Public vs Private Education

I went to public school, and while I'm sure that it influenced me I can't say that anything jumps out as either good or bad. I did go to a private school for three days, but well, I don't think that counts

while I'm sure that it influenced me

how did it influence you Danny?

Private for me, mostly.

In some ways the education was far better than our public school counterparts, in terms of elementary school. I had great elementary school teachers until 7th grade, where my teacher was a bigot. At the end of the year my parents gave me the option of enrolling for 8th grade in our local junior high or skipping 8th grade and enrolling as a freshman in either high school or a private academy. I skipped and went to the academy, where the teachers were hit or miss (mostly hit, but funny how the two misses stand out more than all the hits).

Was it worth the money? Yeah, probably. We weren't subjected to drugs, partying, or lots of sex...but on the downside, we weren't subjected to drugs, partying, or lots of sex stuff. Not that you couldn't find it there, but it was hidden. In terms of adjustment, my friends and I seem to not have any problems adjusting to "normal" people educated in the public system. (I always laugh when people say private school kids turn out weirder than "normal" kids. I'm sure there are some cases, but....)

As for college, which was also private, I don't think I'd do that again. While my education was awesome, it could've been broadened if I'd gone to a state university (I did go to one for awhile). But that's because my interests were more varied than a simple English or Communications degree could get me at my college.

-A.

No idea, but I don't see how 12 years at a young impressionable age couldn't influence someone. That's what I meant by nothing jumping out at me, school was just this place to go for half the day. I can't point to something and say 'oh, that time influenced me by x'. Or maybe I'm just in denial *shrugs*

Was it worth the money? Yeah, probably. We weren't subjected to drugs, partying, or lots of sex...but on the downside, we weren't subjected to drugs, partying, or lots of sex stuff. Not that you couldn't find it there, but it was hidden. In terms of adjustment, my friends and I seem to not have any problems adjusting to "normal" people educated in the public system. (I always laugh when people say private school kids turn out weirder than "normal" kids. I'm sure there are some cases, but....)

Hey Anglo..

well when I was in school it seemed we were more subjected to those things at the private school cause it seemed like there was more frustration. We were always ridiculed for going to the private school by the public school kids. I found that their range of education was broader than ours though. I would have thought it waould have been the other way around.

Does it really have a difference on the childs future though?

I can't point to something and say 'oh, that time influenced me by x'. Or maybe I'm just in denial *shrugs*

What Im trying to understand is does it really matter in the long run??

I went to public education in QLD and Nick went to Private all boys -- we have this debate all the time, especially when it comes to deciding where we think Elana should go.

I had no qualms with my state high school - it has one of the worst reputations but I find that a student gets out of school what they put into it. I wasn't a trouble student - I had a few homework and uniform detentions but I didn't smoke, don't drink, wasn't into the drug scene and I didn't fight - so I was never suspended or expelled.
I also didn't feel comfortable in relationships so I never dated and therefore didn't get pregnant.

It was Nick's decision to go to BBC. His parents actually offered him the money they'd pay in his tuition to put towards a car or whatever if he transferred to the local state highschool but he feels he greatly benifited from the private education.

Comparably out of the students who did the QCS and went for an OP only One student from my school got an OP 1. There were about 5-10 (I'm really not sure I could name a few but I don't know if I could name them all) OP students from Nicks school including Nick himself

Of the students at my school the average OP was 15 (OP's range from 1 highest-25 lowest) at Nick's I think it was about the same possibly more towards 10 - they had more 2's and 3's than us.
I failed Art (low achievement) and only just passed maths and biology (sound) which dropped my OP dramatically - I got 18.

Also - My little sister started grade 8 at my old school the year after I left and she HATED it - she was always getting in trouble and she had a few of my old teachers who would compare us and she hated that too. My parents talked to her and she begged them to send her to a private co-ed school and they said okay on the condition that her behaviour approved and if it didn't after a year she'd have to go back to the state school/
Well it's been up and down -- she'll always be a talker, but her grades kind of improved - they started slipping a little last semester but she's in grade 11 now, she has a week to go - block exams this week.
And she likes her school (won't say loves because she "hates school")

I also had a friend who I went to primary school with - she left at the end of grade 6 and started grade 7 at a private all girls school -- She started at my state school half way through grade 8 because she was having alot of problems there. She was in a few of my classes very smart got great grades and had no behavioural problems apart from talking (to me). She got interested in Wicca and reiki (sp) dropped out of school altogether halfway through grade 11 and worked at woolies, married some guy she met on the internet and had a baby.

