Should Parents Send their Children to Private School If They Can Afford It - Essay Example

? Should Parents Send their Children to Private School if they can afford it? Public schools are learning s that are run and operated through the funding of a state, county or national government’s tax revenues, and administered by the governing authority or a related agency. On the other hand, private schools or independent schools as that are referred to in some regions of the world, are learning institutions that are not run, operated or funded by the state, county or national government. Private schools are therefore able to exercise the right to choose their students, with their funding sourced from charging their students tuition fees. Private schools do not rely on the mandatory public tax funding thus; high financial costs and a rigorous selection process characterize them. Financial relief in private schools is achieved through scholarships that have various qualification criteria including talent where there are sports, arts and academic scholarships. The general perception with regard to public schools and private schools is that the former is meant for the common and/or average individuals in society while the latter is reserved for the elite, powerful and wealthy in society. The combined need to have a common educational system and to promote literacy led to the emergence of public schools under the funding and control of governments. Private schools developed due to the need to offer more specialized education by certain segments of the population. The choice to enroll children into either public or private schools lies with the parents and their preferences, opinions, attitudes and perceptions of parents. Numerous factors influence parents in choosing between public and private schools. This paper seeks to discuss the question of whether parents should take their children to private schools if they can afford to pay, and case in point with regard to this discussion will be schools in the United States (US). Private schools exist for different purposes, but the intrinsic and core characteristic of all private schools is the need to offer more than what is offered and available in public schools. Private schools offer learning curricula is specific and tailor made to suit the needs of their children as prescribed by their parents. Examples of private schools include convents, military schools and other learning institutions that share the similar characteristics with public schools. The only difference and distinguishing feature is the funding and curricula aspect of these two school systems. Public schools are considered ideal and fundamental approaches towards achieving social progress and reform (Caldwell 2011, 95). Public schools offer a compact and non-discriminatory education irrespective of students’ socioeconomic background, tradition or culture. Public schools have been touted for providing a well-rounded education characterized by learning from both the academic and social context. This is attributed to the fact that public schools do not have selection criteria for whom they enroll as long an individual enrolls. The cultural, racial, class and deposition diversity in public provides a healthy environment for students to learn other social life skills that are not learnt in classrooms or close knit groups or private schools. Public schools offer an ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic environment that is a representative of the society that students will have to live in and experience. Thus, this setting is ideal for imparting and exposing students to their real world situation from a tender age where they are able to develop ‘people skills’. These ‘people skills’ are essential for someone to be able to effectively cope with the diversities present out there in the real world. Public schools generally have students with a range of abilities and disabilities. As with ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, the diversity introduces students to the communication issues and interpersonal issues that rubbing elbows with people who are different from oneself provides (Bento & Maria, 2011 p191). Compared with home schooling, public schools have the advantage of having access to government funding that enables them to have facilities like swimming pools and other sports facilities. Public have a large number of students and government funding that allows them, especially in higher levels, to offer an array of advanced classes in the arts, sciences and technology studies. These aspects are not possible for home schooled children because there is a lack of expertise and ample specialized training. Public schools offer students the opportunity to learn with a diverse set of pedagogies that are occasioned by the diverse set of teachers from different backgrounds, languages and specialties (Bradley, 2005 p66). Public have the advantage of not charging school fees or tuition, which gives people a chance to educate their children. This is unlike private schools that charge for tuition; their scholarships cannot be said to have the capacity to adequately cover the expenses required to learn in a public school. Public have a transportation system for all of their students unlike private schools where students have to arrange for their own transportation to and from school. Public school harbors a majority of all schooling-going children in any given country, and this acts as a unifying element. This aspect of public schools is seen as an important factor in sustaining the democratic way of life (Lubienski & Sarah, 2013 p219). The inclusion of charter, magnet and traditional schools provides public schools with a holistic and national outlook public education system. These features were only available in private schools an aspect that deprived public schools of the much-needed diversity. The use