Melanie Hargrave, guest contributor
When it comes to your child’s education, you want to pick the system that will benefit your child the most. Do you choose to put your trust in the public school system or the private school system? Or maybe you’re considering taking the responsibility on yourself by attempting home schooling. No matter what your options and considerations, private school is often the best course of action, both for you and for your child. Here are 6 reasons why you should seriously consider enrolling your child as soon as possible.
High Parental Involvement
Private schools don’t come cheap. They require far more of an investment than public schools do, but that investment pays off. You can even make sure your money has been well-spent. Private schools expect you to be involved in your child’s education.
Where public schools typically provide one night a year for parents to come to the school and meet the teachers, private schools host many parent-teacher conferences and other activities to which parents are invited and encouraged to attend. The teachers strive to involve parents, and they encourage parents to discuss the educational needs of their children.
Generally, the administration and the teachers of private schools both want what is best for your child, and they want to show you that your child is getting that great education promised.
Dedicated Teachers
The classes at private schools are significantly smaller than the class sizes at public schools. This means that the teachers can dedicate more individual time to your child. They will know almost immediately if your child doesn’t understand a topic, and the teacher can focus on your child, teaching him or her one-on-one until your child understands.
The public school system is geared toward the mid-range of students—for children of average intelligence. If your child is above or below that range, they won’t get the attention they deserve, and their education will suffer for it.
Private schools, however, are a lot more flexible, lending to a better learning environment for children who are intelligent and quick to comprehend and for children who are slower learners. There are programs, classes, and teachers for both types of students, where they can get the attention and the education they deserve.
Life-long Education
Unlike public schools, private schools aren’t funded based on test results. They’re not funded by the state, and the tests themselves don’t matter as much. It’s about teaching the students so the students understand.
The teachers focus more on the subject matter than the tests themselves, because they understand that when too much focus is placed on a test, students think that that’s the only reason they need to know the subject—to pass the test. Then, once the test is taken, the students forget. But when the teachers focus on the subject matter, the knowledge lasts a lot longer, because the students really understand the subject.
Balanced Program
Private schools have a balanced program for all of the students. They go through a mix of academia, physical fitness, and extra-curricular activities like music, drama, and debate teams. Many public schools don’t have all these options, because states choose to cut programs, like drama or music, in favor of more profitable events, like sports.
Private schools make a variety of programs available to their students, supporting a well-rounded education.
Teachers as Role Models
Private schools only have a limited number of teachers, so the teachers have to know multiple subjects and activities. This means that your child’s math teacher could also be the supervisor of the physical activities.
When teachers are over multiple subjects like this, it gives children more time to bond with the teacher and look up to them as role model. That helps when you child doesn’t understand a topic. They will accept help from the teacher they look up to and may even gain a love for a subject they otherwise wouldn’t have cared about.
Curriculums You Agree With
There are many different types of private schools available, and you can find one with a curriculum you agree with, so your child gets the education you want them to have. Private education gives you, the parent, the opportunity to choose a school that shares your values. Whether you prefer a more religious-centered curriculum, or appreciate the diversity that many private school programs offer in their education, you can enroll your child in an institution that fits you and your child’s needs.
Transportation You Trust
When your child attends a public school, they typically have to rely on either their own two feet to get to school or a bus driver employed by the school district. Not only will you not know the bus driver—most likely—but the school probably won’t know them either.
When private schools offer transportation for students, they hire the driver directly and can vouch for the safety of your children while in transit. And if the school doesn’t offer transportation, you can get involved with a carpool, saving money on getting your child and some of his or her classmates to school.
Your child’s education is not something you should take lightly. Their education will affect the rest of their life, so put some thought into it, and give them the education that will put them on the path to greatness.
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Melanie Hargrave is a wife and homemaker whose pride and joy is her family. She is her daughters’ number one fan, always ready at a moment’s notice to grab her foam fingers and spirit shakers and cheer on her girls. In addition to spending time with her family, she loves being outdoors, playing sports, and learning more about cars and mechanisms like Rexroth Hydraulics.
