There are also plenty of Websites that Rate public schools, and are a great help, when thinking of moving to a new area. We used them, when we were going to move.Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen
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There are also plenty of Websites that Rate public schools, and are a great help, when thinking of moving to a new area. We used them, when we were going to move.Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen
I think there a merits to all three systems if done correctly. Research shows that smaller class sizes are advantageous- and most private schools offer smaller classes than most public schools. However, I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost, unless you've got a lot of money to throw around and the school is known to be better than public in the area.
I worked at a private school for kids with learning differences, and the students definitely received more individualized attention, they had the best resources, etc, but it cost $25,000/year. I've also observed at lots of public schools (I'm going to school to be a teacher) and I have to say I'm impressed with a fair number of them too. Money doesn't buy a truly caring, compassionate teacher, which sometimes can make all the difference.
I think home schooling could be good, with the right parent and the right child. But, I think socialization is very important, especially for young children, so you'd have to make sure they get out enough with kids their own age. My cousin home-schooled her oldest daughter for a few years, but the girl didn't have any friends except her younger sister, and now she will not even talk to kids her own age. :( She is incredibly smart, but she is completely silent in school. Luckily, she goes to a great school that tries to help her out socially, and recognizes her issues.
I teach a lot of home-schooled kids piano. Some of them seem dedicated to their school work, some not. One kid I talked to today said his parents were thinking about sending him to public high school because he procrastinates and didn't listen to his mom like he would a teacher.
I guess the best thing would be to compare schools in your area, and decide what you feel is best. It's good you are thinking about it early- it's an important choice! :)
This really shows the differences where you live can make.... my brother was sent to private school BECAUSE he was starting to get in a bad crowd that drank and did drugs (going into grade 9 so that makes them what? 14?)Quote:
Originally Posted by IRescue452
At his private school (although I suspect this probably shouldn't be taken as the norm as it is insanely expensive... luckily his mom can afford it) they are far more advanced than the public highschools he would have been in. I think it has helped him deal with the real world better than public school did or would have. Of course... starting out in a military school ALSO REALLY made a difference. He has a lot of freedom at his private school... but he also had to learn that with that freedom came responsibility and in turn responsibility for his actions. It is a Co Ed private school as well.
same here lol every public school I went too was incredably cliquy, I had like NO friends it was so bad. the private school I went too however had no cliques at all, I mean there were groups, but everyone intermingled, I had 3 seperate groups of friends. I am a very shy person so the cliquyness o the public schools just made me more reclusive. but after 4 years in a private school where everyone was essentally friends or aquantences with everyone helped me come out of my shell..I started never saying a word, I finished grade 12 regularly being the person who's name was called for talking in class lol. so I am biased toward Private school myself. sure its pricy, but there ARE other ways, I sure as heck could not afford to go to one of the top private high schools around, I started the school on a scholarship, and coniunued on Burseries, the ONLY thing I paid for was Film class, and that was only $40.Quote:
Originally Posted by sparks19
wow is that different from here, the public school kids here are so incredably far behind the private school kids its insane, an A is a public school here is the equivilant of a C in a private school. we are so far ahead of the public school kids its almost pointless, as we would all go to collage together and atuff that we learned in 11th grade was being taught because the public school kids never learned any of it.Quote:
The private school kids were incredibly far behind us in everything but math. It seems math is the only thing they could learn completely in a private school without any controversy. I would never send my own kids to private school.
Another thing, kids in private school are in more danger of messing up in the real world. They barely learn about drugs, much less how to avoid them. They believe myths about sex that could get them in bad situations. They just aren't prepared for the real world. Also, more kids in the private school in our town did drugs and drank than those in public school. Had they gone to public school, they'd have learned that we make fun of the kids who do drugs. Instead, they were sheltered and learned that those kinds of things are "rebellious and cool". Take something away from kids, and they'll want it more.
same deal with drugs, my best friend goes to one of the biggest drug addict schools in the city... its public. its always suprises me how many people assume that everyone in private schools are stuck up etc... out of all the poepl in my private school, I did not meet one single stuck up person. I met dozens on a 2 hour visit to my friends public school. people DO do drugs in a private school, I had a few aquantances who were druggies. smoking? we have a smoking shed out back, grades 10-12 are allowed to smoke around the shed. we are also NEVER taught myths about sex, more like we had to do our own research and create presentations about safe sex. no gong to a private school we were deluded about nothing, we were wimpley taught safe ways to go about it. example..students threw parties all the time, yes with drinking and no parnets. know what they also did? they required everyone with a car to hand their car keys to the host, if they were drunk they were to stay over at the hosts home, no exeptions. we also never has knife fights, school stabbing or shootings, or deaths from students driving home from parties while drunk. virtually every single public school in my city has had one or more of the above.
