argumentative essay about private school is better than public school

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Public School vs. Private School: Argumentative Comparison

Table of contents, public schools: accessibility and diversity, public schools: limited resources and class sizes, private schools: specialized curriculum and resources, private schools: affordability and socioeconomic disparities.

• Baker, B. D., & Welner, K. G. (Eds.). (2017). School Choice: Policies and Outcomes. University of California Press.
• Henig, J. R., Hula, R. C., & Orr, M. T. (Eds.). (2019). Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America's Students. Harvard Education Press.
• Kahlenberg, R. D. (Ed.). (2013). The Future of School Integration: Socioeconomic Diversity as an Education Reform Strategy. Century Foundation Press.
• Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools. Knopf.
• Van Dunk, D. D., & Taylor, S. S. (Eds.). (2020). Global Perspectives on School Choice and Privatization. Information Age Publishing.

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The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools

The following is an excerpt from the preface and from chapter seven of the book, "Reconsidering Choice, Competition, and Autonomy as the Remedy in American Education."

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By Christopher A. Lubienski & Sarah Theule Lubienski Dec. 9, 2013

Christopher A. Lubienski & Sarah Theule Lubienski

304 pages, University of Chicago Press, 2013

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There has long been a perception that public schools are second-rate—that anyone who can get their child into a private school should do so. Such desires for private education are so strong that in some districts we’ve even allocated public funds—through voucher and charter programs—to allow those who can’t afford private education a chance to. But what if our underlying assumption is wrong? What if private schools aren’t better? That is the stunning conclusion of The Public School Advantage. Eschewing most ideologies in favor of empirical data, it argues, via evidence, that our longstanding but much-beleaguered public education system is still the best choice we have.

Of the many competing plans to improve America’s schools, one overall agenda distinguishes itself in terms of its logical potential for fundamentally changing education. The innovative strategy of giving parents more choice of schools, of encouraging competition between those schools, and of granting schools more autonomy to satisfy parents—in short, “incentivizing” education—has taken hold as perhaps the most prominent and promising idea for improving American education at its core. This approach is evident in efforts such as charter schools, vouchers and tax credits for private schools, private management of schools, and privatization. All such “incentivist” approaches draw on market mechanisms modeled after the private sector, including the private education sector.

The reason reformers look to the private sector is obvious. The beauty of the logic is its simplicity. Governments and the bureaucracies they generate are thought to lead to overspending and ineffectiveness—whether the U.S. Postal Service, military procurements, or public schools. This is because governments typically administer enterprises on a monopoly basis, setting up barriers to potential competitors in order to protect their own entities in areas such as education. Hence, virtually all public funding goes only to “public” schools that are traditionally regulated by government bureaucrats, run by administrators who have obtained an official endorsement from the state, and staffed by teachers who have been certified by state-approved teacher training programs. As with all monopolies, this may lead to complacency, and even disincentives for employees to innovate or otherwise respond to the needs of their “customers.” But the private sector, driven by choice and competitive market incentives, is thought to produce better outcomes, such as those associated with FedEx, eBay, or private schools. There, school employees have built-in incentives to work harder, or at least more effectively, at providing a better education, for fear of losing students, losing tuition funds, losing their jobs, or even seeing their school “go out of business.”

At least that is what we thought. Indeed, that is the narrative of the market and, increasingly, public policy in the United States and around the globe. Yet the evidence we have found tells quite a different story than what theorists and the current crop of self-proclaimed reformers assert. Specifically, it points to a new, emerging view of the academic performance and impact of public schools in contrast to the outcomes of their more autonomous counterparts in the charter and private sectors. And the question of the impact of different types of schools, or schools in different sectors, is paramount in this era of choice, charter schools, and vouchers for private schools.

Yet, despite the significance and timeliness of this issue, this topic was not really on the research agenda for either of us. We were each happily ensconced in our own work—one studying mathematics instruction and achievement, the other examining school organization and innovations. While the question of achievement in different types of schools had occasionally appeared on the radar of the wider research community in recent years, it was usually around the hotly contested voucher debates—often vicious arguments that seemed to be geared more toward personal acrimony than enlightenment when it comes to social policy. Indeed, like many researchers, we believed the question of a beneficial private school effect on achievement had been essentially settled by the seminal studies of the 1980s and ’90s, and we had virtually no inclination to delve into that area. And then, while examining data on mathematics instruction from the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Sarah added “private school” as a control variable, and some surprising results appeared.

We were both skeptical when we first saw the initial results: public schools appeared to be attaining higher levels of mathematics performance than demographically comparable private and charter schools—and math is thought to be a better indicator of what is taught by schools than, say, reading, which is often more influenced directly and indirectly by experiences in the home. These patterns flew in the face of both the common wisdom and the research consensus on the effectiveness of public and private schools. Immediately, we checked to see what had happened in the analysis, whether “public” and “private” had been “reverse-coded” or some other such error was involved. But after further investigation and more targeted analyses, the results held up. And they held up (or were “robust” in the technical jargon) even when we used different models and variables in the analyses. We eventually posted a technical paper on a respected website and published a short article, which received some attention. And then, like any good researchers, we applied for funding to study this issue in more depth using the most recent, comprehensive databases. The results across datasets are consistent and robust—indicating that these patterns are substantial and stable, regardless of changes in the details of the analyses.

These results indicate that, despite reformers’ adulation of the autonomy enjoyed by private and charter schools, this factor may in fact be the reason these schools are underperforming. That is, contrary to the dominant thinking on this issue, the data show that the more regulated public school sector embraces more innovative and effective professional practices, while independent schools often use their greater autonomy to avoid such reforms, leading to curricular stagnation.

There is an old joke about an economist walking across a college campus with a student. When the student notices a five-dollar bill on the ground, the economist is dismissive: “It can’t be a five dollar bill. If it were, someone would have picked it up.”

While not exactly a rib splitter, this joke illustrates the inherent, if underappreciated, limitations of assumption-driven disciplines such as economics in understanding the world. Too often, people not only interpret evidence through ideological assumptions, but ignore facts that fall outside of, or run counter to, those assumptions. Particularly in areas such as a market theory of education, surrogate evidence on the quality of organizational options based on presumptions of how rationally self-interested individuals would act is often privileged over actual evidence of how organizations are really performing. That is, ideological assumptions often trump empirical evidence.

Such is the case with education. If families—and especially parents with defined preferences for better schooling—are avoiding public schools and are instead competing to get their children into private and charter schools, often paying substantial amounts of their family income toward tuition or other costs, then this must indicate that such independent schools are better, according to this narrow economic logic. Indeed, such a conclusion is constantly affirmed in the media and in reports from countless think tanks and blogs. Yet as the data indicate, those behaviors are not an accurate reflection of the reality of school effectiveness. So why would people pay for a product or service when a superior product or service is available for free? Such was the perplexity expressed by one prominent economist when faced with unexpected patterns such as these:

This result is quite surprising, because it appears to violate simple price theory. Public schools are free; [independent] schools often charge substantial tuition, making them noticeably more expensive than the alternatives. Yet some percentage of parents systematically chooses [independent] schools despite high cost and mediocre performance. Is this real? 1

According to this logic, public schools are known to be inferior because people are willing to pay for an alternative; if they had real value, we could tell because people would embrace them … just like they would have embraced the wayward greenback.

Yet the evidence presented here on mathematics achievement — the subject that best reflects school effects — in nationally representative samples of elementary schools suggests otherwise. Despite what many reformers, policy makers, media elites, and even parents may believe, these public schools are, on average, actually providing a more effective educational service relative to schools in the independent sector. In fact, the limitations of our data, if anything, likely underemphasize the notable performance of public schools, given that factors not measured in our data sets would favor private, independent schools—public schools are doing something right that overcomes these factors. While this challenges the very basis of the current movement to remake public education based on choice, competition, and autonomy, our analyses indicate that public schools are enjoying an advantage in academic effectiveness because they are aligned with a more professional model of teaching and learning. Meanwhile, attributes such as operational autonomy championed by the market theory of education—or, as it is increasingly a belief system rather than a policy theory, we might use the term “marketism”—may actually be hindering or even diverting schools in the independent sector from higher achievement as they use their freedom in embracing stagnant, less effective curricular practices.

Reprinted with permission from The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools, by Christopher A. and Sarah Theule Lubienski, published by the University of Chicago Press. © 2014 University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved.

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Public School vs. Private School Education Essay

Introduction, the comparison of public and private schools, works cited.

The choice of the best school is the eternal problem for all parents. Many debates have occurred on this basis. Public and private schools vary in numerous aspects. Nevertheless, the most significant reason for parents’ choice of public schools is the cost of studying at private schools. Although public schools are free for all students, private schools are better for pupils because of the profound approach to studying and the effective environment for education.

The determination of the best type of school can be rather a challenging task. There are both advantages and disadvantages in the public and private sector of education. It is necessary to compare the schools on the basis of several significant factors.

Quality of education

The school program and teachers’ qualifications predetermine the quality of teaching. Thus, public schools should follow the standards defined by the national curriculum. Private schools can offer a wider choice of subjects to be taught. For instance, some schools include specific topics in their programs such as sexual or religious education of children.

Some parents may choose the particular school because its basis meets their principles and understanding of the world. Besides, the teacher in private schools is free to choose thy ways of presenting new material. However, some subjects such as mathematics, history, and science are obligatory in both types of schools.

Private schools demonstrate the better quality of education because of their admission standards. Private schools accept students who pass necessary tests and prove that they have the desired level of knowledge. Such a selection enhances the quality expectations. Public schools have to accept all students regardless of the level of their knowledge. Very often, this fact impedes the achievement of good academic results (Kennedy par. 6).

Exposure to violence

The level of violence in public schools is of primary concern to principals. There have been many cases of shooting in public schools. Consequently, public schools have to work on their security measures. It is also difficult to monitor the intentions and activities of all students in public schools.

