Pros and Cons of Private and Public School

The pros and cons of attending private and public school

Toby Nicolas

EN111-09

University of Guam
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 2

Abstract

In the U.S. there are many different types of schooling, but the 2 most common types of

schooling include private and public schools. In school, students are able to learn, socialize, eat,

and interact with one another. Although both types of schools are a place of learning, public and

private schools can differ in certain aspects. One of the main differences that public school has it

that they are fully funded by our government. On the other hand, private schools collect tuition

from parents. Although public schools are free, this could mean less money depending on the

government budget. This lack of funds could mean less quality in a students education. Private

schools are at an advantage because of the availability of the schools resources for students. This

is just one of the many differences between private and public school. In this research paper, I

have concluded that public school students are at a disadvantage when it comes to academics

because of the lack of government funding, environmental situations, and association with

violent groups. The purpose of this paper is to enlighten readers about the differences between

public and private school.

Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 3

Introduction

Schools are institutions where students go to gain information and knowledge from.

Schools that span from K-12 also educate and help students progress in their academic career. In

the U.S, there are different types of school systems like home school, and charter school, but the

two most common places for schooling is public and private schools. Although both types of

schooling are places for education and learning, both public and private school differ in many

ways. In a private school, a student must pay a tuition fee in order for them to attend that school.

This tuition fee can cover resources like books, teachers, equipment, food, and facilities. On the

other hand, public schools are entirely funded by the government. This means that public

schools are completely free because the government pays for all the expenses.

Despite the fact that public school is tuition free, there can also be a lack of resources

due to budget constraints in the government. This lack of resources can lead to reduced quality

in a student's education in public school. Public school students are deprived of getting a quality

education compared to private school students because of the lack of government funding,

environmental disadvantages, and affiliations with violent groups. In this study, I will be

discussing the differences in both public and private school. In addition, I will also be talking

about how public and private schools compete academically. The purpose of this paper is to

enlighten readers about the differences of public and private school. Furthermore, the

significance of this paper is to inform others about the truth by providing analysis, surveys, and

data for public and private school.

Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 4

Review of Literature

Although private and public school both facilitate the education of students, they can

differ in certain aspects. Firstly, public schools are cost free, and it is open to anyone. Also in

public school, there is more availability, diversity, different class sizes, and other academic

opportunities for students. Public schools are also accredited by other government agencies, so

this allows for public schools to have credibility in their teachings (Chen, 2013). Public schools

have more cultural diversity because these schools are open to anyone. In addition, academic

opportunities in public school can help students get ahead in their academic careers. Since public

schools are open to the public, then it is more accessible to anyone in need of a K-12 education.

Public schools may have many benefits, but there are negative aspects as well. In the U.S., there

are over 6.5 students in public school who were chronically absent (Balfanz, 2016). Chronically

absent means that students have missed 10% or more days of school. These absences in school

may lead to failure in a class, or undesired grades. Although there are students who want to learn

in public school, there are also students who do not have that desire. Another reason why public

school students have a disadvantage when it comes to academic performance is because of their

family and the school environment. There are many different types of students in public school,

and not all their families are the same. Students who come from broken homes may not do as

well in school because of the lack of a role model in their family (Duncan & Sandy, 2007).

Furthermore, the school and its environment plays a factor as to why these students are not

performing well. One of the main differences between public and private school is that public

school is completely government funded. Although free school can be a positive aspect, there

are negative effects as well. If there is a lack of money in the government's budget for public
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 5

schools, then there might be a lack of quality in a students education (Ikpa, 2016). These

insufficient funds in the public school system could lead to a lack of teachers, bad facilities, and

fewer resources. Another disadvantage of public school is that there are more students who

attend public school compared to private school (Kapos, 2009). This could be a disadvantage

because there are many students in class. If there is a large amount of students in one class, then

the teacher would not have any time to focus on an individual student's needs. In an article

written by Staff and Kreager (2008), they explain that, disadvantaged boys are often able to gain

so forms of some peer status through violence and membership in violent groups undermines

educational attainment. This article is saying that disadvantaged students in public schools often

resort to violent groups in order to be recognized by other peers. This article is also saying that

these violent groups can hinder a student from his or her education. In another article, a survey

was conducted for 2,300 public school teachers in Chicago. Lynch (2014) says that, more than

one-half of the responding teachers says that morale in their school was low (30.6 percent) or

extremely low (20.7 percent). These teachers have low moral because of the peoples negative

view of them. Furthermore, these teachers are being blamed for the students lack of success in

public school (Lynch, 2014). Also in the article, it says that some students come into class with

problems like poverty and broken families (Lynch, 2014). This is saying that students come to

class with problems, and these problems like poverty and broken families can affect their ability

to learn and be an effective student. Students who attend public school may have some benefits,

but there are a lot of negative aspects to consider as previously mentioned.