of public funds from government funding means that public schools have to adhere to a strict qualification criterion for their teachers and school management. This is not true for both private and home schooling, which gives public schools the advantage of having better qualified teachers and instructors than private and home schooling (Coopersmith, 2009 p324). According to research from the University of Illinois, students from public schools perform slightly better than those from public schools after excluding all possible internal and external confounds (Knapp, Janice & Scott, 2011 p231). Apart from private schools that offer specialized learning services for the disabled and special cases, public schools offer more robust education facilities and services through government funding. Remuneration in public schools is better than in private and home schooling because of government funding and incentives. Although this differs from one institution to another with some private schools offering more pay for their staff and teachers. Public schools in the US are faced with the challenge of austerity measures on state and federal budgets that have not spared education funding (Figlio & Joe, 2012 p231). This means that public schools will be ill equipped to provide the same quality education that they provided when there were no budget cuts. Public schools are required by law to prove their accountability to the taxpayers who fund these institutions. These laws and requirements lead to the development of tests that are used to measure and indicate teachers’ accountability and student achievement (Fryer, 2011 N0. W16850). These tests have the characteristic of being lengthy and are not always accurate measurements of the intended subject matter especially since they do not measure for student growth. Public schools are characterized by larger class sizes compared to private and home schooling, an aspect that affects the recommended student-teacher/instructor ration. An example is California where the average elementary class size is 29.7, a number that is even higher in secondary schools. This translates to the fact that there is a drastic limitation and/or reduction of opportunity available to individualized instruction (Flam & Keane, 2002 p159). Public schools are also affected by disproportionate funding and resources. This is in the sense that, even though school funding comes from the federal government, the primary source of these funds comes from local states taxes. This gives public schools in wealthy and affluent districts an advantage over schools situated in low-income districts. The advantaged public schools are able to fund other supplemental learning programs like music and foreign language classes from soliciting parent donations. Public schools in low-income districts are forced to cut their supplemental learning programs, transportation and school trips due to budget constraints (Kahlenberg 2003 p183). Research by the department of education has established that public schools in low-income districts are forced to pay lower salaries to their teachers compared to public schools in affluent districts (Hill & James, 2009 p321). This is due to the fact that public schools in wealthy districts recruit and employ the services of teachers with experience who cost more. Bullying and violence in public schools is endemic. A 2009 National Center for Education Statistics survey established that approximately 28% of students aged between the years of 8 to 12 get bullied (Rampey, Bobby, Gloria & Patricia, NAEP 2008, np). A higher percentage of these incidents were from public schools, and this fact is acerbated by the recent school shootings and violent attacks among students in public schools. Several factors contribute to the choice made by parents in taking their children to private schools over public schools. The most commonly cited reason for parents choosing private schools over public schools is the size of classes in private schools compared to those in public schools (Miron, 2010 p165). Other considerations include their high emphasis on academic performance, promotion of moral values and discipline through established codes of conduct. Private schools have an established reputation of being excellent in academic performance than private schools. This is according to a January 2013 ‘Dayton Daily News’ study that established the performance of private high schools in the area compared to public schools (Katz, Lawrence & Alan 2012, Vol 35). Private schools have selection criterion for their students, which means that they have limited enrollment and entrance positions. This enables private schools to control class sizes, which provides the opportunity to maintain favorable teacher-student ratios for effective and efficient learning and teaching. Smaller class sizes ensure that there is increased individualistic attention to students because it allows teachers to spend more time with students, which helps in better understanding of learning material. The individual attention paid to students in private schools enables teachers and instructors to focus on every aspect of a student’s life. This improves the rate of gift/talent and disability detection. This is compared to public schools where there are large class sizes that limit the amount of time that teachers and instructors spend with students. Individualized attention in private schools makes it possible for teachers to easily identify student weaknesses and strengths, and focus on reducing or improving on them respectively. This is unlike in public schools where the recognition and identification of strengths and weaknesses in students is limited due to lack of individualized attention to students. Private schools are characterized by their consistence on student discipline compared to public schools (Ries, Alice & Carolyn, 2011 p644). This condition is achieved