On the contrary, private schools are considered to be safer than public. It can be explained by several facts. As far as private schools do not have to accept all students, the risk for dangerous behaviors is lower. Also, it is easier to supervise pupils in private schools because they are less in number.

The number of students who are taught is significant for the efficiency of education. In public schools, almost thirty students go to one class. Teachers face difficulty in approaching and engaging every student. The time devoted to the lesson is not enough for providing all pupils with opportunities to express themselves and answer.

In private schools, the class is comprised of no more than twenty students. Thus, teachers have the possibility to monitor the academic achievements of every pupil in the class. During the lesson, the teacher can approach every student and evaluate his or her knowledge. Consequently, the teacher notices students who need more attention and can help them to catch up with others.

Social development

The school environment influences the social and moral development of students drastically. This environment includes the social support, the educational programs, relations with other peers, and teachers’ approaches to the presentation of new material. Strong relationships are essential for the efficient social development of the child. Thus, students are more likely to greet each other or help with different activities when they have positive feelings (National School Climate Center 1).

It is rather difficult to define the type of school that is the best for the appropriate social development of children. The social development of children depends on the school environment. One cannot say that positive school environments are typical for private or public schools only.

Public schools can be helpful because pupils have the possibility to communicate with many people. They can find many friends and develop positively. However, there is a risk that the students may find friends who will influence them negatively. Also, an enormous diversity of public schools’ society provides the opportunity to learn how to behave and communicate effectively in society.

Private schools, at the same time, may have the better environment for the social development because of the limited number of learners. Administrators and school personnel can do their best to create the most efficient environment for pupils while it is not always possible in public schools.

The primary disadvantage of private school is their cost. They are much more expensive than public schools. The necessity to pay for private education limits the number of students whose parents can afford paying annual fees. Public schools are funded by local authorities and provide all students with the equal opportunity for studying.

A variety of aspects influences the choice of school. Private schools provide students with better academic opportunities in comparison to public one. Despite the fact that public schools require no tuition fees and can be useful for the development of social skills, private schools are better because of the high quality of education, a limited class size, and a low level of violence.

Kennedy, Robert. Comparison of Private and Public Schools . n.d. Web.

National School Climate Center. School Climate and Moral and Social Development . 2013. Web.

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Public or Private School? It Shouldn’t Matter

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, mark dynarski mark dynarski owner - pemberton research, former brookings expert.

June 12, 2014

My years of attending different schools went like this: public, private, public, public, private.  As the sequence suggests, I had opportunities to experience schools that were public and schools that were private.  At least from my perspective as a student, a school’s classification as public or private did not make much difference. They were all schools to me.

I was reminded of the public versus private school debate, and my experience with the insignificance of this categorization, by a recent front-page article in Education Week with the headline, ‘Public Schools Outperform Private Schools, Book Says.’   The authors of the book ( The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools ), Christopher and Sarah Lubienski, argue that earlier research showing private schools—mostly Catholic schools—outperformed public schools was hampered by data limitations. When they analyze data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study’s (ECLS) kindergarten cohort, they find that after adjusting for student characteristics, the average student in an elementary public school had a higher math score than the average student in an elementary private school.

At least three issues come to mind about these findings. First is that costs are not mentioned, despite how much they matter. Second is how disconnected the findings are from the choices parents actually have to make. And, thirdly, the question of ‘public versus private’ is a sideshow diverting attention from a far more substantive inquiry: what can we do to make all schools become more productive?

First, costs. Recent data on Catholic schools reports per-student costs well below public schools. It’s about $6,000 for elementary schools and $12,000 for secondary schools . NCES reports average public school spending combined for both levels of $12,000 . Over the K-12 span, then, and with most Catholic elementary schools spanning K-8, the total spent per student is about $102,000 in Catholic schools versus 50 percent more, $156,000, in public schools. By this metric, even if Catholic schools had the same test scores, their productivity (output per unit of input) is substantially higher than public schools.

Second, parents. Tables in the Lubienskis’ book show huge differences in public and private school test scores. Catholic and Lutheran schools have fourth-grade NAEP scores that are 10 points higher than public schools. Because of how the NAEP is scored, this difference is approximately an entire grade level. Fourth graders in public schools are scoring about what third graders in private schools score. Differences between public and private school students are even larger in eighth grade, ranging from 14 to 20 points.

These differences disappear when the authors do their analysis. But how? Scores are ‘adjusted for’ student differences using statistical models. I am not criticizing the use of statistical models, having spent decades using them. But there are limitations that need to be kept in mind. In the case of private schools, ‘adjusting’ for characteristics creates a hypothetical situation in which public and private schools are being analyzed ‘as if’ they had the same characteristics. For example, a local public school that has a large enrollment and many students on free lunch and a local private school with a small enrollment and few students on free lunch will be compared ‘as if’ they have the same enrollment and the same proportion of students on free lunch.

The fact that this situation doesn’t actually exist is the point. Parents see real schools, not hypothetical ones. Suppose a parent is considering whether to send their son or daughter to a private school or to a public school. For sake of argument, let’s assume transporting their child to either school takes the same time and energy. There is a huge difference in student test scores between the schools, which the parent recognizes might be partly because high-achieving students already attend the private school. The parent also learns that studies suggest students who attend private schools are more likely than similar students attending public schools to graduate from high school and to enroll in college . Suppose the private school is achieving these score differences and graduation outcomes while also spending less than public schools.

This scenario might lead many parents to choose private schools. Having high-achieving students in the private school as peers for one’s child is an attractive feature. Increasing the odds that one’s child will graduate from high school and attend college is appealing as well. The lower cost closes the deal.

Except in reality, parents don’t pay a lower cost for private schools. In fact, the cost of a private school is added onto the cost of a public school. Parents pay property and state income taxes that fund public schools, and then have to decide whether they can afford private school on top of that. So, private school becomes an expensive proposition. Some parents will nonetheless decide to pay for it, but it’s unsurprising that 90 percent of America’s K-12 students are in public schools.

The Lubienskis say their findings should undermine arguments in support of voucher programs and other market-based programs because these programs are based on the idea that students attending private schools will do better than if they attended public schools. Let’s expand ‘doing better’ beyond test scores and focus on the education attainment of older students.

The DC voucher study cited above found that using vouchers increased high school graduation by 21 percentage points. Applicants for those vouchers were low-income (families below 185 percent of the poverty level were eligible), and nearly all were African-American. That study did not follow students long enough to know whether students went on to college. However, the study of the New York voucher program cited above found that using vouchers increased college enrollment by 9 percentage points for African-Americans.

These seem like small numbers, but economists have estimated that compared to dropping out, lifetime earnings of high school graduates are $300,000 higher for African-Americans, and lifetime earnings of graduates who attend at least some college are $800,000 higher. Thus, the increased likelihood of graduating high school and attending college associated with the use of a voucher can add tens of thousands of dollars to lifetime earnings. This is likely an underestimate given that completing college is not accounted for (neither study explored college completion), but is associated with even greater earnings. And most voucher users do not use the voucher for long, usually only two to three years. The current DC voucher program provides $8,000 for elementary schools and $12,000 for high schools, which means public spending of somewhere around $20,000 to $30,000 could achieve an earnings effect three times larger or more.

Of course these are rough numbers that are influenced by data limitations: estimates of lifetime earnings necessarily involve many assumptions; the New York City study found beneficial effects of vouchers only for African-American students and not for Hispanic students; and only a couple studies have been done (though both studies referenced here use strong experimental designs). And if a much larger voucher program were created, it might serve other kinds of families and possibly have smaller effects.

The point is that comparing test scores of public and private schools can be a distraction from the bigger picture. In fact, the entire public-private debate is nothing more than a sideshow. How to improve schools generally is more fruitful, though less dramatic, than framing the debate as ‘public is bad and private is good,’ or the reverse. Certainly though, analyzing what private schools are doing to yield higher graduation and college-going rates while spending less is one way to begin answering that question. And if what’s discovered to be working in private schools can possibly be replicated by the public schools that nearly all students attend, there will be no need for future debate. 

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Private School vs Public School Pros and Cons

Public schools in the United States offer parents access to educational opportunities for the children typically without forcing them to pay any additional fees for the curriculum. Although property taxes and other levies can help to pay for this option, it is usually budgeted in a mortgage payment already. It is not a free option for school, but it is much cheaper than what you’d pay by sending a child to a private school.

Private schools have their own set of advantages to consider as well. Many of these institutions offer a premium curriculum and smaller class sizes to encourage the learning process. The hours might work better for parents, there might be better access to technology and reference materials, and some might argue that this structure can offer more for children.

In the private school vs. public school debate, there are no easy answers to find. Choosing the best option is often one of the most significant decisions that parents will make for their children. Having an independent education is important, but it is also something that comes at a price for some households that exceeds what they can afford.

If you are wondering what option might be best for your needs, then here are the pros and cons of private school vs. public school to consider.

List of the Pros of Private School vs Public School

1. Private schools have smaller class sizes. Most private schools have class sizes that are much smaller than what you would find at your typical public school. Most institutions will not have more than 18 students in that room, with most hovering around 10-12 kids that they are teaching at the same time. If you have younger children, then look for a private school which offers two teachers for the same room. With reading groups or gifted-and-talented programs, you might have groups as small as 3-5 kids working with a teacher to learn something new.

2. Private schools often have fantastic libraries. When you work with an independent school for your child’s education, then there is an excellent chance that they have a comfortable library setting with an excellent collection of books. You will also have librarians working with the school to help your kids pick out the best titles for their situation, whether they want to read for fun or have a class project to complete. You should also receive periodic updates about new arrivals. Many private school libraries even allow parents or guardians to borrow books too.

3. Private schools have more access to specialists. Private schools offer the same access to specialist classes as a public school does if they are structure correctly. You should have talented teachers for physical education, music, and art and all grade levels. When your children approach the higher grades, then dance and theater specialties should come into the mix as well. The schedule can vary by school on how often these classes meet, but it should be at least once per week. It can sometimes be every day, depending on the type of school you are considering.