I went to public schools, and although I was an outcast from day one, I was never attacked with anything more dangerous than a wad of spit or a snowball. (Well, a fist ONCE, but the kid's parents brought her to my house to apologize later, and revelled so sadistically in her misery that I immediately understood why she was violent and couldn't really hold it against her.) However, this was in a really rural area. The only drugs we had regular access to (except for a couple rich kids) were beer bought from older siblings at insane markups and really lousy pot, so I wasn't too impressed with that option.
I've actually met one homeschooled guy who totally regrets not having been "toughened up" in the public schools. In homeschooling he encountered only enthusiasm for his strengths, patience with his weaknesses, and overall acceptance. When he hit the real world, he says he was just completely at loose ends for a couple years. But I also know parents of special-needs kids who homeschool because the bullying their kids got in the public schools was just more than the kids could realistically be expected to withstand without permanent damage.
The people I've met who studied in private schools have been all over the map. I think it totally depends on the school (and, of course, the student and the family). I think if you have the money and the time to research a good variety of schools, it's probably a good option.
Love, Columbine
Only rich people can afford private education in my country,however there are a few scholarships available now, but far and few between.
I am fortunate enough to go to a great public school that is typically farther ahead, or right on par with the private schools. From my experience, the private school system here has massive fall backs. It was very cliquey and you could pay for your marks. I never found the teachers to be any better than what I have now, and I always felt very sheltered and lacked street skills. Only the wealthy can typically get into private schools and because of that it gave a very unrealistic view of the real world.
I actually disagree. Around here, top universities are just as interested in the public school students as they are in private. If you have the marks for a top university than it doesn't matter where you came from.Quote:
Also, private schools have excellent reputations and top universities will be very interested in a pupil from a top private school, as are potential employers
In the end, there is no right answer. Education is what you make it and it various from person to person.
Words of wisdom!Quote:
Originally Posted by CagneyDog
If you aren't familiar with the dog food debate, this debate isn't too different :p The underlying denominator is that it all depends on the individual him/herself. Education is not a one-way road. If your kid likes public school, great! Keep him there. If he doesn't, consider homeschooling or private schools. If he hates it there, find alternatives. It truly depends on where you live, your own child's determination (self-motivated children have done fabulously in public schools), your financial situation, etc.
I spent K-8 in public schools and, while I hated it then, I ADORE it now. Now that I'm spending 9-12 in a Catholic school, I realize that my true friends were the ones from public school. I have to agree in part with IRescue. Many of the kids that came from private elementary and middle schools had very little life experience. In all honesty, I found it disturbing how sheltered they were. Additionally, my middle school's academics were far above par. The only kids who took accelerated math classes (meaning Alg 2/Trig in 9th grade) were from my public middle school.
In the end, *this all doesn't matter*. By the time your kid is beginning to read/write, you'll see very quickly what type of learner he is. If he is self-motivated (as I consider myself :p), he can very well excel in public schools. If he requires a bit more attention to stay on task, attending a more structured private school may not be a bad idea. Lastly, I have a close friend who was homeschooled K-8, and, while I adore her, it's sad how little life experience she has. =/ Good luck choosing! I know it's mind-boggling!
I haven't read all of the replies because I have to be out of the house shortly, but I will just comment on my own. My husband and I chose to send our children to public school through 5th grade and then switch them to private (Christian) school from 6th to 12th grades. My kids, having had the benefit of both, said they much preferred their private school experience. They knew it was a financial sacrifice and thanked us for investing that money on their behalf. I do believe it has also helped shape the adults they are today. :)
I see the truth of that first hand in my own husband. He attended a Lutheran school grades K-12. I wouldn't necessarily say it was a private school but the class sizes were small and the teachings obviously different then that of a public school.Quote:
Originally Posted by IRescue452
He lived a very sheltered life and our marriage is suffering because of it. It's very frustrating.
On the other hand, his brother who attended the same school, acted out and fell into a bad crowd with drinking and drugs and lost his license to a DUI and has a very bitter and negative outlook of the world around him.
I attended public school from k-7, private school from 8-11, and public school again for 12th. There are ups and downs for both but I really do think that having a combination of experiences with schooling is beneficial. I don't remember much about going to public grade school except that the whole focus seemed to be on getting us ready for exactly what was going to be on the statewide tests and nothing else. Schools get funding based on test results so as long as they educated us on the contents of the test they neglected most other things :rolleyes: When I transferred to private school, two things became immediately apparent to me. A) The kids that had spent their lives in private school seemed very naive and younger than their age to me and B) They were also a heck of a lot smarter than me even though I had been a straight A student.
