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Private Schools Vs. Public Schools

You want to give your child the best but you also have income constraints tothink of. So how do you choose between private schools versus public schools?Put another way, how do you decide private education is really worth it? Heres a

rundown of issues pertaining to private schools vs. public schools in !orth "merica#

Private school tuition vs. public school ta$es

%veryone pays ta$es, so you are already supporting the public school system.&hy pay for both, you might ask yourself? 'he fact is that in numerous provincesand states, you can get ta$ breaks when you send your child to private schoolover a public school. 'his ta$ break can come in many different forms dependingon what state or province you are in.

(ost private school parents view the )dollars and cents *uestion) as amaterialistic reduction. +or e$ample, for ewish or -hristian parents, a privateschool that bolsters religious faith offers something invaluable. Parents of&aldorf or (ontessori school students feel much the same.

epending on what kind of private school you decide on, tuition can range from/0,111 per year up to more than /211,111. Public school costs nothing, ofcourse. 3s it more important to you to spend the money on private school tuitionversus having money to treat your kids well in other respects? How much are youwilling to sacrifice? o you think the best things in life are free 4 or do youbelieve you get what you pay for?

Private schools admittance vs. public school admittance

Private schools are allowed to e$pel students and can choose not to allow certainstudents admittance. 3n fact, many private schools are difficult to get into. Publicschools allow all students, regardless of religious creed, academic abilities or anyother factor.

Sending you child to a private school means enrollment is selective anddemands are uniformly higher versus a public school where they will be e$posedto a wider variety of people and abilities. 3n todays world, both are likely to

incorporate students from various cultures and backgrounds.

Student population at private vs. public school

3n most areas, your children will attend public school with other kids from thesame area. However, a number of states are moving toward a policy where youcan re*uest a change if you desire.

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&hen parents choose a private school, they often do so based on their desire togive their children a specific peer group, whether that is based on discipline,cultural or religious background, or philosophical beliefs.

3n most private schools, students are e$cluded or e$pelled if they do not adhere

to the schools policies or standards.

-lass si5e in public vs. private schools

6vercrowding of public school classrooms is one of the most commoncomplaints about the public education system, a significant problem that inspiresparents to seek private school alternatives.

School governance

7ecause they do not use public funds 8or in some areas, less funds9, private

schools are not as restricted in their program development or curricula. Privateschools are not sub:ect to budget limitations imposed by the state 8although, theymay in fact, have more restrictive limitations9.

'his freedom allows private schools to develop their own curricula. "s long asparents agree with the intellectual, philosophical or religious basis brought to thecurricula, this independence from government interference is seen as a greatadvantage of private schools over public.

6n the other hand, public schools use curricula designed to include all students,thus invoking in them a tolerance for others. ;earning in both public and private

schools is measured through standardi5ed testing.

'eacher certification in private school vs. public

 "ll teachers in public schools in almost all states and provinces in !orth "mericaare re*uired to have some form of federal, state or provincial certification alongwith a bachelors degree.

3n the more prestigious private and boarding schools, there are likely to beteachers who are much more highly *ualified, with graduate degrees and higherlevel awards.

 "ctual teacher certification on a state<by<state or province<by<province basisvaries and is always being revised, so blanket statements are not helpful orappropriate.

Public school vs. private# *uality of education

Private school and public school administrators and educators all do their best to

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create the best learning environment possible. 'here are e$cellent public schoolsand there are e$cellent private schools.

3n -anada, the +raser 3nstitute ranks schools, often finding favour with privateschools, although it does highly rank some public schools. 3n the =S", the

situation is similar# there are good public schools but many of the best overallschools are privately funded. " study by Harvard =niversity found that privateschool students averaged higher than their public school counterparts instandardi5ed tests in 22 of 2> comparisons of students.

3n the final analysis

 "s a parent, you need to decide for yourself. Visit schools and see what theschools and teachers are like. &e think the option of private school makes allschools better and gives parents alternatives they may certainly want to pursuein finding the right education for their children.

6urkids.net lists private schools from across !orth "merica and %urope. Start adeeper investigation of !orth "merican private schools right now, usingour private school search engine.

