MemberWhich team are you on and why? Does the education it offers matter or is it the rigorous name! Has bullying occurred at the school, does it happen more at public schools than private? Chime in your thoughts on the subject!
MemberAs a teaching artist who has worked in both settings I say private.
I’ve gone to public school my whole life so I feelbmy experience has been better at private.
MemberI went to a private (religious) grade school and high school and have no regrets.
However, I would not hesitate to send my child to public school. I believe that parents hold a large responsibility when it comes to the education of the child. So if the school I send them to isn’t fantastic I plan on stepping up and making sure they are learning at the pace they should be. Although DH and I could certainly afford private school, I don’t think I could justify the cost. I couldn’t care less if it has a rigorous name.
I never experienced bullying at my school and did not witness a ton of bullying either. Not saying there wasn’t any, but I did not see much of it. I have no idea how it compares to public school in terms of bullying.
My opinion is that there is nothing wrong with private school. I didn’t feel like I was too sheltered and I don’t think my education was that affected by it. However, like I said, I don’t think I could justify the cost of it.
Member@rbuchanan09: I went to private school and so did all of my siblings. My kids will be going to private school too, so I guess that shows my thoughts on the whole thing. Bullying happens anywhere, it has nothing to do with the school system you’re in (though I’m sure it happens more in certain regions than others).
MemberI went to public school all the way through and had an excellent experience. Fantastic education, very little bullying (way less than the local religious schools) and we could still afford to go to the theater and on vacation. I always prefer public and only would consider private if it was the only good option.
MemberI think it absolutely depends on your child and your situation in life. If I lived in a town like where I grew up where the public schools are excellent (and were better than a lot of the private schools in the area), I would 100% send my child to public school. If I lived in a less-prestigious school district, I would consider private school. It also depends on whether or not your child has special needs, is gifted or is interested in pursuing something specifically, like performing arts. In those cases, I think I would be more inclined to send my child to a private school.
MemberI am a big supporter of public schools. My daughter attends one, as will my little one when she gets older.
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I think it depends on the schools in the area and what the parent can afford. I think it’s better to be able to provide food, good housing, clothes, etc. than private education. In our area, there are really great public schools to choose from and I think just one small private school. Our kids will be going to public school and some of the money that we save from not paying tuition can go towards their apprenticeship/college/or university education in the future (:
My uncle is totally pro-private schools and pays $30,000 a year (more than my university tuition for 4 years!) for my cousin to go to kindergarten. He’s also against college and only seems to believe that university is a valid post-secondary option. He says that too many students go to college from public schools, but my argument is that private schools (at least this particular private school) teach kids with that kind of mindset so obviously they aren’t going to be applying to colleges. If your whole life you’re taught that university is the only option, then you’re probably only going to apply to university. I think maybe his arrogant/stuck up attitude has made me a little skeptical of private schools :/ Plus, I went to the top university in Canada and a ton of the students there went to private school and drove luxury cars, but they didn’t seem to be any smarter or better at writing or get better grades than me. They just seemed to be more full of themsevles (but that obviously could just be a result of how they were brought up and not necessarily a result of the private school). I’m not against private schools for other people, I just don’t see them as necessary for our kids. Maybe if we lived in a big city or something I would feel differently.
MemberDepends on the location
MemberI went to a public school, and turned out just fine. My husband also went to a public school in the town we now live, and if we ever have kids, I’m not too keen on them attending the school he attended. I don’t think the school he went to is bad, necessarily, but they have a high drop-out rate, a high teen pregnancy rate, and various other factors (yes, I realize this is not isolated to this one school and that this happens all over). They do have a good band/music department, however, and as a former band geek that is one thing that I would like!
The only private schools I know of in the area is one Catholic one that only goes through the 8th grade, then the kids are sent off to the local high school. If we lived in a bigger city with more options, I would definitely look into each. However, at this exact moment, I would say that any future children will be attending public schools.
MemberIt absolutely depends on the location. City schools are, in general, a mess. There are some suburban schools that are a mess as well. Students in America are NOT challenged at ALL. Our education system needs a huge overhaul…which is not going to happen. I am definitely a proponent of public education, but I am so frustrated with everything policy-wise that’s been happening…
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I am a public school teacher, have been for 13 years. So My kids will be going to public school.
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MemberIt definitely depends where you are at. The public schools where I live now are WAY better than the charter school I taught at in Chicago, etc. My default will be public schools, although there is an independent school here with a great principal and a really neat model. If we can afford that, I may go that route, but if it doesn’t make sense for our family, I have no problem sending my kids to public school.
MemberAlso, since this is in FOOD, I would like to say that the food available at city schools in this country is abyssmal. Well, at least in the schools I’ve seen — in Philadelphia and in York. The food is GROSS. Nutrition needs to be addressed if we want our children to be successful.
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