Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Private vs. Public School
One of the most important decisions that I and my spouse had to make five years ago was what type of school we wanted to send our son to. Generally every parent in America wants their child to get the best education as possible. So we both put on the gloves, sat at the dinner table, and began our debate. Due to our different upbringing and conflicting views it was a civil but sometimes heated discussion. Private vs. Public School was the debate that we had and one that many families are debating throughout America today. Public school was the best option in my view because that is the type of school that I and my siblings attended when we were children. In my eyes we turned out to be successful members of society. She then countered and stated that “because she attended a private school she was better prepared for college after high school. I couldn’t disagree because after high school-- college was the last thing I was thinking about. My thought process was if I join the military, that I wouldn’t need a form of higher education (man was I wrong). It just so happen during this time she was taking time off, due to a career change. So, I said private school is just not in our budget at this time and public education is totally free. I explained to her that at a median private school the cost would be about 17,000 dollars a year. Then I came back to her last point to let her know that I was in the minority. The majority of the kids that graduated with me were well prepared as well as eager to go attend college after high school. There is no evidence that a private school better prepares children for college or the workforce after high school. She then began to explain that private school are far more superior despite the cost, because classrooms are smaller; there is more funding for newer text and supplies; and there is little or no violence on private school campuses. Even though I truly believe that I had the more valid points and cost was of concern needless to say I lost the battle. My son is still attending private school five years later.
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Private verse public schools have great points on both sides. I went to a public school, but I worked at restaurant that had private school kids in it. You can see that private school kids are behind when it comes to socializing and street smarts. They are exposed to more real life situations and better prepare kids for confrontation and the reality of life. At the same time the education was better at the private school. So there are pros and cons on both sides. With that said, is it better being book smart or street smart? My wife is a perfect example of being street smart and it’s paid off. She knows a lot of people and reads people very well. With a GED she has managed to land a job at a security company. She is second in command working directly for the CEO of the company. Without knowing the people she did, she would have never landed that job. She looks at resumes that have bachelor and master degrees on it. If they are qualified then she will hire them, but it’s significantly less than what she’s making. It’s all politics. Is it worth spending the extra money for private schools?
ReplyDeleteEverything is about politics in today's society. Honestly, I don’t think it matters anymore what kind of ‘high school’ you attend. Most professional jobs simply look at the University you attend and what type of degree you have obtained. Acquiring jobs in today’s society, however, are about sometimes mainly based on who you know and not what type of education you have paid for. As sad as it is, sometimes the money you put into an education simply is not worth the financial burden if in the long run a company is only going to hire you because of who you know. Food for thought, that’s all this is.
ReplyDeleteI can relate with this discussion as I have been in private and public schools as well. Now the thing about private schools is that you do not know the kind of curiculum that the schools are teaching where as in public school your child is getting the same kind of education as every other child. There are pros and cons to both sides but it does come down to a personal preference in the end
ReplyDeleteI grew up in New Jersey, I attended public school and all my friends attend private school. I was mad because I wanted to go to private school with all the other kids. I am very glad that I didn't because they started having sex at a young age, smoking weed, drinking and having babies. So looking back, their parents paid all that money for their kids to go to private school for a good education and in return they have grandbabies. I know all private schools are not like that but if it’s provided to people free of no cost take it. If it was not provided free then people would complain about it. At the end of the day, it’s the parents preference not the kids.
ReplyDeleteIt is really interesting the range of commentary you're getting on this post. I went to private Catholic school for 9 years. Horrible education. Maybe it was the small town and the school's inability to pay well? But as you can see here, every experience is different.
ReplyDeleteYou say you lost the battle. How do you feel your son is doing in his private school?
My wife and I also had to decide on what type of school our children were going to attend. We settled on the private school option for our kids even though we are both products of the public school system. Our kids are at the age where it is more important to let them focus on adademics without social pressure. It is also convenient to have them surrounded by people I know and trust, that are of the same mind set for the most part as my wife and I. Although we intend on transferring to the public school system at some point, these first few years are going to be in a Catholic school
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