< See more at# http#www.ourkids.netprivate<schools<versus<public<schools.php@sthash.bA(B>h5%.dpuf 

 The following are some of the important things worth knowing about

Ontario’s private education setting:

1. Teachers and principals in private schools are not subjected

to compulsory certification. They don’t have to be certified by the

Ontario College of Teachers to be able to teach or run private

academic institutions. Hence, it is very important to make sure that the

school you are choosing is staffed by highly competent educators,

those who have the right credentials and pertinent eperiences. !t

helps conducting background checks on a private school’s staff.

2. Only the Ontario Ministry of Education has the authority to

determine which courses can make a student qualified for the

Ontario econdary chool !iploma "O!#. !f you want to make

sure that you or your children are getting the right credits to obtain a

diploma, you need to do some in"uiries with the #inistry of $ducation.

 %ou may also visit the #inistry’s website to see the official list of

private schools that provide O&&' courses. The official Ontario #inistry

of $ducation website comprehensively lists the schools, public and

private, that operate in Ontario. The lists come with various useful

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details including religious affiliation and an indication whether or not

the programs offered could yield credits that enable a student to

obtain an O&&'.

$. The Ministry does not inspect private elementary schools in

Ontario. !t is the responsibility of parents to carefully assess the rightprivate elementary school for their children. These schools are also not

compelled to make use of the Ontario curriculum.

%. &rivate secondary schools may or may not be inspected by

the Ministry of Education. This depends on whether or not the

private secondary school offers credits that lead to an Ontario

&econdary &chool 'iploma (O&&'). &chools that don’t offer O&&'

credits are not inspected and re"uired to follow the Ontario curriculum.

!n contrast, those that provide O&&' credits are being inspected. The

inspection, however, is limited to the standard of instruction in theschool. The #inistry performs inspections to make sure that the

courses offered have enough of the content similar or corresponding to

the Ontario curriculum.

 The #inistry of $ducation has no business in conducting inspections on

private school premises, staff recruitment, school health and safety

standards, sanitation, facilities, or the school policies being

implemented. !nspections are only meant to ensure ade"uate

coverage for O&&' "ualification.

'. &rivate schools are required to submit a notice of intention

to operate. *ll private schools, both O&&' and non+O&&' credit+

granting, are obliged to notify the Ontario #inistry of $ducation about

their operation. This notice should be in writing and has to be

submitted annually. This policy is based on &ection - of the $ducation

*ct.

 These details can provide guidance in choosing the right private school

in Ontario. The right school does not have to be regularly inspected by

the #inistry of $ducation but if you want an O&&', you need to choose

a school that is proven to provide O&&' credits. !t also helps in"uiringabout the competence, credibility, and reliability of a school’s principal

and teachers. * school has to be very transparent with its programs,

policies, and number of years in operation. #oreover, it is advisable to

clarify details on fees, charges, refunds, and other money+related

matters.

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(uthor &rofile

#arina lumin is the headmistress of 'iscovery *cademy, a #inistry+

approved private school. /ith 01 years of eperience as a teacher, she

is certainly not new to the world of education. &he has a 2h' degree in

2hysics and has served as a researcher at the 3niversity of Toronto, inthe field of nanotechnology. *lways goal+oriented, she is committed to

providing learning opportunities that emphasi4e the need to address

present+day demands in terms of skills and knowhow.

creen Time ) a *amily *riend or *oe+

Oh ,screen time-. Every family has a lovehate relationship

with you. ometimes you provide my kids with a/e0appropriateactivity fun and learnin/. (nd sometimes you hold them

hosta/e.

#anaging the amount of time kids spend on the computer and in front

of the T5 is an on+going issue for most families. #y strategies have

changed over the years. /hen the children were small, we had

6&creenless &undays7. /hen they got older and screen obsessed, !

banned screens during the week entirely. ! didn’t find that

arrangement worked very well for us. y the time the weekend rolled

around, they would screen binge. They were like those kids who are

never given candy, so they sneak away and stuff their faces. #ine

were stuffing their virtual faces with #inecraft.

! started the new school year with a new plan, and ! have to say 8 it’s

working9 !t’s really working9

ere3s the deal in our house4

• * child can earn up to one hour of screen time a day that can becashed in between -:11pm and :11pm.

•  They earn screen time by doing the following activities:

homework, reading, walking the dog, practicing an instrument,

playing outside.

• $arned time and screen time match. &o if a child wants a full

hour of screen time, they will have walked the dog for ;

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