I believe that public school better prepared me for the big bad world. The quasi altruistic society that they try to teach you is out there in private school is a joke :rolleyes: You can't be gracious and understanding all your life out in the real world. It just doesn't work like that! Sure, if EVERYONE in the outside world was a real Christian then it might work like that, but it just doesn't. The kids who had ALWAYS attended private school didn't seem to have any experience at all with mean bosses/mean teachers/mean anything. I don't feel that they are able to leave school with enough preparation for what is out there. You can't protect yourself if you don't know what there is to protect yourself from! Does that make sense?
On the flip side, the curriculum and quality of classes was VASTLY superior in the private school. I started out in the same classes as the rest of the 8th graders but I attribute that to being ahead of most of my public school peers. Despite being ahead of my public school peers, I still had to work harder to catch up to my private school school peers. The classes were based on TEACHING us things rather than getting us ready to take a standardized test. The teachers were all very intelligent, highly qualified, and willing to give of their free time to help us out if we asked for it. Most of the student body wanted to learn and those who went against the grain and disrupted classes were usually the ones that people looked down on. Been there, done that :rolleyes: :D Even though I was one of those people for a while I still managed to keep and exceptional GPA :D :D
For my senior year, I transferred back to public school... There was a big element of "culture shock" because I was suddenly surrounded by C students who thought that having a C was OK and Average :eek: :eek: and also students with Ds and Fs who just didn't give a crap. When I compared the curriculum of the public school to my private school curriculum's it was kind of a joke... I remember looking over my senior syllabus' and pointing out how many years prior to that year I had learned that information. I don't think that I learned a single new thing my senior year but I guess the review of private school 9th and 10th grade classes was beneficial in some way :rolleyes:
Again on the flip side of THAT was that I was able to take an AP class at my public school that wasn't available at my private school. Most of the same material was covered in private school but was considered basic rather than advanced. Because I was able to take the class labeled an "AP" class I was able to take the AP test (aced it) and was able to get several classes worth of college credit for it.
To sum it all up, there are definitely benefits to both but I definitely recommend a mix of both.
LOL if our child is like ME.... I think he/she would definately benefit from a private or homeschool situation.... I was very smart.... but class was very boring to me and I really needed personal attention to keep me focused and interested.
If our child is like my husband (who claims he has ADD lol) public school WOULD be an acceptable choice if we can find one that has a good reputation. He was a very good student... liked class.... loved to learn and didn't need really close personal attention to keep him on task.
HAHAHAHA we were actually going through some of my old report cards one day from when I was in K-6. They all say the same thing. "Tanya is a very enthusiastic student and loves to read and participate in class. However, she does need to improve her organization and needs to talk less in class and pay closer attention to tasks." HAHAHAHA
See my thing with homeschooling... I hear lots of people say that those kids end up being sheltered and are never "toughened" up. I think that is REALLY where a sports team or outside of the home group really comes in handy. On a sports team (especially hockey :D lol) they do learn all those things if the parent isn't teaching them.... disappointment.... winning.... losing.... pain.... even fights sometimes, whether it is amongst team mates or with another team. I want a T shirt that says "everything I learned about life I learned in hockey" HAHAHAHA.
But I think no matter what kind of school the child goes to it is VERY important that the parents are active in the school. That the parents participate in school activities, PTA, whatever. but I do think it is important for the parent to be involved.
I didn't read any of the other responses yet so I may end up saying something others have said.
This is something I've been thinking about a lot too. I really don't want my kids to go to public school. I've been thinking a lot about which would be better for us- private school or home schooling. I know I can't really make a decision now, I need to wait until I know my kids are older (at least born!). I think it'll depend a great deal on their individual personalities and needs as well as our family as a whole.
I personally am not at all a fan of public schooling. I feel that most teacher (at least around here) end up being more of a babysitter than a teacher. I only attended public school and I feel like I missed out.
As far as private schools go I think it depends on the individual school, but the ones I've seen have done a much better job of actually educating the kids. Parents also seem to be more involved in private schools (from my experience). My sister, my husband, and both my sisters-in-law attended both private school and public school. They all liked private school better. My dad as well as my husband and I were all quite involved with my sister's private school. We really liked the family involvement and the wonderful relationships between everyone there.
I think that it depends on the parents wether or not home schooling should be an option. It's much more demanding for the parent, but I also feel it's more rewarding for the whole family. Socialization is also an issue here, the kids need to have a way to meet and play with other kids their own age. If a parents can't accomplish that that I don't think they should even consider home schooling.
Education is what you make of it.
Case in point: I attended public education all the way through (well, college was 'private' in that it was a Quaker based school, but, if you know the Quaker faith...well, the religious views just aren't forced on you).
Lady I worked with was privately educated, all the way through.
We both ended up at the same place, same pay, job, status, etc. :D