Public Versus Private The Debate

There is a fierce debate in the United States about the efficacy of private schools versus the affordability and inclusiveness of public schools. There are proponents on both sides of the debate, with some fiercely in favor of private schools and other fiercely in favor of public schools. The arguments center around cost versus inclusiveness.

Public schools have long been the darlings of the public administrations of the country. Every year it seems people have thoughts about public schools, how to make public education better, how to make public schools safer, how to provide more qualified teachers in public schools, and more.

Public schools are affordable. That’s part of what makes them great. They are at no cost to families, which helps out not just with low income families but also with lower middle class families who can’t take on the extra expense of sending their kids of private school. Books are paid for. Facilities are paid for.

Public schools are varied in terms of what they provide. Some public schools have a great deal of classroom equipment, are strong athletically as well as academically, have great teachers, and more. There are some public schools that are not like that, however. Some public schools lack funds and lack quality teachers. Their facilities may be in disrepair.

Part of the reason for this is that schools are funded in part according to district, meaning the poorer the district, the more likely the school is to be lacking equipment, lacking quality teachers, lack athletic materials and other extracurricular activities. The school may have poorer facilities, crumbling infrastructure, and more.

Many of the best public schools are in areas where there are higher income families. They may have the better teachers and the better facilities. They are more likely to prepare their students for college. A note to this is that these are level public schools, not charter schools, which tend to be in poorer neighborhoods but have better funding.

Public schools are seen as lacking qualified teachers. This means that a student will get a less rigorous education compared to private schools, with some public schools giving a worse education than other public schools. This is the main point against public schools, aside from the violence. It is the lack of a proper and quality education.

Private schools have some of the opposite issues. The education there tends to be more rigorous, often challenging the education levels in some colleges. The education there is preparatory: The schools are meant to prepare the students to go to college. The teachers are generally better qualified, the equipment is nicer, and funds are there.

Private schools also have a better grasp of discipline than public schools, generally speaking. Students are required to wear uniforms, which creates a sense of conformity. The administration is generally tougher on students when it comes to discipline. Parents could be more hands-on with discipline in schools.

Private schools, however, have a cost. The cost for attending a private school might be more than the cost of attending a four-year University in state. It may be thousands of dollars per year. This means that the cost for schools is considerably higher than that of public schools, making it less inclusive.

Someone from a low income or middle income family might not be able to go to a private school because the tuition that is required. This can make private schools homogeneous in the sense that they are catering to a higher income crowd, which may remove a great deal of minority students from the school.

But private schools generally have a better education. A preparatory school might better prepare a student for college, that is almost certain. However, it will certainly cost more to attend and a student might miss out on the multicultural aspect of going to certain public schools. On the flip side, a preparatory school may have more discipline, which will pave the was for success.