It's different for everyone.

I find that a student gets out of school what they put into it.

That's what I think as well Trina. So does it really matter? Should my sister pay the high fees just because he has friends going there or should he go to a school like the performing arts one which I think he would get more out of? His preference is the Private school but doesnt mind both.

Hmm tough one. I can honestly say that I am not friends with one single person I was friends with when I really HAD to go to Ippy high because all my friends were going there.

If he really is as talented as you say and he is happy to go to the performing arts school I think that it would definitely be an AMAZING experience.

However - does the private school he wants to go to have a drama/dance program he could get involved with? Cause you know it might be a case of small fish big pond.- he could be the star at the private school but only part of the chorus at the performing arts school

(my sister was the smartest person at her primary school got the academic award every year from grade 1 to 7 except grade 3 (or was it 5) -- then she got to highschool and there were 20 other smart or smarter kids and she got lost, didn't try anymore and is only just starting to try again)

However - does the private school he wants to go to have a drama/dance program he could get involved with? Cause you know it might be a case of small fish big pond.- he could be the star at the private school but only part of the chorus at the performing arts school

That's good thinking!!!

I think it depends heavily on the area in which you live. Where I went to school in Cleveland, OH (1st grade through 8th), I attended a private, Catholic school that was in our neighborhood. At the time, the city of Cleveland still had a heavy program of busing to desegregate the schools, so I would have had to ride a bus for nearly two hours each day to attend a public school when there was also one in our neighborhood (they had a large number of their students bused in from the neighborhood I would have had to go to school in). So, I'd say it definetely paid off for that reason alone. But also, the private education I received at Our Lady of Good Counsel (HA, I still remember the name!) was much better than what was offered by the public school system.

I was accepted to the most prestigious private Catholic high school in Cleveland. I never got to go though because we moved to Florida that summer. In Florida we checked out the school system and found that it was better than the system in Cleveland. So, I attended a public school (two actually, since we moved from one zone to another during my Junior year) for those four years. I think that was a definite plus. I met people that I would never have met before and it broadened my horizons, so to speak. I was also able to take advanced classes, so I stayed challenged during those years.

I went to Catholic school for grades 1-7, and I felt like I didn't get as good of an education as I could have. I also almost got burned out on religion. I liked public school much better for 8th grade and high school. I felt like I had more options, there were more students, and I know that a lot of my classmates who continued in Catholic School for eighth grade were not properly prepared for high school in public school. Others continued through high school and then flipped out in college. However, it really depends on the school. I also have friends who went to a different school, who were good students.

I went to public school and I intend to teach in public schools. The advantage of private is that the funding allows them to buy more resources for teachers to use in their teaching. However, resources are only ever as good as the teacher who uses them.

I would never send my child to a private school because of many of the values taught in them. I want my children to know a diverse range of people and to learn respect for them. Plenty of people come out of public schools without these values and plenty of people leave private schools with these values, but I still find the widespread insularity of private school children leads them to snobbery and arrogance. By the same token, I know several people who went to private schools who I find to be the complete opposite (Trina's husband for instance).

One must take into account when judging the "success" of private schools that they reject anyone who doesn't have a chance of getting high OPs or performing in sport and they do some dodgy things to ensure their reputations. By the same token, don't be too quick to categorise your nephew as an artist. It's very hard to judge what school will be best. Each school has to be judged on its merits. Either way your nephew will have some good and some bad teachers.

I attended a public high school for the performing arts. Our motto was: "The most unique school in Dallas". Anything artistic (read outside mainstream) was hailed and encouraged. A dress code was nonexistant because that would stifle creativity and indiviuality and promote conformity. I absolutely loved my high school. It was one of the best experiences of my life, even for a conservative like me.