through the necessary and strict requirement during and after enrollment for students to illustrate their understanding of the school’s code of conduct or risk expulsion. Laws guiding the establishment of private schools give them the right to set their own rules, regulations and codes of conduct for their students and members of staff. This enables private schools to formulate and implement some policies that do not have to adhere to government regulations and control policies. Imposition of zero-tolerance for indiscipline in private schools gives them an advantage over public schools in terms of discipline and behavioral offenses like bullying and violence. Private schools also require higher education and academic standards for their staff and students. A US department of Education research established that private schools’ graduation requirements and course work levels are higher than in public schools (Slaughter-Defoe et al., 2011 p24). Private schools are notable for emphasizing on morals and ethics; this is an aspect that is illustrated by 40% of private schools requiring community service against 10% in public schools. The lack of diversity in the makeup of the student population and strict adherence to traditions in private schools poses as a disadvantage. These schools demand specific requirements for enrollment, which gives the tendency to admit children from certain social classes and groups (Reese, 2011 p126). Due to this, students are not exposed to different sociocultural and economic backgrounds and realities, an aspect that might negatively influence them later in life. Lack of diversity also means that new ideas and potentials are not encouraged enough, which in turn limits students’ ability to reach their true potential and ability. Private are generally expensive to the common average income people in society, which makes these schools the preserve of the affluent in society. The cost of education in private schools is the reason that puts most people off because of the financial strain it puts on middle-income people. Despite the advantages of learning in private schools, there are no guarantees that education in private schools leads to better academic results compared to public schools. According to recent research, the highest test scores for year 12 students occur in public schools (Walford, 2011 p17). Parents who can afford to take their children to private schools have many factors to consider before reaching the ultimate decision to enroll their children in private learning institutions. Parents should consider the cost of education in private schools and determine if there is a money-back guarantee of benefits accrued from private school for them and their children. Schools are meant to provide the best level, standard and quality education to children that equips them with knowledge and skills to survive and excel out in the real world. This should be the primary objective of every parent when deliberating on the education system to choose for their children (Alexander & David, 2011 p139). The ability to afford an education in a private school should not be the only determinant in sending a child to these institutions, but the ability of a school to bring out the best and maximize a child’s potential. Some parents are motivated to enroll their children in private schools because of their class and social status. Parents should refrain from being influenced and motivated by factors and aspects of their social life apart from those that translate to the betterment of their children at present and in the future. Educating children in private schools should be based on immediate and long-term learning requirements of a child instead of focusing on the parents’ potential and ability to afford private school education. Private schools are established to cater for a wide variety of needs and desires that in some cases are not essentially targeted at providing the best education to children (Campbell & Geoffrey, 2009 p184). The need to belong to a particular social group, class or status acts as a motivational factor for parents in order to fit in with the desired group or class. It is an established fact that public schools offer the most holistic and well-rounded education. Parents should consider the quality of education that they desire for their children, and determine which school, between private and public, offers the best opportunity for the achievement of their children’s education and learning goals. Failing to recognize their children’s educational needs and goals; parents risk exposing their children to redundant and ineffective education that does not serve their best interests in future. The willingness and ability of any student to learn determines their performance and success in school. Schools only serve to provide a conducive environment and atmosphere for learning and a student’s attitude determines their performance and success in education. Teachers and staff at private schools are deemed to work harder at focusing on individual student ability and performance, but the same is true for public schools. The fact remains that education and learning in private schools does not guarantee or lead to success in the future. Bibliography Alexander, Kern, and M. David Alexander. 2011. American public school law. CengageBrain.com. Bento, Antonio, and Maria Isabel Ribeiro. 2011. "The phenomenon of private tutoring: Implications for public education." Bradley, L. H. 2005. School Law for Public, Private, and Parochial Educators. R&L Education. Caldwell, Brian J. 2011. "Private Schools and the Future of Public Education in Australia." Phi Delta Kappan 92, no. 8, 95-96. Campbell, Craig, Helen Proctor, and Geoffrey Sherington. 2009. School choice: How parents negotiate the new school market in Australia. Allen & Unwin. Coopersmith, Jared. 2009. 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