4. Private schools get more active in the community. The best private schools look for ways to integrate the educational opportunities your children need with community activities which reinforce the concepts being taught. Public schools offer field trips that accomplish this benefit at a smaller level, but only a few districts make a concerted effort to be out each week with the professionals and business owners that show off their talents and skills each day. Art classes will go on gallery tours. Theater classes go to community plays. When kids have a chance to be interactive with their curriculum, then they typically retain the data better.

5. Private schools often have access to better technologies. The best private schools often receive late-model tablets, laptops, and computers to use as part of the learning process. Some institutions even include this technology as part of the curriculum cost of joining the school, which means your student gets to take the product home because it is their own. There is also reliable and fast Internet service available at these institutions, with a technology department that will make sure that any issues are resolved quickly so that the learning process is not interrupted.

6. Private schools offer better food options for students. Although it is true that many public schools are picking up their lunch game by serving healthier food options (sometimes grown in a school garden), private schools are more expensive because the cost of lunch is built into the annual fees that you pay. There are fresh produce choices, vegetarian and vegan options, low-salt foods, and non-GMO products at many institutions. Some of them even work with local restaurants to ensure that the quality of the food exceeds every standard that is in place.

7. Private schools offer better facilities. You will find the occasional private school that doesn’t offer this advantage because they are small, niche, or operating in a rural area. Most offer first-rate facilities that might include a swimming pool, dark room, science lab, student lounges, a large gymnasium, and even art studios. The goal with the education that you receive through the private system is to have your student explore their interests to their utmost capacity. Look for an institution that can push your student forward in the subject areas that are their strengths without disregarding weaker curriculum areas.

8. Private schools often offer niche sports for student competition. All schools, public and private, typically have a sports program that will allow students to play baseball, basketball, soccer, and tennis competitively with other districts. Track and field events are another common sport, along with cross-country running. When you send your student to a private school, then you may find that there are some extra sports offered that your child may want to try. Rugby, fencing, rowing, and lacrosse are common additions to the curriculum. If you live in a coastal area or a large lake, then sailing might be an option as well.

9. Private schools offer better career counseling opportunities to students. In the larger school districts across the country, public-school counselors are often responsible for hundreds of students at once. Trying to provide meaningful services as teens look toward vocational or college options can be challenging at best. When your family works with a private school, the ratios are much better. The best institutions offer a ratio that is closer to 40 to 1, which allows the staff to form closer relationships and provide personalized advice to help with applications, college selection, and more.

Part of this process includes an alumni network that attended the school as well. There may be thousands of professionals who went to your selected private institution working across the country who can provide apprenticeships, host networking events, or be a guest speaker to allow their knowledge to benefit your students too.

10. Private schools offer more flexibility than public institutions. A private school has many more options available to it when your family has some specific needs that must be met. If your child contracts a sudden illness that keeps them out of classes for some time, then you might be able to make up the homework and tests during the summer under the guidance of a teacher. Some students compete in sporting events at a semi-pro level and travel frequently, so a private school could arrange for the curriculum to be learned while they are away.

Even if you want to spend an entire year traveling, working, or managing an extended illness, you can be granted a leave of absence or be given online learning opportunities that can keep your children from being held back a grade. Public schools are not always allowed to make these accommodations.

11. Private schools must treat you as a paying customer. If your child attends a public school, then trying to get a meeting with their teacher, principal, or another administrator can be challenging. When you enroll in a private institution, then you become a paying customer. When you have concerns that need to be addressed, then you should be able to get a meeting right away. That doesn’t mean the results from that discussion will be what you want, but it is easier to have your concerns voiced in this setting compared to what you would experience otherwise.

12. Private schools offer students access to travel programs. The best private schools that are out there today will send groups of students on various service and educational trips around the world. Every institution has a different policy and preference for where they go, so you might see options that range from the Philippines to Mexico to Spain. Some of these trips may even be performance-related, such as sending the theater group to perform in Portugal or the technology class to Seattle to tour Microsoft’s facilities.

13. Private schools offer more needs assessments during the year. Most independent schools in the United States administer needs assessment tests that allow teachers, parents, and administrators to have insights into where a student may need some help with their learning processes. These tests are standardized, but they do not carry the “high stakes” approach that they would in the public school system. The goal with this advantage isn’t to rank students, schools, or teachers, but to find out what it is that everyone needs to maximize their overall success.

14. Private schools often have less bureaucracy. Because a private school does not need to abide by the same state regulations as a public school, there are often fewer layers of bureaucracy to navigate as a parent. A private institution can spend less time on the paperwork requirements to stay in compliance with regulations, which means more resources can be devoted to the teaching process. There is more autonomy in the classroom because there is less of a focus on the scores that students achieve on a test. That means your child may have more access to creative learning opportunities if you can afford the cost of a private school.

List of the Cons of Private School vs Public School

1. Public schools offer a cost advantage that is challenging to beat. Although there are some added costs to the public system with sports participation, extracurricular activities, or special books that some teachers want, this educational option is far cheaper for families compared to what a private institution charges for access. The average tuition cost for a private school in the United States is $10,671 – a figure which hasn’t changed for more than a decade. If you have kids in high school, then that rate jumps to $14,500 per year. Sending your child to a boarding school would double that expense, and if you choose an institution that is affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools you might pay even more.

2. Public schools provide more availability to families. The design of a public school is meant to be inclusive for every family in the community. No one can be turned away from an institution based on their academic performance if you choose a public option over a private institution. Income levels or the presence of a disability cannot be disqualifying factors either. This structure ensures that every student has the same educational opportunities as everyone else in their community, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Because education equalizes opportunities in the future, a public school can help to give everyone a fair chance at success.

3. Public schools often provide more diversity than private schools. Because public schools are required to admit all children in their community for an education, there is a significant level of diversity that kids encounter in the classroom. Even when a child has disciplinary issues, the local district must work (under most circumstances) to find a way that helps them to find a path toward success. That means there is more exposure to different cultures, socioeconomic circumstances, and even physical or mental health struggles. By seeing the different ways that humanity is put on display, it can become an essential part of the learning experience still for each student.

4. Public schools still offer smaller class sizes in the younger years. Many public schools work to keep the number of students in a single classroom to about 20 from kindergarten to Grade 4. Some districts can even be competitive with private schools on this point. Although middle, intermediate, and high school sizes are significantly larger compared to private institutions, many students are mature enough to handle the changes that occur. There are always kids who do better in less chaotic environments, so that is sometimes why parents opt for a private curriculum even though it stretches their budget.

5. Public schools can offer more academic opportunities to students. Private schools might have more ways to send students into their community or around the world to learn, but it is the public system that can typically offer advancement placement classes, early college enrollment, or the International Baccalaureate® program to push kids to their full potential. If your child wants to excel, then they will find numerous ways to do so when they attend their local public school. If that is not something that seems appealing to a child, then there are still options provided to them at their ability level that will help them to grow too.

6. Public schools offer a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities. There are several options available to students after the final bell rings each day. Most public schools offer a chance to enroll in sports programs. There are music, art, and theater specialists who will work with kids to help them keep learning and exceling in their chosen areas. Although there are usually added costs to join these programs, it is much cheaper to have kids participating in them through a public school compared to the cost requirements of a private institution.

7. Public schools must provide services to students. It is required by law that a public school provide services such as transportation to students so that they can arrive in time for classes each day. Programs that offer reduced-cost lunches, breakfast opportunities, or academic assistance are in place in each community as well. You will also have access to a staff of specialists who understand learning challenges and special educational needs that may not always be available through a private system.

Because a private school can decide on who they want to admit, some specialty educational needs may not be provided because they can be exclusionary based on grades, performance, or event certain learning disabilities.

8. Public schools require teachers to be certified by the state. You can rely on the quality of what a teacher can provide in the public schools because they must earn a certification from their state to be in a classroom. Private and charter schools do not have this requirement, which means parents might not always know the level of training of the educator that is instructing their student. Some schools don’t even require a degree in teaching as part of the hiring process if you look for institutions outside of your district.

This level of accountability extends to the academic performance of the students as well. Even though standardized testing does create outcomes that are not always reflective of how a student learns, the results do create meaningful data that can be useful when administrators are not performing as they should. It is a structure that prevents abuse of teachers and students, allowing for quicker fixes to happen than if all of the reviews were internalized.

9. Public schools offer comparable educational results. The Huffington Post studied the scores of students in public schools compared to those in private institutions. They discovered that the results are comparable, even though some districts do turn up poor results at times – especially in regions where there are high rates of poverty. Instead of creating a circuit of blame that affixes on one type of school or the other, it is more effective to find out what is holding an institution back, and then provide resources that can help it succeed.

10. Public schools spend more time on the core educational subjects. The National Center for Education Statistics compared the curriculum options from public schools with those of private institutions. Their study found that a public school spends about 3 hours more per week studying math, English, social studies, and science than what kids experience in a private school. Although that means less time is available for specialists, it also gives children extra time to review information that they will tangibly use in the future.

The pros and cons of private schools vs. public schools involve more than the cost of an education today. There are tangible social, structural, and curriculum differences that could help your child succeed with these comparison points. You will discover that there isn’t a “right” or “wrong” answer here. You must find a course that works well for your child’s needs without creating a hardship for your family at the same time. Each institution has specific advantages to consider, so choose the one option where you think success is achievable.

clock This article was published more than  6 years ago

Are private schools really better than public schools? A look at the data.

Independent schools are nonprofit private schools that are governed by an independent board of trustees and are supported primarily through tuition and contributions. There are more than 1,500 independent private K-12 schools in the United States, including some of the country’s best known, including Sidwell Friends School in Washington, where several presidents sent their children.

It is commonly thought that many of these private schools provide a better education than public schools — and  data published recently by the National Association of Independent Schools and Gallup find that their graduates may have better long-term outcomes.

But data can be misleading, and there is a legitimate question of how much sense it makes to compare private and public school performance when the populations of students are different.

