At my last seminar a parent asked me if she should send her child to private school, did I think it was worth the cost?
She wanted her daughter to have the best education possible and a friend had suggested that she send her to a private school as a way of ensuring that her child got a good education.
OK, having taught in the public system this question is a bit like a red rag to a bull. I KNOW, beyond a doubt, that most public schools provide students with an excellent education. Perhaps not all public schools and not all teachers but, over the twelve years that a child is in the school system chances are they will get excellent teaching and support.
I know less about public schools but I suspect that the same is true, students get an excellent education with some hiccups along the way.
A report out of Florida which compared the test scores of over 23,000 students who attended private schools through a school voucher system (that allows students from low-income families access to attend private schools) found that there was no significant difference in test scores between these students and those in public schools.
It appears from these results that there is no educational gain in sending your child to private school. And this might be the case, although it is premature to assume this without understanding more about how the research was carried out. However, that is not the real issue. Ignoring the issue of cost let us look at other reasons why you might want to send your child to private school.
1 Private schools often have very specific educational philosophies ,such as Montessori for younger children, and Arrowsmith schools for older children. Some private schools take a more traditional approach to education and some parents want this type of education for their children.
2. There may be some social advantages to sending your child to a private school. Your child could make lifelong friends with other students and, as a result, have access to certain types of connections later in life.
3. There might be religious reasons why you want to opt for a particular school, and while not all religious schools are private schools many of them are.
4. You might want your child to follow on in a family tradition. If you went to a certain school you might want your child to go there too.
I would have talked about the possibility of smaller class sizes and more access to resources as possible advantages in private schools but I am not sure this is always the case. They certainly do not seem to help according to the research findings quoted above.
But the main reason to send your child to a private school is to ensure that your child is getting an education that meets his needs. If you know of a private school that has a particular program that fits your child’s learning needs then a private school is the way to go – as long as you can afford it.
But you might want to check out what the public schools are offering before you make a final decision. Who knows, they may be offering just what your child needs.
You do know what your child needs don’t you? if not you might be interested in joining my upcoming monthly membership program so that you can find out.
Interested? Send m a message and I will add your name to the list so that you will be one of the first to get information.
