Being a parent involves making a lot of important choices for your children in order for them to flourish and become a decent, aware and beautiful human beings. Education is one of them; and even though it is one of the noblest pursuits that lasts for a lifetime, schooling plays a pivotal part in gaining and implementing knowledge. Mark Twain may have said that he won’t let school get in way of his education, but picking the right one can still help your child develop habits, skills and wits essential for his or her future.
Things to consider
This is however a complex, yet also compelling topic that requires a lot of planning, guidance and sometimes even prediction. The whole economic and practical background of education should prompt every parent to take into consideration some criteria: school quality, accountability, curriculum, safety, location, personal preferences, etc. This means that you have to do a thorough homework before deciding what is best for your child. Do the research, inform yourself, surf the Web for answers and make sure you understand every choice that is available for your child at the moment.
Private vs public school
The distinction between the two is no longer straightforward as it once was. It is somewhat difficult to determine whether an inclusive, yet crowded public school is a better educational match for your child, or an exclusive, yet expensive private school. The expected assumption is that private schools offer far superior academic programs, however that isn’t always the case, because strong arranged public schools can provide a good, general, all-around education. On the other hand, private schools tend to be more affordable than you expected, so let’s delve a little deeper in the advantages of both models to help you clarify things for your decision.
Benefits of public schools
National Center for Education Statistics (NCED) claim that teachers in public schools are more qualified than their independent counterparts. In terms of education they are more likely to have a master’s degree, while experience-wise they have spent more hours learning their job and keeping up to date with the curriculum.
Students study core subjects (English, math, science, social studies) for about three hours more per week and the population tends to come from all socio-economic and racial backgrounds. Also, extra school activities, such as sports and clubs, academic support, programs for gifted students and science fairs to name a few, are much more common.
Benefits of private schools
In this case, however, NCED study claims that both classes and the school itself tend to be quite smaller. Consequently, kids won’t get lost in the shuffle during their attendance, which provides each child with a sense of unity, togetherness and belonging. In addition, the student-teacher ratio (9:1) is much more favourable, which contributes to the whole communal feeling.
As for the bureaucracy, private schools and their teachers have more autonomy and creative control over their approach to teaching, because state regulations are not something they necessarily have to abide to. Finally, these schools may cost you more money than public schools and paperwork can get hectic, but thankfully there are new systems being introduced like School Easy Pay which greatly simplify the payment processes.
If your child has special needs, make sure that your child’s physical and behavioral needs will be met, because private schools are not obliged by law to accommodate them.
Conclusion
There will always be advantages as well as disadvantages to any schooling model, but the most important thing is to see how your child feels and excels during attendance. Aim to provide an education that suits your child’s interests and well-being, teach them to learn and just focus on their stimulation and working habits. There is nothing nobler than endowing your child with wisdom and knowledge.
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