibility to teach all students, public schools often have in place special programs for children with special needs (whether it is academically or mentally). Private schools, while they may have special programs for gifted students, will rarely have programs for children with special needs unless that is what the private school specializes in. There are also other kinds of special programs, for example, ones that specialize in the arts. Military, boarding, and single-sex programs are usually only found in a private setting. Cost is another important factor that impacts the private school versus public school decision. Simply put, private schools charge tuition whereas public schools are offered free of charge. For many parents, this is the hardest factor with which to come to terms. A factor that plays a large role in parents deciding whether to send their children to public or private school is whether or not they want religious and or moral instruction to play a part of their children's academic setting. Overall, religious and moral instruction does not play a part of public schooling. Location is as important a factor as any other when considering whether to enroll your children in a public school or a private school. For public schools, you are either within the zoning district of the public school you want or not. If you are, then you don't need to worry about anything. If you aren't, you'll need to consider whether relocating your family is desirable and feasible in order to get your children enrolled in your public school of choice. For private schools, you'll need to consider if the location is feasible for your family. Public schools provide transportation to and back from schools. Private schools may or may not. Finally, for many families, a final factor that impacts their decision making process is their ideology regarding private schools or public schools, classism, elitism, etc. Parents are not usually on the fence about this factor. They either believe that going to private school is okay or they believe that going to a public school is better in the theoretical sense. Now that we understand some of the main factors that families consider when deciding whether to enroll their children in private or public school, let's look at the facts. Here are statistics on both private and public schools in America: Public schools offer a general program, designed for all. This usually includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history and physical education. In addition, many public schools offer programs in music and art too. What students learn is decided by the state. (Knight) In most states, learning is measured through standardized tests. The content and minimum achievement criteria in each course offered in public high schools are put forward by the state and each student must achieve this minimum criterion before receiving credit.(Payne) The charter school movement is also picking up momentum in many states; these schools are public, but offer specialized programs and smaller classes. There are not that many charter schools in the United States. According to the Center for Education Reform, there are approximately 3,400 public charter schools in America as of 2005. Charter schools are often closed if their students do not show academic progress. According to a report by educationnext.org, there were 3,100 magnet schools in America as of 2001/2002. Private schools have the flexibility to create specialized programs for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on outdoor trips. They can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many choose to use standardized tests.(Kane) Many parents are drawn to the alternative curriculums that private schools have to offer. Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests. (Payne) As with earlier results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), private school students performed higher than public school students on the NAEP: 2000 tests. Their average scores were above those of public school students on the 4th-grade reading test and on the 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade science and mathematics proficiency tests. Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools. Compared with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year high school programs) in 1999-2000 in social studies, mathematics, science, foreign language, and computer science. For example private schools required on average 3.1 years of mathematics, while public schools required 2.7 years. The figures for foreign language study also differed: 1.5 years at private schools but 0.5 years at public schools. In addition, about 40 percent of private schools required some form of community service for high school graduation, four times the rate for public schools (10 percent). Private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor's or advanced degree by their mid-20s. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, "Fourth Follow-up" (NELS: 1988/2000) show that students who had attended private school in 8th grade were twice as likely as those who had attended public school to have completed a bachelor's or higher degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent) and far less likely to not complete a post-secondary education. In conclusion, for the reasons outlined above, it is clear that for those with the means and who value education, private school is truly the best option. It is through a sound education that our kids today can be assured of a positive future. Clearly that can only be grasped by a fully rounded education. Statistically, speaking, if the majority of children heading to college are coming out of private schools, is that not all there is to know References Kane, Ed. "Judge orders homeschoolers into government education." Alliance for the Separation of School and State . Feb. 29, 2008. Alliance for the Separation of School and State. 8 Apr 2008. . Knight, Heather. "Many reluctantly choose private schools." The San Francisco Chronicle. May 31, 2006. The San Francisco Chronicle. 8 Apr 2008 . NCES Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS: 1999-2000), the National Assessment of Educational Progress High School Transcript Study of 1998 (NAEP: 1998) Payne, James. "Why Public Schools Fail." theadvocates.org. The Freemen. 8 Apr 2008 . Read More