In this post, Alden S. Blodget — an educator who spent decades in independent schools — writes that the NAIS-Gallup report, “Seeking Critical Collegiate Experiences and Consistent Progression in Higher Education,” could have “unintended consequences, the most dangerous of which is confirming a tendency to believe that education in independent schools must be better than what happens in public schools.”

Blodget was both a student of independent schools and a teacher of English and drama, as well as an administrator in five different schools in several states during his nearly four-decade academic career. He has published numerous pieces about education. And from 2000 until 2014, he worked with University of Southern California neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, offering workshops for teachers to explore the implications of her research and that of Harvard University’s Kurt W. Fischer.

Immordino-Yang researches the psychological and neurobiological bases of social emotion, self-awareness and culture, and their implications for learning; Fisher has been a leader in researching how neuroscience, cognitive science and psychology tell us about learning and the cognitive and emotional development of young people.

Blodget published a short book based on these workshops: “ Learning, Schooling and the Brain: New Research vs. Old Assumptions .” He has retired from teaching and is the editor of ParentsAssociation.com , a free online resource and idea exchange for parents, students and teachers.

By Alden S. Blodget

“We have built a cult of data, and we are now enclosed within.”

                                                                                    — Nicolas Sarkozy

We live in the age of Big Data. People no longer seem to trust intuition, experience or observation, and anecdotal evidence causes the eyes to glaze over. If you have a thought, chances are good that few will take it seriously unless some sort of research supports it. Conclusions and evidence based on research-produced numbers increasingly determine not only the direction of decisions but whether a new idea is even considered.

Research and data can certainly be important tools in assessing claims and effectiveness and in guiding people as they explore new initiatives, but the elevation of data to a sort of monotheism is dangerous. Numbers offer only one view of reality. Experience offers another. The worship of numbers, especially when those numbers present a reality sharply at odds with the reality that people actually live, can limit or stifle change and innovation.

In his foreword to “ Mis-Measuring Our Lives: Why GDP Doesn’t Add Up ,” Nicolas Sarkozy wrote about a “gulf of incomprehension between the expert certain in his knowledge and the citizen whose experience of life is completely out of sync with the story told by the data. . . . We wound up mistaking our representations of wealth for the wealth itself and our representations of reality for the reality itself.”

Sarkozy’s observations apply to areas other than the economy.

Recently, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) partnered with Gallup to compare the college experiences of NAIS graduates with those of graduates of other high schools. Not surprisingly, its report ( NAIS-Gallup Report on NAIS Graduates ) showed that NAIS graduates fared better in college and in life after college.

Although the survey claims only to look at factors that contribute to a future sense of well-being (good job, good life) rather than how well educated students are, there is a tacit invitation for people to draw conclusions about the superior quality of an NAIS education. As a result, the report could have unintended consequences, the most dangerous of which is confirming a tendency to believe that education in independent schools must be better than what happens in public schools.

Comparing NAIS students to students in non-NAIS schools might produce nice marketing fliers, but it can also solidify comfortable self-satisfaction and complacency, lulling independent schools into thinking that they are some sort of model of excellence in learning outcomes.

The data from this study are certainly being used in new marketing tools to claim that NAIS schools are superior to public schools. After all, just look at the numbers used in the NAIS fliers: “77 percent of NAIS grads complete college on time, compared to 64 percent of public school grads,” and about the same percentages enjoy academic challenges.

So why mess with success? Resistance to change has long dominated independent schools, especially those that send large numbers of graduates to Ivy League colleges, and this report offers support to those who prefer to keep things as they are. Data are good; parents are happy. Why rock the boat?

I have no doubt that a higher percentage of independent school graduates feel more positive about the categories that the NAIS-Gallup poll measured — though I wonder how these percentages are skewed by other variables such as the population of wealthy, motivated students attracted to independent schools vs. the greater range of abilities and resources in the even larger number who go to college from non-NAIS schools.

But what do these categories and percentages have to do with education, with meaningful learning? Nothing, and although the report does not claim that they do, the tendency to conflate one with the other is irresistible.

What is the reality of independent school? Does it merit this lavish self-congratulation?

Finishing college on time, having higher SAT scores, being active in extracurricular activities and feeling prepared for college or enjoying academic challenge are mis-measures of deep learning. Yet the implication seems strong that these categories offer legitimate insight into the overall quality of an NAIS education, which implicitly includes learning. In fact, schools generally do not use assessment tools that measure deep learning. The SAT and ACT provide no insight into students’ level of skill (what they can do) or complexity of conceptual understanding (what they really know, as opposed to what they have memorized).

As a citizen who lives in the gap between the NAIS-Gallup data and my years of experience in independent schools, I see a different reality “completely out of sync with the story told by the data.” And I know that many of my colleagues share this perception of reality, which comes from faculty rooms and meetings filled with voices ranting about kids who can’t think, can’t write, aren’t curious, don’t listen, know nothing, remember nothing, can’t read and don’t care.

Teachers in NAIS schools, as well as public schools, complain about the steady decline in focus and attention span as students become more addicted to social media and smartphones: “I can’t give the same assignments or tests to these kids that I could give them 15 years ago.”

At the same time, everyone worries about a reality that produces an increasing number of depressed and anxious students, the kids who can’t cope with the pressures to get the grades they need to attend “a highly ranked college,” where they arrive already burned out. And this reality is reflected, too, in an earlier Gallup poll that identified the two words students most frequently used to describe their experience of school: “bored” and “tired.” Their words resonate with my own lifetime of experiences and observations of students in many classrooms in different independent schools. Given this reality, does it really matter whether someone finishes college on time?

My reality also comes from years of reading books and articles written by others who think about and work in education. The most recent is education philosopher Zachary Stein , who writes:

The recent economic crisis has involved the best graduates from our most prestigious schools. The key players were our greatest test-takers, our academic overachievers, and those who leveraged Ivy League success to land (unconscionably) high paying jobs in the financial sector. Their greed, incompetence, and narcissistic irreverence speak eloquently to the failure of our educational systems.” ( Education in a Time Between Worlds )

Stein is not alone in a belief that the complexity of the problems we face today, from the degradation of our planet to the failure of our economic system, far exceed the capacity of our schools, as currently designed, to help students develop the skills or understanding to solve them. This is the reality that the data produced by the NAIS-Gallup report not only fail to capture but actually hide by implying that learning in NAIS schools must be superior to learning in public schools.

One problem with comparing graduates from NAIS schools with those from other schools is that schools are still schools. With a few exceptions, they all, public and private, rest on the same flawed assumptions about how people learn: teaching, telling and learning are synonyms; single skills can be learned in a linear fashion; natural and necessary regression of a skill is failure; emotion interferes with rational thinking and learning; brains come in two forms — normal or disabled; performance can be judged independent of context; recall is evidence of learning. We have a system badly in need of  rethinking and redesign.

One of the reasons so many educators, even in NAIS schools, might perceive that students are not learning in deep, meaningful ways is that students are not learning in deep, meaningful ways. The last thing we need is a poll that assures those of us who work in independent schools that all is well.

Unlike most public schools, independent schools have the freedom and resources to rethink education, yet reports like the NAIS-Gallup study are likely to prevent deeper self-examination. After all, the data percentages that the study produced are in our favor. We must be doing something right.

Sarkozy warns that “treating these [statistics] as objective data, as if they are external to us, beyond question or dispute, is undoubtedly reassuring and comfortable, but it’s dangerous. It’s dangerous because we get to the point where we stop asking ourselves about the purpose of what we are doing, what we are actually measuring, and what lessons we need to draw. That is how the mind begins to close . …”

We need to focus on more profound questions about the purpose of education and make sure that what we are measuring will allow us to learn the lessons required to improve our schools. Formulating these questions depends on understanding a complex reality.

The point is not that data should be ignored. The point is that intuition based on experience and deep knowledge should not be relegated to its current inferior status. Anecdotal evidence can be useful. Data and intuition can be equally valid (or invalid) tools for gaining insight into reality. Intuition can serve as a meaningful check on data; data can serve as a meaningful check on intuition. People need an accurate and complete sense of reality from as many perspectives as possible to improve the actual lives of people — those of our students.

Private School vs. Public School

Parents have much to consider, from test scores and class sizes to diversity and costs.

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Parents may want to look at the certification, training and professional development obligations of teachers in both public and private schools.

Deciding whether to send a child to public or private school can be a tough choice for parents of elementary, middle and high school students. Data on whether public or private education is better can be challenging to find and difficult to understand, and the cost of private school can be daunting.

So how can parents weigh private schools versus public schools?

Myra McGovern, spokesperson for the National Association of Independent Schools, says it comes down to what is best for each child.

“The individual needs of the child should shape the choice for parents,” she says.

Robert Pianta, professor of early childhood education and founding director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia , notes that there are various types of private schools. Some are managed by and affiliated with religious sects, while others operate independently under certain philosophical guidelines. He says parents should be “clear about the specific benefits that they are seeking for their child.”

“What is it about their child that makes them think a private education will be better, and then, more importantly, what is it about a specific private school that matches that child’s needs?” he wrote in an email. “And then, would this experience (or others) be also available in public school?”

Public and Private Schools By the Numbers

With more than 13,000 public school districts (made up of about 100,000 schools) and more than 30,000 individual private schools in the U.S., parents have plenty of choices. However, certain locales may have limited or no private school options. Some may have private schools for certain grades and not others.

Consider these

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, public schools still attract far more students than private schools, with 50.8 million students attending public school as of 2019. Private school enrollment in the fall of 2019 was 4.7 million students, down from 5.7 million in 2017.

But what are the distinctions that might make a difference to parents as they decide between the two? Experts and education researchers say parents should look at a variety of factors when choosing a school for their child, including:

• Educational outcomes, such as rates of graduation and college enrollment.
• Class size.
• Teacher training.
• Affordability.
• Availability of programs for learning disabilities.

