An Informed Decision: Public Vs. Private Seducation

Parents raising young children are faced with many crucial decisions during the developmental years of their child's life. As the child nears the age of five, the parent or parents must begin to contemplate one of the toughest and most important decisions in the child's life: The question of "Where will our child go to school?" In today's society, many children are raised in single-parent homes or in homes with two working parents. The option of home-schooling, sometimes, is just not practical. The parents must then decide whether their child would benefit more from a public school learning environment or if a greater education can be achieved at a private institution. Both environments have much to offer the minds of young learners, but a parent's goal is to choose the school that best meets the needs of the student. In order to make an informed decision, a parent should weigh several factors: cost, school and class size, safety, academic reputation, and religious affiliation.

Money is a concern for most average American families and can weigh heavily on the decision between private and public schooling. Private schools do not receive funding from tax revenue. Rather, parents are required to pay tuition and must agree to participate in fundraising activities. Money is also received by way of private donations. Typically if the family donation by way of fundraising is not met, parents are held responsible for the remainder of the expected contribution. Aside from local and state taxes, public schools require little to no out of pocket expense for families. Fundraisers are optional in public schools, and parents are not required to guarantee any money will be raised.

In general, public schools tend to have a larger student body; private school classrooms offer a smaller, more controlled academic setting. However, it can be argued that there is strength in numbers. Many public schools also have larger class sizes, with a higher student to teacher ratio. Most private schools employ teacher's aides to allow a lower student to teacher ratio. Parents who feel their child will benefit from a smaller setting may go the route of private schooling. On the other hand, if the child thrives in large groups, public schools may be the best choice.

Parents must also consider the security of their children when attempting to choose the right learning environment. Location, building security and staff training are some of the issues parents may address regarding the well-being of their child during school hours. Many public schools may be a secure environment, but in some school districts, children would be much safer in private schools. The real deciding factor for most parents is their own peace of mind