Private vs. Public Education in the United States

Introduction and Thesis

In the recent past, there has been and still there is a high controversy in our country and a strongly heated debate with regard to education in private schools versus public schools, what is generally referred to as private and public education (Anderson, 1997). What is everyone left to wonder including what me is, what is the really difference between the two?

With regard to the above foregoing statement, this paper seeks to address issues relating to private and public schools, and this will help in closing the current gap and enable the concerned authorities to come up with the necessary policies that will help to solve the problem. It will also at the end provide an alternate solution for parents caught in between the dilemma in choosing the best school for their children.

Background information

Pros and cons of US education system: ¹Even though most public schools are located in affluent areas and therefore they are supposed to be focused and have enough money like private schools, but contrastingly it is even in the city areas where most differences are seen clearly (Benning, 1999). This is a clear observation, therefore, you don’t not need to go further, just take a careful analysis or keenly observe any public school around you and compare with the quality of education you want for your child. You will perhaps agree with me that, if your child is the type that needs more attention from teachers or keeps floundering in a class that is filled with many students, you may probably want to consider private schools for the simple fact of the attention your child needs own (Boland, 1999).

The main reason for many parents not taking their children to private schools, is the tuition costs and these makes most parents fear that private schools are costly, but currently ²there has been an increased legislation which has moved towards schools vouchers where parents and concerned families like guardians can take tax dollars that are directed towards public school education and redirect them to private school tuition and this will enable them make use of it in private school tuition (Brown, & Rinehart, 1991).

Review of Literature

Private versus public education: in my opinion I prefer private education, for I strongly believe that private schools have a great deal to offer when compared to public schools, this is because private schools have the capability to implement more programs and the capacity to hire better and highly qualified teachers due to the fundamental fact that the higher tuition fees paid by their students offer their schools a good amount of money which help them in their learning schools systems efficiently (Andreoni, 1989).

However, going by this statement so far, my worry is whether each and every child should go to a private school, and which parents or guardian will leave his or her children in public school and what would they become? Whether your answer is yes or not, it will highly benefit parents who will choose private schools rather than public schools if there are signs of their children getting lost in the shuffle of public schools (Anderson, 1997). ³

The main reason for this is that in private schools the student teacher ratio is smaller when compared to public schools for since there are fewer students in these schools. Moreover, as students continue to increase in local public schools, these schools are becoming increasingly more and more crowded, and there it is not surprising that some families are opting for private schools to make their children get the much attention needed from their teachers (Benning, 1999). Moreover, private schools offer some courses in addition to the ones already in the ones already in the curriculum, these courses are geared towards college orientation and they are more intent on honing their students on going to college.

Private schools, in addition to the above, do not have high incidences of drugs abuse, violence and high rates of drop-outs like public schools, and this is the most likely reason of the increased levels of dedication of most parents who send their children to private schools to have these advantages (Bradley, 1995).This is not even enough, there is more to worry for the well known but not much mentioned philosophy in public schools along with certain believe that each student is different and college was not meant for everyone, as a result, they are not forced to go to college or work hard and in the end, they are left to strive to college on their own (Boland, 1999).

“Alternative” schooling

However, there is certain trend which has emerged from this controversy; not everyone can afford private school and the fear of low academic standards in public schools, most families have opted to home schooling and in the recent past, there has been a great surge towards this option, with many families trying to take control by refusing to let their children be ruined by the ‘real farm’ which most public schools have become, by turning out and admitting children who are just scrapping by or simply dropping out of school (Brown, & Rinehart, 1991).

Conclusion and Recommendations

Private schools are more focused and highly dedicated towards education of any child. In addition their teachers earn more and this makes them to be more dedicated in working with the children and parents who are also equally dedicated as well (Bradley, 1995). My advice is, if you can afford a private school, it will be the best investment that you will ever make to your child’s future and this is not a decision to be taken lightly but something to consider as a responsible and concerned parent or guardian respectively.

References

Anderson, N. (1997). “Going Beyond the Bake Sale: More Parents Are Starting Up Private Foundations to Raise Funds for Teachers, Programs and Repairs at Their Schools,” Los Angeles Times.

Andreoni, J. (1989). In the journal “Giving with Impure Altruism: Applications to Charity and Recardian Equivalence,” Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 82.

Benning, V. (1999). “Parents; Crucial Volunteers; Help Is Key to Smooth-Running Schools,” The Washington Post.

Boland J. N. (1999). “Schools Need Volunteers to Help Youngsters Improve Reading Skills,” The Boston Globe.

Bradley, A. (1995). “Local Fund-Raising Prompts Larger Questions about Equity,” Education Week.

Brown, J., and Rinehart, J. (1991). “Private Foundations: An Empowerment Tool,” Record.

Footnotes

1. Benning, V. “Parents; Crucial Volunteers; Help Is Key to Smooth-Running Schools,” (The Washington Post: 1999).
2. Brown, J., & Rinehart, J. “Private Foundations: An Empowerment Tool,” (Record: 1991).
3. Anderson, N. “Going Beyond the Bake Sale: More Parents Are Starting Up Private Foundations to Raise Funds for Teachers, Programs and Repairs at Their Schools,” (Los Angeles Times: 1997).