Why are public schools better than private schools?

Note: Posted for Alycia Burt

This started out as me wanted to be a school teacher and going to school for elementary education but what would be so much better about teaching at a private school instead of a public school. I have always went to a public school myself and seemed to turn out just fine, who wants to go and spend around “17,441 which was the average of private schools in 2009 in the United States” (Great schools INC). Why would someone pay that much money to go to school when they could go for free? This is a question I ask myself a lot. Though some people would probably think I’m crazy for spending $125 on a pair of jeans. So am I being a hypocrite for how they want to spend their money?

While researching public and private schools I have learned that private schools are not as excepting as you would think they would be. “Public schools are required to take any child and provide them with the necessary programs that they need even if it is special ed. While private schools may deny any kid to their problem due to their special needs.” (Great schools INC). Every kid learns at a different pace and some need more help than others and that just isn’t right that they are able to do that. Public schools offer a wide variety of kids and friends, that is not narrowed down be mental ability or anything.

It’s striking to me that people would pay all this money to go and get the same education that they could get for free. There are so many more advantages “Public schools provide transportation to and from school for children who live in the school district” (Education bug). This transportation can be a big help for parents trying to work and get their kids to and from school. Many of us know how bad the economy is right now and a lot of people can’t afford that extra expense in these times right now. If you cannot afford to send your children to private schools does it mean that they are not getting as good of an education? “A large scale government financed study has concluded that students in regular public schools do as well or significantly better in math than comparable students in private schools.”(Teresa Mendez). Public schools are obviously showing that they can be just as good, or even better than private schools. You do not have to pay all the money and you are still providing a good education for your child. Though in private schools the class size does tend to be lower and normally gives the children more one on one time public school teachers have always been very will to help me and meet up with me anytime I have ever needed help, it has never been an issue.

I personally do not believe that private schools are better than public schools. I have attended public schools my whole life and have always love it and am not planning on hopefully becoming a teacher at a public school. If public schools were that bad the government would not be helping that and setting up the guidelines that need to be reached each year. Why would so many people attend public schools if they were that bad? They wouldn’t I feel blessed to have gotten to attend the public school that I did and meet all the friends that I have. We can’t expect everyone to believe that spending 17,000 for your education rather than nothing would be better or even remotely close but it truly is better.

Work Cited

GreatSchools, Joining. "Private vs. Public Schools - Defining Your Ideal School | GreatSchools." GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. .

"Advantages of Public Schools - Education Bug." Education Bug - Articles, Public & Private Schools, Colleges. 2011. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. .

Mendez, Teresa. "Public v. Private Schools | ProjectAppleseed." Parental Involvement & Engagement In Public Schools |Project Appleseed in Education. USA Today, 2005. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. .