Are you trying to decide if you should send your child to private school or public school? I think it depends on your child’s personality and academic strength. I have two children in public school and two children in private school so I have first hand experience in knowing the benefits of public school versus private school. Below you will find my reasons why I think private school is better than public school for one type of child and why I think public school is better for the another type of child.
Reasons Why Private School is Better than Public Schools
Private school is not for every child. It depends on your child’s personality and academic strength. For me, I have 2 children enrolled in private school. I enrolled my daughter in private school because she is shy and I think her shy personality benefits from the small class size and personalized attention of private schools. I also enrolled another daughter in private school. She first started at the local public school but we later moved her to private school because the social dynamics in her class was not ideal. Both of my children are happy and thriving at their private schools. Here are the reasons why private school is better than public schools.
Small Class Size in Private School
Private schools have smaller class size. A smaller class size means there is a better chance for your child to stand out and shine. The smaller class size at private school is especially great if your child is on the shy side because it will be less intimidating for your child to participate in the classroom. My daughter really thrived in the small class size at her private school. She feels included in the classroom while I think if she was in public school where classes are large, she will be ignored and forgotten.
More Personalized Attention in Private Schools
Because the class size are generally smaller, your child will benefit from more personalized attention at private schools. The teachers at private schools have more time to work with your child. For example, if your child is on the shy side, having that personalized attention from the teacher can help a lot with building confidence. Instead of being ignored, the teacher can pay attention to the shy child and call on him/her during class discussions. If a child is playing alone at recess, private school teachers can help facilitate inclusiveness at recess.
Better Social Dynamics at Private School
Private schools have the benefit of being able to control student enrollment. That means private schools have better control of the class mix giving each a better gender balance and personality balance. When my daughter was in public school, she was placed in a boy heavy class full of high energy boys with big personalities. As a result, I felt she was not being heard and the teacher was too busy dealing with these high energy boys. We decided to move her to private school. Her private school class mix was more balanced in terms of gender and personality types, as result she was happier socially. I think the socially balanced classrooms in private school is much healthier for children who are more shy or who may be getting ignored.
Private Schools are Better for the Average Child
If your child is an average kid, not exceptionally smart or gifted, I think private schools are a better choice for your child. Private schools have a way of making everyone feel special even if your child is just average. For example, at the art shows in private schools everyone gets equal number of artworks displayed at the art show. While at public schools, not everyone gets a chance to have their art displayed at the art show. The art teacher selects only a few students to display their art work (the selection starts as young as the Kindergarten level). So if your child is not an exceptional artist, her artwork will not be selected which is really not that great for your child’s self-esteem. The same goes for academics at private schools, for example, math is not leveled at private schools (at least in Elementary School). That means everyone will learn in the same classroom regardless of math aptitude. While in public schools, kids are tracked for the gifted program at an early age. If your child is average in math, he/she will feel bad and think of themselves as not good in math because he/she was not selected in the advanced math program. While if you have an average child at the private school, he will not know any better. Private school is better in boosting the average child’s self-esteem and making them feel good about themselves.
Why is Public School is Better than Private School?
There are many reasons why public school is a better fit than private school. The fit will largely depend on your child’s personality and academic strength. In general, if your child is very smart or has special needs, public school is better for your child. And if your child is struggling socially to fit into the mainstream crowd, then public school is probably better for your child because there is a more diverse student body with a larger variety of cliques. Below are reasons why I think public school is better than private school.
More Diverse Student Body in Public School
Public schools have a more diverse student body because its a bigger school with more students. Public schools by default will have a wider variety of cliques in high school and middle school. If your child is having trouble fitting in socially at the private school then public school might be a better option for your child. That’s because there is more diversity in personality types which means a better chance that your child will find his or her crew.
Gifted Programs at Public Schools
Most public schools have gifted programs. The gifted program at public schools start at the elementary school level. While most private schools don’t track students at the elementary school level and will only start honors program at middle school or high school. That means if you have a gifted child enrolled at a private elementary school your child will be learning what everyone else is learning. There is a risk that your smart kid will get bored. While if you enrolled your smart child in public school, he/she will benefit from taking advanced classes and it will be a boost to your child’s self-esteem knowing that he/she is one of the smart kids in class. My son is exceptionally smart he was placed in the Gifted Program at his public school. As a result he feels really good about himself for being one of the smart kids in class. If you have a smart and motived child, I think public school is better for your child.
Special Needs Program at Public Schools
Private schools in general don’t have the resources to help special needs students (unless its a private school specifically for kids with special needs). While in public schools, they have to provide free and equitable education for all kids which includes children with special needs. In most public schools, if your child needs help, the public school will give extra help. They will even provide an aid in the classroom to give your child extra support. While at private schools, they generally don’t have the resources to help special needs students. You will need to get outside help for your child on your own. If your child has special needs, public schools will be a better choice for your child.
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