For your child’s education, you basically have two choices. You can send him or her to traditional public school or you can opt to have the child attend a private school. Why would families want their children to attend private school, especially when there is a cost involved? There are a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason, the decision can be worth the cost involved, as there are a variety of benefits of private school.
One of the biggest advantages of private school is class size. Most private schools are small, with 86% of them having 300 students or less, and private high schools on average are about half the size of public high schools. That usually translates into smaller class sizes, which means your child gets more attention from the teacher.
That extra attention can lead to one of the additional benefits of private school education, which is better overall academic achievement. Children in private school score about 60-70 points higher than average on the SAT, and kids from private schools are much more likely than their public school peers to go to college.
The smallness of private schools provides another benefit for children who want to participate in extra-curricular activities. With fewer students, there is less competition for activities such as band, choir, athletics and others.
Of course one of the further benefits of private school has to do with religion. If your religion is very important to you, having it infused into school culture may be a huge plus. At a private religious school, your child will receive instruction in your religion on a daily basis, something that you can’t get at a public school.
Despite their many advantages, private schools do have some drawbacks. One of the biggest is the cost. Private schools can cost thousands of dollars a year, which can be out of reach for many families, especially those with multiple children. Even though such schools offer financial aid, it can be difficult. The small size of private schools also can be a disadvantage for children with special needs or those who want to take obscure classes. Because of their small size and limited staff, private schools can fall short in those areas.
What school your child attends is one of the biggest decisions you will make in life. If you don’t have good public schools where you live or if you prefer a religious education for your child, private schools can be a good choice, if you can afford the tuition