jewelz617
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2009
- Messages
- 1,547
I will say that my brothers and I went through the private school system (for 16 years including college) and I can give you the pros and cons:
PROS:
If uniforms are required, it takes a lot of pressure off the kids to have the best outfits. It sort of levels the playing field.
The education in my experience was great. There is a lot of focus on college preparation, being able to write well (papers are a weekly thing) and speech. I found that I placed out of a lot of writing and literature courses as a college freshman.
The college acceptance rates for some of the more competitive schools can be higher for a private school grad. I got accepted at Fordham University and I wasn't a "star" student.
More individual parent/teacher/student attention. These teachers will go above and beyond to make sure the student is not falling through the cracks. Dropout rates are extremely low.
Because the school is privately funded, they can be more lenient about field trips, snow days etc. and that's nice sometimes.
CONS:
When a school is built on academic performance success, it can be very stressful for a student. I went to a Catholic school and was taught by nuns and I still suffer from guilt trips. Sometimes it can be like a pressure cooker, students tend to be a lot more pushy about "How did you do on that exam?" "What is your average in that class?"
The attitude can be very different. There seems to be more emphasis on money status than there is in a public school system. Of course the status issue is going to be found one way or another with most any school you choose.
Socially, it can be isolating. My school was an hour away from my hometown. It was not convenient for me to see my friends and vice versa.
The cost can get very high over the years.
Your child can succeed anywhere! Some children thrive on a private school education, some don't like the structure of it. It's really not a "one is better" issue (not that you were saying that at all), so go with whichever one is going to work best for you and your family.
PROS:
If uniforms are required, it takes a lot of pressure off the kids to have the best outfits. It sort of levels the playing field.
The education in my experience was great. There is a lot of focus on college preparation, being able to write well (papers are a weekly thing) and speech. I found that I placed out of a lot of writing and literature courses as a college freshman.
The college acceptance rates for some of the more competitive schools can be higher for a private school grad. I got accepted at Fordham University and I wasn't a "star" student.
More individual parent/teacher/student attention. These teachers will go above and beyond to make sure the student is not falling through the cracks. Dropout rates are extremely low.
Because the school is privately funded, they can be more lenient about field trips, snow days etc. and that's nice sometimes.
CONS:
When a school is built on academic performance success, it can be very stressful for a student. I went to a Catholic school and was taught by nuns and I still suffer from guilt trips. Sometimes it can be like a pressure cooker, students tend to be a lot more pushy about "How did you do on that exam?" "What is your average in that class?"
The attitude can be very different. There seems to be more emphasis on money status than there is in a public school system. Of course the status issue is going to be found one way or another with most any school you choose.
Socially, it can be isolating. My school was an hour away from my hometown. It was not convenient for me to see my friends and vice versa.
The cost can get very high over the years.
Your child can succeed anywhere! Some children thrive on a private school education, some don't like the structure of it. It's really not a "one is better" issue (not that you were saying that at all), so go with whichever one is going to work best for you and your family.