Comparing Student Success in Public and Private Schools

Research has consistently shown that private school students tend to perform better on standardized tests. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is often referred to as “the nation’s report card,” assesses both public and private school students in subjects such as math, reading, science and writing. The most recent NAEP data shows what other research has found: Private school students score better in almost all subjects.

For example, eighth grade private school students averaged about 20 points higher than public school or charter students on the NAEP reading test in 2022. Fourth grade private school students had nearly the same advantage in average scores.

On college entry tests such as the SAT , NAIS found that students in private schools consistently outperformed their public school peers in all subject areas.

While private schools appear on paper to promise better educational outcomes for their students, some scholars have attempted to dig deeper than just test scores to find out if private schools actually increase student success.

Pianta, who led a study published in 2018 that examined academic, social, psychological and attainment outcomes, says he found student success is more directly related to family attributes, such as having college-educated parents and higher incomes, than which school they attend.

“When you compare children who went to private school (for an average of six years) with those who only went to public school, any apparent benefits of private schooling – higher test scores, for example – are entirely attributable to parents’ education and income,” he says. “The fact that they went to private school does not account for any differences we might see.”

Christopher Lubienski, a professor at Indiana University and co-author of the book, “The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools,” agrees, saying, “Whether it’s a public or private school is not necessarily the defining factor. Private schools tend to score better on tests. … But we found that family background differences more than explain the difference between public and private school test scores.”

So how do students from low-income families who attend a private school perform?

Megan Austin, a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research, looked at the success of students who participated in Indiana’s publicly funded private school voucher program, which is aimed at students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and skews heavily toward the parochial schools that participate in the voucher program.

She says that students using vouchers to attend private schools were somewhat less successful than those who were attending without a voucher, but that “both types of students … were less likely than traditional public school students to ever fail a course, or to ever be suspended in high school, and they were more likely to enroll in college within one year of high school graduation.”

Courses and Class Size

When researching school options, parents also may want to consider what kinds of courses public and private schools offer, particularly in high school, where high-achieving students may want access to a varied selection, including honors and Advanced Placement classes, Austin says.

She adds that parents should ask schools about how many students graduate on time, how many of their students enroll in college, and the school’s average SAT and ACT scores, among other things.

“Those are all indicators that have been shown to correlate with later success, so asking for that information is a good starting point,” she says.

Class size may be another indicator for parents. While some may feel that smaller class sizes are better for students, Pianta says research on the impact of smaller class sizes on student success has been mixed.

“It’s only when classrooms are in the 12-18 (student) range of size compared with classrooms of 25-35 (students) that we really see a difference,” he says. “In fact, although those smaller classes are observed to be richer in interactions and conversations, there is also some evidence to suggest that some larger classrooms (25-30) actually are better managed, and children learn somewhat more in terms of facts.”

Pianta also stresses that, when it comes to class size, “there’s not a clear rule of thumb.”

Still, the selling point of private schools for many parents is smaller class sizes and more individualized instruction. The student-to-teacher ratio at private schools in 2021 was 12.5 students per teacher, lower than the average 15.4 at public schools.

McGovern of NAIS says smaller class sizes in private schools create a “more tight-knit environment,” which allows the “teacher to really get to know each individual student and their strengths and weaknesses.”

Pianta agrees that smaller class sizes may benefit certain types of children. “If parents have a real reason to be concerned about their child in a large classroom (perhaps that student is very shy or, on the other hand, more likely to be disruptive), then smaller classrooms are better,” he says.

But he adds that many public school classrooms have fewer than 20 students per class, which would allow the same kind of individualized attention students receive in private schools.

Teacher Training and Certification

Regardless of class size, parents may want to look at the certification, training and professional development obligations of teachers in both public and private schools.

McGovern says that while many private school teachers are not certified as public school teachers are required to be, private schools often hire subject matter experts with advanced degrees who can give students more authoritative instruction than a teacher with a background in just education.

“Independent schools generally have extensive professional development for individual teachers and groups of teachers to make sure their skills in the classroom are really top-notch,” she says.

McGovern also says independent schools “are not driven by performance on standardized tests,” as many public schools are, giving teachers more flexibility to create engaging curricula. Private schools are generally not required to meet state testing requirements. However, because some private schools don’t teach with standardized testing in mind, it can make it more difficult for those schools to document the benefits of their approach, she notes.

Lubienski says teacher certifications are important. Public school teachers face rigorous requirements to attend training and to adopt the latest changes in curricula for important subjects like math. Without certifications and regular professional development, curricula can become outdated.

The Cost of Public vs. Private Schools

Public schools are funded by taxpayer dollars, but private schools represent an additional expense for parents. To send their children to private schools, parents generally either need to have the resources on hand to pay tuition or they need some type of financial aid, whether that is scholarship money, loans or publicly funded vouchers in states and localities that offer them.

Tuition costs vary based on the type of private school. For example, median tuition at independent day schools for grades K-12 was $27,408 as of September 2022, according to NAIS. Private boarding schools were more expensive for K-12 students, charging $63,650 on average.

Schools operated by organizations like the Roman Catholic Church or other religious groups tend to cost less than secular independent schools. For example, average annual tuition for private Catholic elementary schools as of 2023 was $4,840, compared to $11,207 for all private elementary schools, according to the Education Data Initiative . Average tuition for secondary Catholic schools was $11,240, while independent private secondary schools charged $16,645.

Diversity in Public and Private Schools

Racial diversity at private schools typically looks different than at public schools. According to NCES data, 66% of students attending private schools were white in the 2019-2020 school year. Hispanic students made up 12% of the population, while 9% were Black, 7% were Asian and the remainder were students from biracial, Pacific Islander or Native American backgrounds.

In contrast, 45% of students attending public schools were white, according to NCES data from the fall of 2021. Hispanic students made up 28% of the population, while 15% were Black, 5% were Asian and the remaining 7% were students from biracial, Pacific Islander or Native American backgrounds.

Pianta says parents looking to send their children to schools with a diverse student body are more likely to find that in public schools. “The diversity of public school is a strength,” he says.

Best Schools for Learning Disabilities

For children with learning disabilities, education experts say that private schools may not always be a good fit.

Public schools are required by law to provide access to “a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensure special education and related services to those children,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s webpage on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , or IDEA. The department says 7.5 million children were receiving services in public schools under IDEA as of the 2020-2021 school year.

Pianta says his research shows children with learning disabilities are better off in public schools, given the resources that states and localities are required to commit under the IDEA.

“Public schools are more tightly regulated than private schools, and this is very evident in the services they must provide to students with special needs,” Pianta says.

McGovern of NAIS acknowledges that not all private schools have support systems for children with learning disabilities, but emphasizes that “some schools do a phenomenal job with students of different learning abilities.” She adds that some private schools are specifically geared toward students with learning disabilities and provide programs tailored to address those needs.

For example, The Fletcher Academy in North Carolina notes on its website that it serves students “with ADHD, processing & memory issues, and a variety of learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.” Similarly, the Forman School in Connecticut is a college prep school for children with ADHD and dyslexia.

“It’s important for families to ask what the school’s strengths are and their capabilities to really serve the child based on his or her unique needs,” McGovern says.

Researching Public vs. Private Schools

Because each child is different and school options vary by locality, many experts say parents need to do their research locally before deciding what’s best.

“People often assume that private options are better in areas like transportation, housing and health care,” Lubienski says. “With education, that’s not necessarily true.”

He says parents may want to choose private schools over public schools for reasons that go beyond academic outcomes, such as religious education or extracurricular activities such as sports, music or theater.

Austin at the American Institutes for Research says parents should evaluate a variety of options in their communities, including public charter and magnet schools.

“Many parents name academic quality as their top priority, but fewer parents end up having a strong understanding of the academic quality of the school their student goes to,” Austin says. “Instead, they tend to rely on reputation, word-of-mouth or less concrete information that may or may not actually reflect school quality.”

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Public vs. Private School

There are many differences and some similarities in public and private schools. I have attended both a public and private school, and I preferred going to a public school rather than a private. There are many reasons why I enjoyed going to a public school rather than a private, and that is because they have so many differences. There are a few similarities though. Some of those differences and similarities would be how the school is funded, rules, class size, and transportation.

            The biggest difference between a public and private school is how they are funded. Public schools are most of the time funded by the state and the government. Private schools are funded by paying a tuition. The nicer the private school is the higher the tuition that you have to pay. Most of the time private schools are independent and aren’t interfered by the public. Private schools depend on their own funding, which comes from tuition, grants, and donations. Since public schools are funded by the government, it is free to go to and anybody can attend if you are in the school’s district. If you attend a private school, you can live wherever you want. 

            There are different rules you have to follow at private school. For example, most of the time you have to wear the school’s uniforms, keep your shirt tucked in, wear white socks, and a belt. On the other hand, at public schools you can just about wear anything you want to. It just can’t have profanity on it and girls can’t wear revealing clothing. My personal experience, I always felt that teachers at private schools are way more strict than public schools. For instance, my friend was on his phone and the teacher saw him and automatically took it from him with no warning or anything. They also told us not get on our phones at lunch, which I thought was absurd. While at a public school, it is way more laid back. I felt like at the private school, I attended, the administration was always trying to find a reason to start something. Other than the dress code rules, all the other rules are basically the same. For example, no bullying, plagiarism, using profanity, etc.

            Another difference is class size. Most public schools have way more people attending them than private schools. There are usually around 30 students to a classroom at a public school. While at a private school, there are around 15 students and sometimes less than that. The hallways at a public school are always packed when changing classrooms or when we were on break. One reason I liked public school more was because there were always new people to be friends with and not have to be stuck seeing the same people in every class. I also think that since there are so many more people in a public school, it helps you prepare for college because you are already used to seeing people you don’t know. While at a private school, you see the same 30 people that are in your grade everyday. People say that because the classrooms are smaller at a private school you get more help from the teacher. My grades were better at a public school though. You could also make the argument that private school is harder than public, but I just think it depends on the teacher. Since private schools have a smaller number of students most of the administration knows you by name, this could be a good or bad thing depending on the situation.

