Public vs Private School - Parents ?

Question

My sis in law has enrolled her 8 month old into catholic private primary school already.... I have no plans for my 2 and a half year old yet, I was just going to send her to whichever primary school we live closest to when the time comes (we are on a contract in the desert for another year and a half so dont know where we will live in the future). I think maybe private school could be beneficial for highschool sutdents if the available public school is shady however I went to public schools, and my fiance went to private. He did better in school than I did but overall his private school had worse university entry scores than mine did and I feel that isolating my kids into a religion based school will have them only experiencing people of the same religion and not really getting much info on the real world (i.e. s*x ED and the other sinful things catholics don't like to go into depth with). I would like my children to know people from all different backgrounds and not be so sheltered. What do you think is best for kids, public or private? And why?

Answer 1

my kids go to private school and i went to the same school they are at and i personally find it allot better as my 2 older boys went to public school not by my choice and the classes are over crowded but if there were any decent public schools in my area i would send them there but there are none as for religion now days there are allot of kids in private school that arnt religious its not like the old days when you had to be catholic to go to a catholic school yer they do pray but there not drumming it into the kids heads and i dont find any harm in them learning about God i would rather my kids learn about God then some of the things kids can get up to these days im in australia as well and my son was home schooled for a couple of years and he learned more in those 2 years then he would have at school they dont have the distractions they have at school

Answer 2

Not all private schools are religious in nature. Irregardless, public and private education has pros and cons for both. Parents usually choose private education because they are more advanced in the curriculum, have a more disciplined environment and better success rate in the fact that the kids do better academically and you have fewer discipline cases.  There are also parents that want private school because of some of the things they don't believe in or want taught with skewed views or values in the public education system.  

While public schools may be more diverse in population there are also more issues that you don't hear about with private schools- school shootings for one.  Lack of discipline and respect to authority, drugs are more rampant (not that private schools have an exemption to them, but they are not as rampant), etc..

When my son is old enough to be in school I hope we do live near a good private academy or school that we can enroll him into so that he has advantages that public schools don't- smaller class sizes, better technology available, etc..  It doesn't mean that everyone in public school turns out to be a dilinquent, it just means that some parents opt not to utilize the public system of education that has somewhat gone down hill in the past decade in many places.  The ones that are still good are few and far between.

Answer 3

I am looking into private schools in the area for when my niece will be starting kindergarten. My reasons are not for the purpose of having her in a religious school but I am looking at the teacher to student ratios. The private schools around here have less students in a class which would mean a little more one on one time if needed. For my niece, I feel that it will work out better. She is a very high strung child, I don't believe that she is bad but she does sometimes have to have a little more attention then other kids her age. Once she gets older and settles down, then I might take her out of private school and put her in public. It will all depend on what I feel is right at the time.

Personally I think that all children's needs are different along with family values are often different. What is right for one child, may not be the best thing for another. I don't think that either public or private schools can be called better then the other, it just depends on what a family is looking for in a school program.

Answer 4

Yeah with the low teen pregnancy rate now I'd say public schools have cornered the market on safe s*x ed and morals.

NOT!

They are better off in a school that teaches them  GOD based morals rather than a school that teaches"this is how to have s*x, but it's best if you  wait til later but if your going to do it anyway do it this way" philosophy.

Why can't YOU teach your kids about s*x?

It isn't the job of some hired public servant to teach them about s*x.

Why can't you teach them about religion?Do you want the public schools to indoctrinate them with an atheistic philosophy of life?That's what they will get.How about home schooling them?

Their education is more about what their parents teach them and how much their parents are involved, if you just shove them off to school and let them go, chances are they aren't going to do squat.

Answer 5

i'd sent my kid to the school who seemed to be overall best at educating them well, having the best quality, and the best back up system all around to make sure the kids had a good experience in school

the rest, sorry but thats the parents not the schools job to teach the kid

i aint chatolic though so that wouldnt be an option in first place i'd think though, on the other hand born and grown in europe the only reason i agreed to going across atlantic was my bf is unable to leave there atm, before i get any kids of school age i am definantly going to be back to europe, i do not have overall much fait at all in the US school system

and good education is so important these days.

Answer 6

I have home schooled, sent one to private school for a year and now both are in public school.

I can say that my kids learn more and excel better and are able to focus on their strengths and weaknesses better with home school.

The best private schools here were basically on the same educational level with public schools, so it was a huge waste of money.

My kids chose public school. As long as you are an active parent and doing ongoing learning with them after schools hours, summer breaks and weekends (reading, playing, games, mental stimulation) they will be fine with ANY of it.

We can't rely on any type of schooling to be the *be all and end all* of education. If they are challenged at home and we are hands on with school they will excel.

Public school has it's downfalls, but every single type of schooling does. If I were you, I would choose public and spend your money on activities that enrich your child's interests.  

Answer 7

Im not a parent but a teen. It depends on how the public schools are in your area. the ones in my area are very overcrowed and bad. I have been to a private school all my life and im currently at a prep school. I think its a good investment. My brother has gone to private all his life and is a senior this year and alot of colleges has accepted him. my grade has 60 kids in it. I dont go to a religious school either. once again, it really depends on your area.

if you have any questions, you can email me.

In case anyone is wondering. I am not s****. and most of the kids a my school are not. It hurts me when people call my s****. because I go to a private school. My mom did but my dad didnt and instead of buying new stuff alot, my parents put the money for my education and my bro.

Answer 8

I (personally) would never send my kids to a private school.  Pretty much for all the reasons you listed.  I also feel they are sheltered :/  We are a free-thinking household!!

Answer 9

That children who attend private schools are sheltered and aren't exposed to diversity is a huge myth.  Trust me, I went to private schools - we were far from sheltered.  My son is also to attend a private school in a few weeks, and we chose it in part for its diversity.  It is much more diverse than our local public school.

Not all private schools are religious.  The one my son will attend is nondenominational.  

For us, private school was the only option.  We just don't think that our local public schools are good enough.  However, there are some excellent public schools and some horrible private schools.  That's why it's important for parents to research each potential school to decide which one is the best fit for their child.

*ETA*  When I first read your question, I assumed you were from either the UK or Australia due to the whole religious education part.  I agree with you on that - I don't want my son to receive his religious education at school, either.  If the public schools in your area are great, then I see no reason to consider private school.  Trust me, if I had more faith in our public schools, I'd forget about paying my son's tuition!  It's all about where the child can get the best education, regardless of whether it's public or private.