Not so very long ago, we made the decision to enroll our kids in a private school. Though I’ve never particularly been against private schools, I haven’t really been for them either. I always figure that they were a bit unnecessary. But we made the decision, and with just about every day that goes by, I’m glad that we did.
Today, for instance, we received a letter from the school our oldest was supposed to attend (the public school, I mean) saying that we need to send $20 the first week of school to pay for a locker fee (not to cover the lock, but just to have a locker), student handbook, an academic enrichment fe and a team activity fee to “provide recognition, rewards and team-building actvities and items throughout the year”. What a crock. At least with private school you know you’re paying.
We made our decision for a variety of reasons:
- The public schools where we live aren’t very good.
- Our home school has been among the worst.
- Our oldest is going to middle school, which gets even worse.
- The options outside of our home school are limited.
Another advantage is that, barring a surprise along the way, the kids don’t have to change schools. That’s actually pretty cool. They can make friends and not have to worry that someone will be in a different boundary next year. Of course people can move away, but that will always happen.
So in the end, for us, going to a private school worked out well. Of course, school hasn’t started yet, and the fact that our kids have been in public school puts them a bit behind before they have even started. We’ve been trying to practice over the summer, but we don’t know how it will work out.
And it also helps that we paid off our mortgage last year, because we now have this option. If we didn’t, it would be a lot tougher. But still, we’re glad we did and we can. I can’t believe this garbage – team-building fees for sixth-graders? Geez. What will they think of next?
Comments
13 responses to “Public Schools versus Private Schools”
I attended public school all of my life and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I have never been a fan of private schools because I see them as a way to shelter children from the real world. Going to a public school helped mold me in to the person I am today. Most private schools do not offer near as many classes as public schools and their athletics (something I am big in to) are somewhat lacking. My senior year of high school I took everything from AP Calculus, AP Physics and Chem, to Auto Shop and Wood Shop. I also wrestled and played football on teams that won multiple state chamionships.
My girlfriend is trying to convince me to send our child to private school but I won’t give in. I will not baby my child and I will not cater to their every need. He will learn how to get things on his own and he will work hard for everything the way I did. I personally would rather take the private school tuition and save it for college tuition if my child chooses to take that path (something I did not do, but still have a job I love making more than enough money to own my own home and lots of toys at 21 years old). I get tired of hearing how public schools produce kids that don’t listen, get in to drugs and trouble, etc….. Just remember that a childs upbringing starts at home. Get involved in your childs life.
The only advice I could give is to tour your local public schools. Check out the atmosphere, ask them for test scores, etc.
Caroline, I completely agree with your comment:
“And, honestly, uniforms aren’t that bad. It’s so easy, you never have to worry about what you’re wearing. Critics say that it stifles your creativity or your ability to be yourself, but I disagree. It forces you to develop yourself on a less superficial level.”
i live in Australia, am currently in my final year of school and attend a public education system. i stumbled across this site as i am researching for a paper i am doing comparing public and private education systems. i would just like to add that there is a clear difference between public and private education systems within Australia yet both systems have positives and negatives. it is really up to the student and the school to determine which is the ‘right’ way to go. this said, i am very happy at my school and would never attend private school