            A big difference between public and private schools is transportation. Public schools are required to have bus transportation to take students to and from school. Whereas at a private school someone has to drop you off and pick you up from school if you are not old enough to drive. An obvious similarity is that, if you are old enough, you can drive yourself to and from school and have you own parking spot. Since public schools have rules on how far you can live from the school, private school students have to travel farther than public school students.

            There are many differences between public and private schools. At the end of the day there are obviously going to be similarities because it is school, and you are there to learn. I personally didn’t enjoy going to a private school for many reasons. One of them being because of how small my class was. The only thing I really enjoyed, at the private school I attended, was the food was much better than public school food. I enjoyed going to a public school much more because there was more of a variety of people and it was more laid back.

Izzah Ahmed

This is Izzah, a content writer and editor who creates SEO-friendly content and has experience in academic writing. Backed by 10 years of experience in writing and editing, she is equipped with the skill to create content that is backed by thorough research and has impeccable structure.

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Are private schools better than public schools? Perception versus reality

Op-ed article published in the Times-Colonist (Victoria, BC) newspaper on the myth of the private school advantage.

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What do you believe is the role of affordable private schools for the poor in India? " Private " schools are schools that are independently operated and do not receive government aid. Private schools for the poor exist and they are most likely to have the largest effect on enrollment. The macro-level analysis of various independent factors such as government spending on education, political opinion, economic data, and cultural variables determines their relationship to private schools in the developing world. Private schooling in India is demand-driven. Parents choose private education because they believe they provide better education and future opportunities for their children than the government schools. Political factors play a serious role in private education choice. Private schools are currently educating a large percentage of the world's poor. Governments are not on track towards achieving the Goal: Education for All. When private schools are included, more students are enrolled in school than governments. Affordable private schools are included in education enrollment goals and benchmarks are being met. Because of government failure to educate students in very poor areas, private schools that charge low-fees are educating students that would otherwise attend government schools—or not be in school at all. Schools develop in this scenario as government does not meet a mandate to education, which it declares a fundamental right. Whether the failure is actual or perceived, private organizations are educating the masses where there is government failure. The low-fee private school sector is fulfilling parents' demands in cases where government schooling does not. Political scientists, policy-makers, and government officials need to recognize the influence and salience of the private sector when discussing global education. Private education is helping educate the world's poor in a substantial way. Primary reason that families choose private schools is perceived superior quality to government schools. Largest reasons for choosing private schools are, in order, poor or nonexistent government-school infrastructure, lack of English medium education, and insufficiency or absenteeism of government-school teachers. Government schools geographically located too far from many families to attend school, and children who attend private school tend to have higher attendance and greater measured achievement. Political aspect of affordable private schools has often been overlooked. Existing studies either discount affordable private schools completely, citing education as a normative universal " public good " , or discount the role of government, saying that private schools arise because the " government system is perceived to be inadequate " , that they exist because of the poor and declining quality of government education, or inadequate infrastructural capacity of government to handle educational needs alone. Affordable private sector can " reclaim education " for the poor, especially in cases in which governments fail to provide education. When a collective-action problem leads to failure of the government sector, and government is not responsive to citizens' needs, citizens are more likely to privatize what has been previously viewed as a collective function. Trust in government, the relationship between teacher job protection, union strength, and teacher absenteeism and the language of instruction are all salient concerns. Government policies, including spending and curriculum help explain the size of the private sector. There is a role of key players in government and private education. The principal actors, which are outlined as follows, are government actors (public officials), teachers, parents, and school operators/entrepreneurs. With such heavy job protection, teachers are often absent from class. Some teachers are absent because of the close relationship between teachers' unions and the government sector—they are carrying out administrative, political, or election-related work, and other teachers are absent because of the lack of accountability surrounding teacher absence. Parental preferences also play a role in private enrollment. Parents also recognize teacher absence, and cite government-school teacher absenteeism as one reason for choosing private schools. Government officials also hinder or encourage the provision of private schools by motives of personal financial gain. Corruption taints private school regulation. Government teachers oppose private education for both ideological and practical reasons. Teachers have a stated commitment to universal and compulsory government education, and many do not feel that poor families ought to pay money for private school. Practically, low-fee private schools are competitors for government schools, and teachers have a rational incentive to limit their supply in order to protect the pre-eminence of government school. Individuals and groups create and operate affordable private schools. For these schools to exist there has to be significant incentive for independent school operators to work in the sector. School curriculum and language of instruction can also impact parents' preference. Many families choose private schools because they are English-medium. English provides a competitive advantage: though the country has official languages at the state level, English is one of the two official languages for state business. Governments use language as a political tool. Finally, cultural factors have a significant impact on parental choice. Low-fee private schools do have some direct connection to parental choice through factors associated with religion. If given a chance what are the kinds of innovative solutions (products & services) that you will introduce to these schools and how would you make these interventions sustainable in these schools? Innovative Solutions-Outline

What's wrong with private education

John White’s new interdisciplinary study of private schools in Britain asks if there are good reasons for their continued existence. Drawing on philosophical, historical and recent policy data, it questions well-known objections to them. Its central concern is the danger they pose to a democratic society: their traditional dominion over leadership positions in sphere after sphere still continues. In recent years they have benefited from a deliberate blurring of the divide between the concepts of private and public education – most notably via the academies programme in England. Their growing strength has to be seen against the wider background of a single hierarchical system. Private schools and top state schools are at the apex of a new pyramid created by examination-focused curricula, league tables and parent choice.The book ends with proposals for abolishing private schools or curbing their power.

Patrick J McEwan

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Public Schools Are Better Than Private Schools Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Performance , Education , Children , Study , High School , Family , Students , Parents

Words: 1400

Published: 02/22/2020

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The need to give ‘the best’ education to their children has never been higher for parents as this is what society perceives to be the epitome of good parenting. This success is measured by good grades, co-curricular activities, entrance into Ivy League universities and finally high flying careers. The dilemma that parents face today is in choosing a school for their children, private or public? Whereas private schools have long been believed to the better option, with the prevailing economic crisis the cost of private schools is prohibitive to most parents; more people are turning to public schools because there is more data to prove that they are better than public schools. This paper seeks to debunk the myths surrounding public school education and to prove that public schools are better than private schools. Historically the notion that private schools provide better opportunities for their students in terms of academic performance, co-curricular activities and college entry has been propagated by research findings. CEP notes that researchers such as Coleman, Hoffer & Kilgore, 1982 stated that private school students perform better in school than their public school counterparts who cited a “private school effect”. (5) These findings are what prompted reforms in the public school sector that borrowed heavily on the private school model such as school uniforms and more autonomy for schools, ostensibly to match the performance of public schools to that of private schools. Recent research however points to a different direction, that public schools are indeed better than private schools. This is because the perceived better performance of private schools is due to other external factors other than the schools themselves. Public schools perform better, have more qualified teachers, have a wider range of facilities and are cheaper. The myths that private school students have higher chances of college entry, more satisfaction in the future and that public schools are unsafe are also dispelled showing that public schools are indeed better. CEP (Center for Education Policy) conducted a study in 2007 that had interesting findings; they found that the academic performance of children was based on “the kinds of economic and resource advantages their parents can give them during high school, as reflected by their SES” parents with a high SES have a higher expectations for their children to succeed, are more concerned about their children’s academic performance and discuss academics with their children more. (11&14)Such children are bound to perform better than their counterparts who do not have similar parents; these parents are mostly the private school parents because they can afford the high fees and are more concerned about their children’s schooling. Parents of public school children have lower SES and are mostly not available for their children as they have to work two jobs to get money. This study shows that ‘the private school effect’ is due to social factors and not due to the schools and that when these factors are put into consideration public schools perform better. The fact that public schools are cheaper is also another advantage, in these harsh economic times there is good news for parents since they don’t have to pay thousands of dollars for a good education that they can get for free. Private schooling “costs a family, on average, $15,000 a year”, with some schools costing as high as $40,000, parents can save all this money and still get quality education for their children if they take them to public schools. (Taylor,1) Another study by Lubienski & Lubienski in 2006, found that when factors such as SES and the academic ability of the student at entrance are put into consideration, students in public schools are performing better in mathematics, “moreover, particularly at grade 4, public schools actually scored significantly higher than did private and charter schools.”. This study faults the approach of previous studies as they did not put into consideration all the factors when preparing their findings. They found that public schools almost always get the weakest students which cause them to be perceived to lag behind in performance. This further proves that public schools are better. (3, 4&40)

According to NCES, “Most support services are found more often in public than private

Schools” they include remedial, ESL, special classes for disabled students who are sometimes rejected by private schools. They also have more medical services, substance abuse counseling and drug and alcohol prevention programs. (28) All these programs provide a better learning environment due to this increased support thus leading to better academic performance by the students in public schools. For a long time there have been claims that private school students have an advantage when applying to get into college. In his article Taylor interviews several people who are in college admission boards who say that private school students have no advantage when it comes to admission, they instead say that they look for "I look for qualities that don't show up on a high school transcript," and “someone who has an insatiable desire to learn, and who thinks critically." These are qualities that are found in all brilliant and hardworking students regardless of whatever school they went to. He also notes that there have been many successful children who attended public schools and the frustration that many private school students and their parents get after high school if their children don’t get into Ivy League schools after paying all that money for tuition. This article reveals that the parents with children in private schools may just be wasting their money paying for things they can get for free if they pay close attention to the academics of their children. (1) What about the claim that students from private schools had an advantage in the three post high school outcomes of college education, civic mindedness and job satisfaction? CEP found that at the age of 26 these outcomes were again found to be more dependent on SES and the Education of the parents other than the type of school attended. There was no relationship between private schooling and job satisfaction and civic mindedness was more determined by the students’ performance in the history subject than the type of school attended. The author closes by saying that “while private school effects exist in some circumstances, they are limited and inconsistent. In comparison, family characteristics appear repeatedly to influence student performance in high school and later life.” (18) These findings again dispel the myth of the existence of a ‘private school effect’ they instead show that brilliant and hardworking students will always succeed in life regardless of the type of school they attended. John Chubb and Terry Moe stated that “choice is a panacea” hailing autonomy in schools as the ultimate recipe for success thus implying that private schools are inherently better than public schools because they are autonomous and that the choice that parents had led to positive competition that caused academic excellence. What are these parents basing their choices on? Strauss notes that choices are based on “the demographics of a school, and sports programs are easier to observe, and parents often consider these, along with religious values,” and not necessarily academic performance. This leads to private schools concentrating more on attraction and pleasing parents more than teaching as opposed to public schools that focus more on teaching, choice might not be the panacea after all.(1) There have also been claims that public schools are unsafe and that “public school students have a much greater exposure to crime” (NCES, 19) While this is true to some extent seeing as public schools have low SES leading to an increase in the chances of crime, it would be unfair not to notice the stringent measures that these schools have put in place to increase security such as the installation of CCTV cameras and that crime also occurs in private schools.