On the other hand, private schools differ in certain ways. In a private school, parents or

guardians must pay a tuition fee for a student in order to attend classes there. In the U.S.,

private school students have an easier time taking state assessment tests and college entrance
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 6

compared to public school students. The graduation rates of private school is considerably

higher than public school even though public school contains more students (Waylock, 2015). I

think that the resources that private school students have allow them to succeed academically

over public school students. Another benefit that private schools have, is that it gives parents

more options for their child. These options can include single sex education, schools affiliated

with a person's religion, and more options when it comes to a student's curriculum. Furthermore,

private schools are also able to design their own curriculum (Private School vs. Public School,

2016). I think that this is a benefit for private school because it lets the parents decide what kind

of environment they want their child to be in. Parents are able to choose whether or not they

their child to go to an all-boys school, or a specific religious school. It is also a benefit because

these private schools are allowed to choose their curriculum. Students in private school could

get ahead academically because of the curriculum that the school chooses. Although private

schools have its benefits, it has negative aspects too. One negative aspect of private school is

that they dont require teachers to be certified (Private School vs. Public School Breakdown,

2016). This is a negative aspect of attending a private school because the teacher might not

know basic teaching skills. On the other hand, all public school teachers are certified by

different agencies, so this gives the school and the teacher's credibility. Another big

disadvantage that private schools have, is that it costs money to attend it. Unlike public school,

students must pay a tuition fee in order to attend a private school. These tuition fees pay for the

students teachers, facilities, and all the resources that a student would need. In the United States,

tuition has gone up over the past 10 years (Kapos, 2009). I think that the tuition fee that private

schools have make it more exclusive to those with money.

Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 7

Methodology

Materials

The majority of the information used for this research paper comes from academic

journals, online databases, and scholarly articles. The academic journals that I use come from:

Phi Delta Kappan

Public School Review,

Eastern Economic Journal

Education

Crains Chicago Business

Educational Leadership

Education Economics

Atlanta

Procedure

In this research paper, I was able to collect data through the RFK library and google

scholar. With the assistance of the RFK library and google scholar, I was able to answer all of

my research questions with the information I found. I created an annotated bibliography right

after i collected my information and data from the RFK library and google scholar. This

annotated bibliography consisted of the reference from the article, and the important information

I used for my paper. I was able to answer all 3 of my research question through the information I

found in the RFK library and google scholar. There were some article in the annotated
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 8

bibliography that I did not use, so I did not include it in the research paper. Although I did not

use some articles, a majority of the important articles are in the research paper.

Results/Discussion

In my results, I have concluded that both private and public school are significantly

different, and public and private schools both have positive and negative aspects as well. Firstly,

public schools are free, and they are funded by the government (Ikpa, 2016). I think that being

funded by the government can be a good and bad thing. I think that it is a positive aspect

because it is free, and there is no fees that parents or guardians have to pay. On the other hand it

is bad because the government may lack funds for public schools. Furthermore, this lack of

funds could lead to a lower quality in a student's education. Unlike public schools which are

free, private schools are different because they require payment. It also says that the payment for

private schools in the United States has gone up in the past 10 years (Kapos, 2009). I think this

can be a positive and negative for private schools. It can be a positive because with tuition

comes with more resources. This could mean better education, books, food, and other materials

that students need. On the other hand, it is a negative because it costs more money. Not all

people could afford to send their children to private school because of the payment that these

schools require. Since not all people could afford private school, then it is only exclusive to

people with money. Another difference between public and private school is the class sizes. In

public school there are a lot of students because it is more accessible than private school (Chen,

