Nowadays, education is more complex than before so it’s no surprise parents often have a hard time deciding in which school to enroll their child, either private or public. There are many factors that you have to keep in mind, such as school quality, teacher training, class size and many more. In this article, we will help you make your decision by offering some pros and cons of private and public school education.

Class size

One of the major differences between private and public school is strongly related to class size. In public school the class size can reach up to 30 students, while in private schools there are less students, not more than 20. You can also find private schools that will receive even lesser students. The advantage is that your child can focus more on what the teacher has to say and communicate more easily and freely with him. The downside to this is that since there are fewer children in class, teachers can give more assignments because they don’t have to grade 30 or more papers.

Teacher qualifications

Most people think that there are no differences between public school teachers and private school teachers. However, the main difference is that public school teachers need to be certified in order to teach, while teachers at private schools are not certified, but each of them is an expert in their field. Certification is important because it ensures that someone that wishes to become a teacher has gone through course work and student teaching and as a result, is more qualified to teach.

Preparing students for college

There’s a wrong misconception that public school do an overall great job at preparing students for college. This is not the case for all public schools. The main benefit of enrolling your child in a private school is that teachers can focus more on each student to help him/her get ready for college.

Parent involvement

Generally speaking, parents of public school students are less likely to get involved in school activities while parents of private school students are more committed to help their children gain more knowledge and become more active during classes. If you have a special needs child, consider enrolling him in a private school instead of a public school. Even though private school are not required by law to accommodate children with special needs, they can nonetheless provide a better education. However, make sure to consult with your child before deciding on this aspect.

After-school activities and programs

Private school mainly offer more school activities for children because they are not required by law to teach only certain subjects. Instead, they can choose to offer a variety of different programs, even after school programs. There are also many private schools that offer specific programs in different areas of interest such as music, arts or sports.