“Are Private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High Schools?” Center on Education Policy. October 2007. Web. Lubienski, C. Lubienski, S. “Charter, Private, Public Schools and Academic Achievement: New Evidence from NAEP Mathematics Data” National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education. January 2006. Web “Public and private schools: how do they differ?” National center for education statistics. July 1997. Print Strauss, Valerie. “Are private schools better than public schools? New book says ‘no’” The Washington Post. 5 November 2013.Web. Taylor, Jermaine. “Is Private School Worth the 'Entitlement' and Hefty Price?” CNBC. 28 April 2013.Web.

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Private Schools Are Better Than Public Schools Argumentative Essay

When it comes to deciding between private and public schools, there are different opinions. Some believe that private schools are better. In this essay, I will explain the reasons behind this.

Table of Contents

Essay: Why Some People Think Private Schools Are Better Than Public Schools

Smaller class sizes.

One reason people think private schools are better is because they usually have smaller classes. This means there are fewer students in each class. With fewer students, teachers can give more attention to each student. This can make it easier to learn and ask questions.

Quality of Teaching

Private schools often have good teachers. They can pay their teachers more money and give them better working conditions. This makes the teachers happier and more motivated to teach well. When teachers are happy, they can do a better job teaching students.

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Private schools have more things to help students learn. They have nice buildings, computers, and programs for students to join. This can make school more interesting and fun. Students can learn in a better environment.

Higher Academic Standards

Private schools expect a lot from their students. They want students to do well in their studies. This can help students be ready for college. When students have high goals, they work hard and do their best.

Less Bullying

In private schools, there is not as much bullying. Students feel safe and happy at school. They can pay attention to learning without being scared of bullies. This makes it easier for them to do well in their schoolwork.

More Parental Involvement

Parents are more involved in private schools. They help students with their homework and support them in their activities. When parents care, students do well in school.

However, private schools also have some problems. They can cost a lot of money, and not all families can afford them. Public schools are for everyone, but private schools can choose who to accept. They might not accept all students. This can be unfair.

Are Private Schools More Expensive Than Public Schools?

Yes, private schools can be more expensive than public schools. Families need to pay money to send their children to private schools. Public schools are free for everyone. Some people believe that the money spent on private schools is worth it because of the benefits they offer.

How Do Private Schools Differ from Public Schools in Terms of Curriculum and Teaching Methods?

Private schools may have different ways of teaching. They might have special classes or methods that they believe work better. Public schools usually have to follow a certain curriculum set by the government. Private schools can choose their own curriculum.

In conclusion, some people believe that private schools are better than public schools. They have smaller classes, good teachers, more resources, higher standards, less bullying, and more parental involvement. However, private schools can also be expensive and not accessible to everyone. Public schools are for everyone, and they have their own benefits. The choice between private and public schools depends on what is best for each student and family.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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The Ethicist

Is it wrong for public school principals to send their kids to private school.

The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on double standards — and possible hypocrisy — among educators.

By Kwame Anthony Appiah

One of our friends is a principal at a charter high school for underprivileged kids. My youngest son goes to public school with a wonderful principal. Between the two principals, they have five children. All five of these children go to private high school. I have never asked the principals to explain their reasoning, but it seems hypocritical. It’s fine for them to work there, but not fine enough to send their children there? — Name Withheld

From the Ethicist:

I can see why their choices raise awkward questions. But don’t assume it’s a vote of no confidence in public education. There can be all sorts of reasons that they think the specific schools their kids are attending are a better fit for them, and you’re not acquainted with the particular circumstances, priorities and needs within each family. (For one thing, people might very well not want their kids to hear them being bad-mouthed by their classmates.) If you’re curious, though, why not ask? As school leaders, they won’t be surprised to be questioned about their choices. There’s a broader conversation to be had, of course, about the resource gap between public and private schools. But people who help run public schools don’t lose their rights as parents to make the decisions they believe are best for their children.

Readers Respond

The previous question was from a woman who disagreed with her husband about whether to divulge important information about her unborn child’s conception. She wrote: “My husband and I are thrilled to be welcoming our first child this spring, after an arduous I.V.F. journey lasting nearly two years. We ended up needing an anonymous egg donor, whom we found through an egg bank, to conceive our child. Select family members and close friends who knew that we were trying are aware that we took this route. However, my husband told me that he doesn’t want anyone else knowing that we used donor eggs, and that he is upset that some people already know. He is afraid that in a few years, someone will let slip to the child that they were conceived with donor eggs before we as parents have a chance to tell them ourselves. He believes we’re violating our unborn child’s right to privacy by sharing this fact with others. …What could possibly bring him around? Or how could I make peace with his position? And have I really deprived our unborn child of a right to privacy by telling a few people about how the child was conceived?”

In his response, the Ethicist noted: “When your husband talks about the child’s privacy, he’s suggesting that the child deserves the right to decide (at some unspecified age) who does and who does not know how this conception occurred. Yet we don’t usually think that the basic circumstances of our conception are something to keep secret. In the typical case, people understand children to be the product of sex between their parents. Is that a violation of privacy? It’s true that people who are the result of an anonymous egg donation can keep this fact quiet. The question is what interest it serves. … A two-decade study by researchers at the University of Cambridge found that in assisted-reproduction families, both kids and parents did better when the facts were disclosed early. Many fertility clinics have therapists who can help couples work through such issues.” (Reread the full question and answer here .)

I am a mother thanks to an egg donor. I applaud The Ethicist for an excellent response, as well as the letter writer for planning on being open. My children, ages nine and five, have known how they were conceived their entire lives. Anyone who’s important to us knows this story, too. It’s not the first thing we share with people, and most people don’t remember right away because it’s not something that defines our family. I’d encourage the parents-to-be to begin practicing telling their child about egg donation now, while they’re still pregnant. That gives them time to work out what to say and how to say it. By the time their child is old enough to understand, talking about it will feel a lot more comfortable. P.S. My redheaded children are definitely teased more for their hair color than the circumstances of their conception. — Lauren

I disagree with the position taken in the response. The “owner” of the information is the future human, and his or her privilege should be respected. Hopefully, the other well-meaning friends and family members will join in protecting the privacy of this child. Although I empathize with a mother who had a painful struggle to achieve her pregnancy, her past suffering and need for support does not justify violating the child’s prerogative. — Marta

My child’s father and I used an anonymous egg donor, and felt no shame or need for secrecy. Our daughter knows how wanted she was and has suffered no ill effects. It just hasn’t been an issue. It almost seems like this expectant father is ashamed that they used an egg donor. I suggest he consider himself fortunate that the technology has advanced to open this door to parenthood (and that he and his wife had the funds to pay for this process, because infertility is an extremely expensive condition to treat). Muzzling his wife is unnecessary and even cruel, in my opinion. — Nancy

Can’t the letter writer just let family and friends know that they worked with a fertility clinic to conceive without going into all the details? There are a variety of ways that doctors can help couples to conceive, and it doesn’t seem necessary to go into details about the donated egg. — Paul

I have been an I.V.F. doctor for over 40 years, and it is clear to me that there is no single best approach to donor egg or donor sperm secrecy issues that works for everyone (although, overall, secrecy is not a good idea). However, there is one best approach for each individual couple. No I.V.F. program offering donor services should be without a psychologist or counselor who reviews all of these disclosure questions with a couple before conception. That way, they can either come to an agreement about how to proceed or perhaps decide not to proceed. Pregnancy should be a time of great joy; it is heartbreaking to have a situation like this. — Donald

Kwame Anthony Appiah is The New York Times Magazine’s Ethicist columnist and teaches philosophy at N.Y.U. His books include “Cosmopolitanism,” “The Honor Code” and “The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity.” To submit a query: Send an email to [email protected]. More about Kwame Anthony Appiah

Debate On Public School Is Better Than Private School In Nigeria

Education has always been a hotly debated topic, and nowhere is this debate more fervent than in the context of public versus private schools. In Nigeria, the discussion surrounding the superiority of public schools over their private counterparts has gained significant attention and ignited passionate arguments on both sides. While private schools have often been perceived as the epitome of quality education , supporters of public schools contend that they offer equal, if not superior, educational opportunities.

In this article, we delve into the heart of this debate, exploring some of the reasons why public schools are better than private schools in Nigeria and vice versa.

Whether you are a student preparing for a school debate, conducting personal research, or simply curious about the subject, this article titled “ Debate on Public School Is Better Than Private School In Nigeria ” will serve as an invaluable resource.

However, by delving into the key points surrounding this contentious topic, we aim to equip readers with a comprehensive understanding of the arguments put forth by both sides. Whether you find yourself advocating for or against public schools or seeking a balanced perspective, this article will provide you with crucial insights, enabling you to articulate your viewpoint effectively and engage in informed discussions.

1. Accessibility and Affordability

Public schools in Nigeria are generally more accessible and affordable than private schools. This is because public schools are funded by the government, while private schools are funded by tuition fees. As a result, public schools are often able to offer lower tuition fees and more scholarships than private schools. Additionally, public schools are typically located in more areas than private schools, making them more accessible to students from different backgrounds.

