The school that a child attends has a significant impact on the child’s academic trajectory and achievement, their social and emotional development, as well as the kinds of opportunities and resources available to them. Parents often wonder if enrolling their child in a private school makes a dramatic difference in their children’s education. Is one preferable over the other? Unfortunately, there is no standard response to this question. There are many excellent private schools as well as many weak ones, just as there are many wonderful public schools as terrible ones. Although it is not possible to make sweeping generalizations about private and public schools, we have listed below some of the pros and cons experienced by families at each type of school.
Public School:
Pros
1. Free education. Given that the government funds public schools, the tuition for children at these schools is free of charge, making this a deciding factor for most families.
2. More diversity. Since public schools are more affordable and easily accessible, children from different backgrounds enroll in these schools. This adds more diversity to the schools in terms of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. However, the diversity in public schools also depends on the neighborhood they are in, and not all public schools are necessarily diverse. Also, many private schools now make significant efforts to create diversity.
3. Large selection of classes/clubs/activities. In very large public schools, the sheer size allows the school to offer every kind of classes, athletic teams, clubs, and activities not possible at smaller schools.
4. Being part of a neighborhood/local community - community is an important component of student life and having classmates all local makes social interactions and group activities easier - many private school parents cite the challenges of getting students together after school and getting students to activities on weekends.
5. Contributes to the community. Enrolling your child in a public school helps strengthen the local community and the welfare of children within these respective communities. This leads to more people advocating for equality as well.
Cons
1. Students don't necessarily receive personalized attention. If children are not enrolled in a gifted program or special education program, some students can get lost and are provided limited hand holding in public schools.
2. Parent input is limited. At public schools it is difficult for parents to have their requests for changes in the school implemented.
3. Large class sizes. The type of class instruction is influenced by class sizes. Larger classes mean teachers provide less individualized feedback and can cause children to participate less, especially if they are not comfortable with speaking up in classes.
Private School:
Pros
1. Specialized and tailored. Often, parents choose to send their children to certain private schools because they have specialized courses and classes in subject areas not offered in public schools. For instance, a child involved in art, may find a private school that focuses on the arts and nurtures this skill. This applies to other subjects such as science and technology. That being said, some very large public schools offer an incredible array of classes and extracurricular activities and in large cities there are magnet schools focusing on niche areas such as the arts.
2. Quality instructors. There is often the belief that the teachers in private schools are more qualified. Teachers here are experts in what they do and teach, with many of them holding PhDs. However, this does not mean that public schools do not have highly qualified instructors. In fact, in well-funded school districts, public schools provide tenure and better salaries, making many prefer to teach here.
3. Student to teacher ratio. The number of students per teacher is generally lower in private schools, given that the overall student population is usually smaller than in public schools. This allows students to receive more personalized attention.
4. Alumni network. Private schools tend to have stronger alumni networks, which is advantageous for future internship and career prospects.
5. Top notch facilities and beautiful campuses. We have seen unbelievable facilities that rival University campuses at some of the top private schools in the country. However, this does not mean all private schools have this. There are plenty of small community and parochial private schools whose facilities are no better than public schools. Also, some public schools in wealthy suburbs and magnet schools in urban areas have incredible facilities.
6. Better college counselors. Private schools pay a lot of attention to college admissions and usually have teams well educated on how to handhold students through the process.
Cons
1. Cost of Attendance. Private schools require students’ families to pay tuition, not making it an affordable option for many.
2. Loss of socioeconomic diversity. Given that private schools require student’s families to pay tuition, this is not an option for most families. While some students attend private schools on scholarships, this is still incomparable to the diversity present in public schools.
3. Small student population. On the one hand, this is a plus for students as it gives them more personalized attention with teachers. On the other hand, small sizes can also be a con for peer interaction, meeting different people, and having extensive clubs and activities. Private school parents often cite the challenges of attending the same school with the same small group of students for K-12 - students that don’t fit in socially with this small group of students may have difficulties.
4. Difficult to socialize. In private schools, there could be less of a community given that students often live in far-flung locations. This makes it difficult for students to get together for study sessions over the weekend and independently create plans and impromptu get togethers.
Conclusion
Public and private schools have their pluses and minuses, and there is no standard rule that parents should enroll their children in one over the other. It all depends on what the available options are for each family and what academic, extracurricular, and social/emotional needs that a student has. Parents need to consider the pros and cons and see what matters to them. For some, the cost might be a deciding factor. For others, it might be the importance of an alumni network. Additionally, the type of neighborhood you live in and the available schools, both private and public, would also influence this decision. For example, if students live in a well-resourced school district, there is no need for them to enroll in a private school. Sometimes, private schools may not be easily available to students, in which case parents can also consider boarding schools. For some families, none of these options work for them where they live. Fortunately, there are other options including online schools. Learn more about this option at 12 Online High Schools to Consider. Finally, parents should also consider whether one is better than the other from a college admissions standpoint. Read Public vs Private High Schools - Does It Matter for College Admissions?
For more insights, read:
Public vs Private High Schools - Does It Matter for College Admissions?
5 Important Skills Middle Schoolers Should Develop Before High School
5 Things Freshmen Can Do To Prepare For College (applies to Sophomores too!)
12 Online High Schools to Consider
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