[cb2]

I still have a few years yet before having to decide on a high school, but am looking into them and what options there are.

Both DH and I went to a Private Secondary school.
He from Yr 7-12
Me Year 7-10 then a public high school 11&12

Reasons I went changed was that the school I was at were extremely academic focused and if you didn't like maths/english and science then really there wasn't much else for you, or if you didn't do well in those 3 subjects

I moved to a school which offered Outdoor Ed, Catering and Home Ec, Performing Arts, as well as the regular and compulsary subjects

Now Private school aren't cheap Yr 7 asks for base start of $7500 and some school are $17,000 for one year not including uniform and other levies

So I ask and this is purely to gain opinions and read other peoples thoughts

Do you think Private schooling is better than public?

If yes why?
If no why?
Do you think there are different opportunities and benefits from attedning one over the other

Do you send your child public or private? Why did you make that decision?
Money is not the main factor here I am purely wanting opinions on the level of education and if you think Private offer a better education than a public school, and wheter from your experiences students do better and perform better at one over the other

Thanks

[jules77]

I don't think you can really say one is better than the other.

There are also many factors that come into play: the child and his or her needs, personality and interests; the schools in question; the staff at the schools and so on.

There will never be one answer to what type of schooling is better. The local public school will be perfect for one child and the place of nightmares for another.

I went to a private, Catholic girls secondary school and my husband went to a systemic Catholic secondary school.

We will probably send our boys to the local state primary school as it has much nicer grounds than the local Catholic school (which is all concrete), and the private Catholic high school up to road, as it is in walking distance from our house.

This post has been edited by jules77: 07/02/2013, 07:59 PM

[icekool]

It depends on the child ie their interest sport or academic.

Some schools (private) are very focused on sport and provide a supportive sports environment
Some schools are more academic focused.
Also it depends on the child if they want a small or large school.

I went to a private school as there wasn't any good school around us

[**Mel**]

There are some state schools I would stay well clear of and some private schools I would stay well clear of

It is a mis-leading and grossly unfair generalisation to say that all private schools are better than all public schools for all kids

[*LucyE*]

Do you think Private schooling is better than public?
No, because each school needs to be judged on its individual merits not the sort of fees it charges.

Each child is also an individual and ideally, schools should be chosen for them not just where their older siblings might attend.

Do you think there are different opportunities and benefits from attedning one over the other
Not from a simplistic private vs public view point.

My children attend a private school, but there are other private schools I would not consider. I would consider some of the public schools over most of the private schools in our town. Some of the public scools here are very well resourced and have excellent teachers. Others not so much. I judge the school itself not a stereotype.

Do you send your child public or private? Why did you make that decision?
Private. Family association, coed, family feel, holistic approach to education (eg not just about academic grades and test results), extra curricula activities, and
gorgeous environment/great facilities.

This post has been edited by *LucyE*: 07/02/2013, 08:16 PM

[cinnabubble]

OP, you would know from your own experience that what constitutes a "good" education varies according to the individual.

[liveworkplay]

Depends on the school and child. Each needs to be judged on individual merits.

[Gloriosa]

I know people who went public who have done extremely well for themselves and I know people who went to private and have ended up no hopers. Can't judge whether one is better than the other.

My kids go public because the fees seem crazy and they can get an awesome well rounded education at the local public school. Plus a lot of private schools (not all but I don't know of many) are religious based and that is not important one iota to my family.

[BadCat]

Purely anecdotal but my DD and her best friend go to different high schools. After 2 years the private education and the public one still look very much alike. They both offer a wide range of extra options and a decent education. The girls are both doing very well in their chosen schools.

So really, you need to look at the schools in your area and find the right fit for your child. I was never going to choose the private school because our family consider 7 lessons of RE per fortnight to be a waste of time. If we had a non-religious private school I would have considered it but in the end would likely still have chosen public because I fail to see the point in paying a bucketload of money for the same education you can get for "free".

[cameo]

We are facing this at the moment - DS is in Grade 5.

I think it completely depends on the child and the childs skills/weaknesses. I went to a private school from year 7 which I loved but then in Year 9 it was bought out by a fancy private school and in Year 11, we all had to transfer to the main campus. It was horrible and cliquey and I didn't enjoy the last few years and therefore did fairly average in Year 12.

I would have been much better off in a smaller school like the one I was originally in.

You may have a brilliant Public school near you which may not offer everything the Private school does but you can provide other opportunities to your child as needed (extra tuition, swimming lessons etc)

If you don't have fantastic Public schools around, if they don't have great academic results, then I would go Private.

DS goes to school in a very wealthy area (although we are not) and 90% will go Private to schools that are around $24,000 a year which is way out of our budget. We might be sending DS to a private school whose fees are around $12,000 a year which is still alot but affordable once I start work. We will send him there hopefully.

It is a big decision but you have to see what will suit the child. DS won't have any friends at the public high schools and we won't him to start with his friends. I know he would be fine on his own but he is a small and sensitive boy and the thought of him being vulnerable and on his own terrifies me.

Good luck with your decision.