Public or Private Schools?

The debate of which schooling system is better; public or private, has been an ongoing one with varying answers. There are benefits of both, and each will inevitably possesses an attribute the other does not, however I believe public schools have more advantages. I have personally experienced a mix of both public and private schools, so I have gathered a pretty solid understanding on both systems. With my experiences along with the extra research I have done, I have concluded public schools are ultimately a better choice. 

Found here.

The first advantage of going to public school is that you do not have to pay a tuition fee. Private schools are, as we all know, very expensive, usually costing families thousands of dollars yearly to send their children there. The typical justification for the cost is that the education you receive is worth the extra money. People tend to believe that just because public schools are free, they do not offer the same opportunities and high level curriculums. However, this is not necessarily always the case. Additionally, according to this article, a study proved that students' socioeconomic and family backgrounds drastically affect success on text scores more so than which schooling system they are in. This would explain why private schools generally score higher on tests, however the success of private school students can often be due to their family's income and background rather than the fact that they attended a specific school. 

Another aspect of public schools that private schools lack is diversity, both ethnic and economic. There is a very apparent lack of diversity in private schools, which is proved in this annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics.  In 2017, the study concluded that out of the 5.7 million students who were attending private schools, 67% were White, while 11% were Hispanic, 9% were African American, 6% were Asian, 5% were biracial, and 1% were Pacific Islander or American Indian?Alaska Native. On the other hand, the same organization collected statistics of the public school student body in 2018. It concluded that 23.8 million of the 50.7 million students were white. On top of the ethnic diversity, there is also a wider range of economic diversity of the students' families. Private schools tend to have students coming from wealthier families, however that can have negative effects on the environment and exposure for students. The diversity offered by public schools is a strength that is unfortunately missing in private schools. 

In addition, public schools usually offer more services and conveniences for students. For example, transportation will most likely not be an issue, as buses are usually free to all the kids. The National School Lunch (youth.gov) program is available to all public schools, so there will usually be free lunches offered to those who need them at public schools. Furthermore, there are typically a wider range of class choices and electives or clubs offered in public schools. 

Overall, it is clear that public schools have several elements lacking in private schools. The free education, diversity, and several services provided by public schools make it apparent that they have an upper-hand. At the end of the day though, it is best to make an informed decision when choosing a school and taking into account your location, the schools around you, and your personal situation. 

-Meher