Public Vs Private Schools

Public Vs. Private Schools – Which Is Best For A Child Essay, Research Paper

David Graham

11/9/94

Public Vs. Private Schools

Which is best for a child.

Every parent wants what is best for their child. Though parents do not have control over everything in their child’s development, education is not one of them. A person’s education is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not they will become a productive member of society. Because education is so important, what kind of education is best. Whether or not a public or private school is best may be an issue worth addressing. The debate over which is better is a battle that has gone on since private schools were first introduced as an alternative. It seems most people are of the opinion that private schools are superior; the issue is simply if it is worth the money. However, this may not be the case. Therefore, how does one gauge the superiority of a school. This very difficult question has no easy answers. The most common and maybe the only way that researchers can rate and measure the effectiveness of a school is by measuring achievement. The American Heritage Dictionary seems to define achievement as “something that has been accomplished successfully, especially by means of exertion, skill, practice, or perseverance.” This definition is not exactly what researchers are speaking of when they refer to achievement. Though they all seem to define it slightly differently, achievement is refereed to as an improvement in overall academic excellence that did not exist before or outside the classroom. Many researchers used achievement tests and SAT scores in longitudinal studies for this measure. These reports seem to suggest that public schools seem to perform at equal levels with private schools. But are SAT scores and achievement tests all that are important to a school and what it can provide for children. This question cannot be addressed with these tests.

The fact that I was raised in a private environment seems to suggest that I may not be better off than my private counterparts. My family moved to Atlanta when I was six years old. Since then, I have attended private schools. From Kindergarten through the eighth grade I attended a small private Episcopal school. After that, I attended a larger private high school to finish my primary education (though still small compared to the size of a public school). I was raised on the idea that private schools are better than public ones. My parents and most of my peers still believe this. I might still think this also but with much less fervor. After high school, I then went on to SMU, another private school. It was here that I learned, in that large and diverse environment, and from talking to my friends now at public colleges, that maybe the average public and private system are not so different. I am not saying that high school and college are comparable, they are not. Maybe just the idea that private schools provide a superior education is false. I seem to be getting the same if not better education where I am now, at Georgia Tech. I am afraid to ask how much my parents have spent on my education. Would I be I the same place today had I gone to public schools, only having a more comfortable lifestyle.

However, one must keep in mind that the issue over weather private schools are superior to public ones cannot be calculated for just myself or any other individual. The facts and data stated here are averages, not necessarily the best and most accurate information for all children. Also, not all public schools are the same and not all private schools are the same. Again, the results here are supposed to be averages of each. Many schools are not even addressed. Public magnet schools, independent schools, and special education schools, are some examples. Another thing to bear in mind is that there are many more public schools than there are private ones, thus skewing the data some.

With that I mind, I have found six journals written on, or pertaining to, the subject of achievement and whether private or public does a better job of promoting it. However, all of these researchers did not just pick a hundred public students and a hundred private ones, test them, and then see who scored higher. Many variables must be taken into account to make the two groups as equal as possible. This logical step included the factoring out of variables such as economic backgrounds, gender, age, race, IQ, and others. By eliminating or lessening these characteristics and others like them, more equivalent groups can be made, with a smaller chance of non school influences affecting score results.

Before the mid 1970’s, the issue of the better type of school had not been seriously addressed. This may be because most students enrolled in private schools were there primarily for religious reasons. This is why most private schools are Catholic. The Coleman report, released a before the 1980, began the battle that still continues to this day. Their conclusion stated that, after all the data was collected, and all the important variables accounted for, private schools produce better achievement than their public counterparts. Shortly after this research became public, numerous studies have been documented as stating that their conclusion was false. Some of those studies shall be stated here.

One of the first reports th