2013). Because there is more students, that would also entail more diversity. I think that the

diversity that public schools poses can help students become more culturally aware than private

school students. Although large class sizes may be good, it can also be bad. It can be bad
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 9

because there are a lot of students in one class. If there is only one teacher in a room full of

students, then not every student would get the same amount of attention from the teacher. On the

contrary, private schools have less students and smaller class sizes (Private School vs. Public

School Breakdown, 2016). I think this can be helpful for the students because it allows for more

time with the teacher. In private school, students are able to consult the teacher much easier than

in public school because the class is small. If the class is smaller, then there is room for students

to develop a bond or connection with the teacher. This bond could lead to better grades because

students would be less intimidated to talk to the teacher about the class. Not only do public and

private school differ in class sizes, but they also differ in their curriculum as well. In a private

school, the schools are the ones to design the curriculum they would use (Private School vs.

Public School Breakdown, 2016). Private schools have the ability to do this because they are

being payed by the parents of the students. These private schools have free range in whatever

curriculum they choose. On the other hand, public schools do not have that freedom. Public

schools are funded by the government, so that is where they get their resources from mainly

(Ikpa, 2016). Because public schools are funded by the government, then the government would

be in charge of the school's curriculum. Since the government is in charge of the school's

curriculum, then they would make the curriculum for everyone. There are more people that go to

public school than private school, so they would make the curriculum for everyone.

I think that students in private school do better than public school students because of the

resources that private school students have. Private school students have an easier time taking

state assessment tests and college entrance exams compared to public school students.

Furthermore, it also says that the graduation rates of private schoolers are higher than public

school students (Waylock, 2015). I think this is due to the curriculum that private school
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 10

students have. Since private schools are not restricted by the government, they have freedom to

choose whatever curriculum they want. Unlike private school, public schools must abide by the

government and they must enforce the curriculum given to them. Public school students do not

perform as well as private school students in their academics because of their environment and

family (Duncan & Sandy, 2007). Because there are more people in public school, then that

would mean different families. Not all families are the same, and some students may come from

broken homes or poverty. If there is not an academic presence in a students house, then there

would be no motivation for that student to excel in their academics at school. Also a lack of

good role models can explain why public school students do not do as well in their academics

compared to public school students. That is why I believe private school students excel more in

their academics compared to public school students

Conclusion

In conclusion, public and private school differ in many ways. They differ in class sizes,

payment, curriculum, resources, and students. Although they both have their benefits, I believe

that public school students are disadvantaged because of a lack of government funding,

environmental disadvantages like broken homes and poverty, and lastly violent groups in school.

Private school students excel more because of the abundance of resources that they have.

Furthermore, private schools are also able to choose the curriculum they desire. Because of the

ability to choose the curriculum, private schools can decide to be ahead in terms of academic

level. That is why private school students are better in academics compared to public school

students. Although public school is inferior when it comes to academics, there is a solution to

that. Students in a U.S. public school can request to enroll in upper division course programs
Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 11

that could help them get more out of public school. This program is government funded, and it is

available to all students who attend public school (Nathan, 1989). This allows public school

students who want to do and learn more in public school.

Pros and Cons of Private and Public School 12

References

Balfanz, R. (2016). Missing school matters. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(2), 8-13.

Chen, G. (2013). 10 Advantages to Public Education. Public School Review. Retrieved from

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/10-advantages-to-public-education

Duncan, K., & Sandy, J. (2007). Explaining the performance gap between public and private

school students. Eastern Economic Journal, 33(2), 177-191.

Ikpa,V. (2016). Politics, Adequacy, and Education Funding. Education, 136(4), 468-472.

Kapos, S. (2009). Sorry, kids: its public school now. Crains Chicago Business, 32(32), 59-61.

Lynch, D. (2014). Why does the public hate us? Educational Leadership 71(5), 48-52.

Nathan, J. (1989). More public school choice can mean more learning. Educational Leadership,

47(2), 51-54.

Private School vs. Public School Breakdown. (2016). Retrieved May 03, 2017, from

http://articles.niche.com/private-school-vs-public-school-breakdown/

Staff, J., & Kreager, D. A. (2008). Too cool for school? Violence, peer status, \

and high school drop out*. Retrieved May 03, 2017, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4254687/