Parents looking forward to taking their children to a private school have an overwhelming choice to make today, unlike in the past. Thousands of private schools exist belonging to different religions and non-religious associations. And each association has a different flavour and learning culture. So, before enrolling your child in a private school, there are background checks you need to undertake before settling on what you want for your child.
What’s different
Private schools have their differences in terms of cost, quality, offerings, and learning culture, but there are general differences you can see in private schools and public schools. These metrics include; selectiveness, independence, accountability, and funding. Let’s examine each metric:
Selectiveness
Public schools are required to accept all students by the law, while private schools are not. Private schools require parents to make an application, and not all applications may be accepted. The school determines entry grades and their metrics. Some of these criteria include medical records, school achievement, family income, and the ability to pay school fees, and more. Before a private school accepts children, they are at liberty to ask for your religious background and other extracurricular or even community involvement. The bottom line is, private schools are selective and only accept students who meet their criteria, and they are not answerable to the ministry of education. The most elite and prestigious schools are even more selective, and the particular aspect of a private school is what most parents value the most. Having their children learn among the most brilliant and high achievers is a good investment in their kids.
Accountability
Private schools are not held accountable for the children learning outcomes by the state. It is kind of weird, but that is a fact. Instead, they are accountable to parents and the owners. That is why the parents must know what their children are being taught and speak up if they are not happy with the curriculum used. Many parents view the fact that private schools are not accountable to the state as a positive thing as it cuts down bureaucracies in the education system. The high tuition fee compels parents to demand better results, thus adding pressure to educators to add more efforts in imparting skills and knowledge to the children.
Independence
Administrators and teachers in public schools have no say over the curriculum endorsed by the ministry, but private schools are independent to design school curriculum according to their standards. Teachers have a say when choosing textbooks to use in their classes and freedom on how they teach children in the class. The bottom line is how they achieve the desired results, parents, and stakeholders expect. The mode of hiring teachers in private schools and public schools is different. Private schools have the independence to hire subject experts and pay higher salaries while it is different in public schools.
Funding
The funding mechanisms in public schools and private schools are different. And this has far-reaching effects. Public schools do not charge tuition fees, while private schools depend on parents to fund every aspect of education; they pay teachers, buy textbooks and learning materials, and many other educational requirements. In public schools, the state provides most of these learning requirements. Teachers are hired from the federal government, and the ministry provides textbooks, so parents pay a minimal fee or none.
Saint Stephens is a good school that you might want to have as an option. Pay them a visit and check out their facilities and programs.
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