2. Government Support and Regulation

Public schools are under the purview of government authorities, which ensures a certain level of oversight and accountability.

Government-owned schools in Nigeria are generally better than private schools because of government support and regulation. The government provides public schools with funding, resources, and infrastructure, which helps to ensure that students receive a quality education. Additionally, the government regulates public schools to ensure that they meet certain standards, such as teacher qualifications .

3. Social Integration

Public schools in Nigeria are generally better than private schools for social integration. This is because public schools are more diverse, as they are open to all students, regardless of where they come from. This diversity can help students learn about different cultures and perspectives and develop a more well-rounded understanding of the world.

In addition, public schools often have more extracurricular activities and opportunities for students to get involved in their community. This can help students develop social skills, make friends, and feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.

Here are some of the benefits of attending a public school in Nigeria for social integration:

• Diversity: Public schools are more diverse than private schools. This is because public schools are open to all students, regardless of their background. This diversity can help students learn about different cultures and perspectives and develop a more well-rounded understanding of the world.
• Extracurricular activities: Public schools often have more extracurricular activities and opportunities for students to get involved in their community. This can help students develop social skills, make friends, and feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.
• Community: Public schools are often more integrated into their communities than private schools. This is because public schools are funded by the government and are open to all students, regardless of their background. This integration can help students feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and develop a sense of 

4. Government Support and Regulation

Public schools in Nigeria are generally better than private schools because of government support and regulation. The government provides public schools with funding, resources, and infrastructure, which helps to ensure that students receive a quality education . Additionally, the government regulates public schools to ensure that they meet certain standards, such as teacher qualifications and curriculum content.

5. Qualified Teachers

Public schools in Nigeria are generally better than private schools because of qualified teachers. Public schools are required to have teachers who are qualified and certified, while private schools are not. This means that students in public schools are more likely to have teachers who are knowledgeable and experienced in their field.

Here are some of the benefits of attending a public school in Nigeria with qualified teachers:

• Knowledgeable and experienced teachers: Public schools are required to have teachers who are qualified and certified. This means that students in public schools are more likely to have teachers who are knowledgeable and experienced in their field.
• Higher academic standards: Public schools are held to higher academic standards than private schools. This means that students in public schools are more likely to be challenged academically and to receive a high-quality education.

6. Infrastructure and Facilities

While private schools may have better infrastructure in some cases, public schools have been receiving increased attention and investment in recent years. Many government initiatives have focused on improving the physical infrastructure, including classroom facilities, libraries, laboratories, and sports amenities in public schools.

7. Balanced Curriculum

Public schools follow a standardized national curriculum, which ensures uniformity in education across the country. This balanced curriculum covers a wide range of subjects and provides a comprehensive education that prepares students for higher education or vocational opportunities.

8. Community Engagement

Public schools often have strong ties with the local community, which can enhance the educational experience. Community members, including parents, local organizations, and professionals, may actively participate in school programs, provide resources, or offer mentorship opportunities for students. This collaboration strengthens the school-community relationship and enriches the learning environment.

9. Standardized Assessment

Public schools typically adhere to standardized assessment systems implemented by government bodies. This helps ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation of students’ academic performance. Standardized assessments also facilitate benchmarking and monitoring of educational progress on a national level, enabling policymakers to identify areas that require improvement and implement necessary reforms.

10. Focus on National Development

Public schools often align their educational goals with the national development agenda. They prioritize subjects and skills that are relevant to the country’s needs, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, vocational training, and entrepreneurship. This emphasis helps equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to the country’s development and address its specific challenges.

11. Inclusivity for Special Needs Students

Public schools in Nigeria often have dedicated units or departments to cater to the needs of students with disabilities or special educational needs. These units provide specialized support, resources, and accommodations to ensure that all students, regardless of their abilities, have access to quality education. Public schools’ inclusive environment fosters empathy, tolerance, and acceptance among students.

12. Preparedness for National Examinations

Public schools often prioritize preparing students for national examinations such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). These examinations are crucial for students’ progression to higher education institutions. Public schools’ familiarity with the examination structure and curriculum can help students perform well and increase their chances of gaining admission to desired institutions.

Against: 

The education system in Nigeria is a topic of continuous debate and deliberation, with opinions divided over whether public schools or private schools offer a better educational experience. While public schools play a vital role in providing accessible education to a broad spectrum of students, it is important to explore the distinctive advantages offered by private schools in Nigeria.

In this section, we delve into the discourse on private education and present a compelling argument for why private schools surpass public schools in Nigeria. By examining key points and analyzing the reasons behind the growing preference for private schools, we aim to shed light on the myriad benefits that private education can bring to the educational landscape of Nigeria.

Some of the advantages of private schools in Nigeria over public schools include:

1. Academic Excellence

Private schools in Nigeria often prioritize academic excellence by providing a rigorous curriculum and fostering an environment conducive to learning. With smaller class sizes and a lower student-to-teacher ratio, private schools can offer individualized attention and personalized instruction, allowing students to thrive academically. This focused approach enhances student engagement, encourages critical thinking, and yields higher academic achievements.

2. Quality of Teaching Staff

Private schools in Nigeria tend to attract and retain highly qualified teachers who are passionate about their profession. These educators often possess specialized expertise in their respective subjects, undergo regular professional development, and are committed to providing the best possible education to their students. The caliber of teaching staff in private schools contributes significantly to the overall educational experience and the students’ intellectual growth.

3. Enhanced Learning Environment

Private schools often boast modern facilities, well-equipped classrooms, and access to cutting-edge technology. These resources create an enriched learning environment that stimulates curiosity, creativity, and innovation. Private schools invest in infrastructure development, ensuring that students have access to state-of-the-art libraries, laboratories, and extracurricular facilities, thereby nurturing holistic growth and academic exploration.

4. Individualized Attention and Support

Private schools recognize the diverse needs and learning styles of their students. With smaller class sizes, teachers can provide personalized attention, identify individual strengths and weaknesses, and tailor instruction accordingly. Private schools also offer additional support systems such as tutoring programs, counseling services, and academic guidance, ensuring that each student receives the necessary assistance to thrive academically and personally.

5. Co-curricular and Extracurricular Opportunities

Private schools are often seen as being better than public schools for a number of reasons, including their co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities. These opportunities can help students to develop their interests, talents, and skills in a variety of areas, and can also help them to build character and leadership skills.

Some of the co-curricular and extracurricular activities that are typically offered at private schools include:

• Student government
• Volunteering.

These activities can provide students with a number of benefits, including:

• Improved academic performance
• Increased self-confidence
• Enhanced social skills
• Reduced stress
• Stronger character
• Increased leadership skills

In addition to the benefits listed above, co-curricular and extracurricular activities can also help students to make friends, develop a sense of community, and learn how to work together. These skills can be invaluable in college and in the workplace.

It is important to acknowledge that both public and private schools contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria’s education system. By recognizing the benefits offered by private education, we can foster a more comprehensive discussion that leads to the continuous improvement of educational standards and the empowerment of future generations.

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Private schools contend OSSAA treats them unfairly, but private and public students aren't the same

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) and its board recently were required to develop a response to an injunction set in place by a judge. This response was made necessary due to a lawsuit filed by Bishop McGuinness, Mount Saint Mary, Heritage Hall, Crossings Christian and Oklahoma Christian Schools.

The purpose of the lawsuit was the five private schools' contention they are being treated unfairly. The injunction, while not a final ruling and also something that could still be appealed to a higher court, for now, is the standard the OSSAA is trying to meet.

More: Judge voids amendments to OSSAA's private school rule: What to know about Rule 14

At the heart of this debate is students. Students who compete in athletics like football, basketball and baseball. While these are typically the things most of this debate is focused on, the reality is the OSSAA also oversees activities like cheerleading, band and debate. In every postseason competition, athletic or activity, students from private schools and students from public schools compete against one another by being grouped based on their enrollment totals.

The first step the OSSAA takes to create fairness in competition is to make these class groupings. The groupings make it so small enrollment schools are not pitted against schools with a much larger enrollment. Some use this grouping to contend a public school with 320 students asked to compete against a private school with 300 students is fair since their enrollment is similar. I strongly disagree.

Public schools are required by law to enroll all students who live in their district and seek enrollment. Private schools take applications and say no to any student they don’t want. This “filtering” out of students by private schools is the essential point public schools are convinced creates unfairness in opportunity to succeed. In fact, private schools market being exclusive. So at the end of the day, all the students private schools refuse to enroll for whatever reason must be enrolled by the public schools. Clearly, even if public and private schools have similar enrollment, the makeup of those student totals are purposely different.

As a public school advocate, I have found it interesting some private schools' chief complaint is a lack of fairness for how they are being treated. Fairness is the exact standard public schools are seeking. If private schools want to be treated in the same manner as public schools, there are several things they could agree to which would create more fairness immediately.

For now, let’s focus on two. First, private schools can commit to no longer denying enrollment to any student who lives in their district who seeks to enroll. Second, private schools can commit to having their student attendance being monitored and tracked by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. If OSSAA member private schools will agree to these two commitments, there might be a bridge that can be built between the growing chasm between public and private member OSSAA schools.

Last fall, a supermajority (85%) of the OSSAA membership approved a plan that would lead to competitive fairness. Fairness would be accomplished, moving forward, during all postseason competitions because the OSSAA would divide private schools and public schools into separate groupings. The immediate outcome would be more private school students and more public school students with a legitimate opportunity for success.

How can having an increased chance for success for all kids, public and private, be a bad thing?

More: OSSAA board meets on Rule 14: What's next after private-school court ruling?

If a plan to separate in the postseason isn’t established, then maybe private schools will prove their want of fairness by agreeing to the two commitments referenced earlier. If private schools won’t support either, then I fear public schools will begin to seek other options for their students. If this occurs, the OSSAA will not survive, and that would not be good for either side.

Corey Holland is superintendent of Marlow Public Schools.