When it comes to your child’s education, there is often a endless strong of questions when trying to decide where to send them to school.
- What sort of reputation does a school have?
- What sort of program does a school offer?
- How do the teachers or instructors help children learn?
- What will my child learn and how will they learn it?
- Should i send my child to public school or private school?
The list can go on and on. After all, choosing the best school for your child is a big commitment and one that can shape your child’s development for a long time. Choosing where to send your child to school boils down to one essential question: where is the best place for them to further their educational journey?
In the United States, 23 percent of all schools are private or day schools. Approximately 2.63 million students were enrolled in private elementary schools in the United States in 2016.
Attending a private or day school can carry certain negative connotations; a student attending one can be labeled as spoiled, rich, snobby, elitist or any number of other things.
So why send your child to a day school? Bad connotations or not, private and day schools can offer many benefits to students.
- Student Motivation: 21 percent of public school teachers report that student apathy is a problem compared to just four percent of private school teachers reporting this as a problem.
- Parental Involvement: 24 percent of public school teachers report a lack of parental involvement as a problem, compared to just three percent of private school teachers.
- Increased Counseling Help: Counselors at private schools spend about 55 percent of their time on college-related counseling, compared to just 22 percent for public high school counselors.
- Postsecondary education success: Approximately 95 percent of non-parochial private high school graduates go on to four-year postsecondary colleges and universities compared with 49 percent of public school graduates. Test scores are also higher at private schools with an average SAT score of 1235 compared to 1060 for all SAT test takers.
Why send your child to a day school? In addition to the benefits listed above, day schools and private schools offer many more benefits for students who attend them.
Private schools often have smaller class sizes and more staff, allowing your child to receive more individual support. In 2015, 87 percent of five-year-olds in the United States were enrolled in preprimary programs and having more individual support allows for increased comfort and enthusiasm for learning.
Private schools offer flexibility with their curriculum and more class choices. This gives parents and students greater options for picking which school is right for them. A performing arts school can help your child follow an educational path in theater or music. A fine arts school can help your child take an educational path in art, music or dance.
Private schools can also offer teachers who specialize in certain forms of education and an overall culture that’s focused on helping students succeed and get the most out of their education.
So why send your child to a day school? Far from being places filled with snobby, spoiled kids, private schools offer everything from curriculum flexibility to increased support for students and benefits families through stronger parental involvement.
Are you considering sending your child to a private school? Niche and Business Insider offer rankings of some of the best private schools in America to help you make the best choice for your child’s education.