subject: Key Advantages of Private Schools [print this page] Key Advantages of Private Schools Key Advantages of Private Schools
Parents who are thinking of sending their children to private schools often weigh the advantages and disadvantages because not all people can afford to send their children to these schools. They're definitely not cheap (some with tuition fees reaching over $40,000 per school year). There's also the anxiety of being separated from their children during their formative years. However, there are many advantages private schools can have over public schools. Here are a few:
1. Small class size - Private schools have a significant difference in terms of class size from public schools. While typical public schools may have class sizes ranging from 30-40 (some even more), private schools keep their class sizes small (usually from 4 to 15). Children are less likely to be overlooked when class sizes are this small. Teachers can easily spot students who are having difficulties with their lessons, they can form a more positive relationship with them, and students can feel that they are given more attention in class. It's hard to slip through the cracks if there aren't many students in one's class.
2. Superb facilities - Private schools generally have better funding that allow them to maintain and even improve their facilities. Many private schools have facilities that are at par with ivy league universities and they have the space and the means to allow children to explore many different kinds of afterschool programs such as sports, performing arts, and more. Such programs can help young people become well-rounded individuals. It's one of the private school advantages that they will take with them well into their adulthood.
3. Teachers - Generally, private schools pride themselves with the fact that they hire teachers who have advanced degrees in their field and who belong to diverse cultures.
4. Administration - Public school systems have become notorious for the bureaucracy that make it difficult to implement positive changes that can benefit the staff and the students. Since private schools are structured differently, it's easier to make changes and enforce them without having to go through all that red tape.
5. Funding - While public school funding relies much on the local economy and tax revenues, private schools can afford to be a lot more flexible with their finances. Private schools are funded by tuition fees, donations, grants, and other sources of income. If they need money to improve facilities or hire more staff, they always have the option to increase the tuition fee or explore other means of obtaining income.
Parents are ultimately going to make the decision to send their children to boarding school based on what they think is beneficial for their children and what is also realistic to their financial situation and their personal situation. Sometimes it does more harm than good to take children away from their school and their friends. At other times, putting them in a new environment where they can flourish, learn to be independent, and be given the attention that they need can be the best thing that you can do for them. For some children, it's not just a matter of getting better education, it's a pivotal experience in their lives.