Well we went to the school he wanted to get into today ..the private one.. and he is on the waiting list. Apparently over 300 kids applied and they only have spaces for 170, but he is high up on the list. Trouble is he would virtually have to wait till the day they start. So they gave us a couple of options.
1. Wait
2. Apply to the other private school which is an all boys school which he really doesnt want to get into.
3. Go the local public school.

not a real lot of options , but we are going to try some of the other schools and see what we can do. We went to see his principle today and he is really happy to help us support any applications as he sayd my nephew is pretty bright for his age. So it's just going to be a waiting game mostly to see what happens.

but I still find the widespread insularity of private school children leads them to snobbery and arrogance.

Not it doesn't, you ignorant dolt!

/joke

Does it really have a difference on the childs future though?

I can only answer this in terms of class size, morals, and opportunities--so yes, they had a positive influence on me. I wouldn't go so far as to say those criteria are exclusive to private schools, although I think they are generally true for some private schools.

Class size: Our low student-teacher ration meant I was on a first-name basis with virtually all of my profs and teachers by the time I graduated, which meant good recommendations and subsequent opportunities, and a lot of networking possibilities.

Morals: I think the parochial high school I went to reinforced my moral values, which have changed since then, but still made for a good foundation.

Opportunities: The relatively small size of my college lent itself opportunities like editing the college paper and literary arts journal, things I would've had more people to compete against in a larger university.

But I generally adhere to the belief that you'll find what you're looking for, wherever you go. And for my MFA, I'll be going to state uni.

-A.

I went to a private Christian school from Kindergarten through HS graduation. For most of that time I blindly accepted the belief that my private school provided a better education than a public school could. When my brother went to public school (after being expelled from this private school) the sorts of literature he was getting to read made me realize that my education was rather one-sided. I got a bunch of older classics and safe stuff ("The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and such); he got "The Catcher in the Rye", "Flowers for Algernon", and "Harrison Bergeron", among many others. And I had to waste one class period per day on Religion.

I do think that I had the benefit of smaller classes, a smaller school overall, and a more "safe" environment. Yeah, there were still partiers, boozers, and druggies, but it was a small subculture, where it seemed to be much more of a core group when I visited the public school. On the other hand, the smaller school also limited my options for both curricular and extracurricular activities. My school had soccer, baseball, and basketball, and in my junior and senior years they started a little drama club. The public school had a full complement of sports (including particularly football and track) and a full-size, fully-equipped theater.

I went to private schools all the way through my education. As long as you're not putting him into Marist or that place with the stupid straw hats (BBC or Nudgee?) he should be better off than at a public high school. Usually the funding and equipment's better at private schools, so if he's got any other interests seperate to performing then that'll be an advantage.

What basis do you have for saying that - stupid straw hats? - Uniforms - you don't like their boata and so they shouldn't attend that school. Some of my best friends are BBC boys, there are some dropkicks just as their are some very intelligent, loyal, chivalrous and genuinely nice guys. Likewise there are some complete arses who went to Grammar and some nice guys.
There are some really great guys who went to my school - great morals, smart, university graduates AND there are a few drunken louts who are in jail for various offences

You get out of school - public or private - What YOU put in and what yYOU want to take out of it.

PB's nephew is in NSW not Qld. John Howard went to private school and Mark Latham went to public - depending on you're political views you can take that how you like,

I think Uniforms are a great idea...I couldnt imagine going to school without being in a Uniform... it's alot less strict these days to when I went to school.. I remember getting into trouble for not having a tie or shirts not tucked in.. When we were in yr 12 we used to get into trouble if the younger yrs werent dressed properly when we were on public transport.

In the school I went to ..which is the school my nephew wants to go we had priests and nuns there and now there isnt any. They were really strict with us.

When I walked into the school yesterday there was still the same smell that I remember about it.. it brought back alot of memories. Not always good ones too. I really didnt like school. Was a hard time for me because of the students that were there.

I went to Catholic school from K-7. I thought it was a much more respectful environment. I couldn't believe it when I switched to public schools how the kids would talk to the teachers. That just wasn't tolerated in my catholic school. And I am from a small town, if I were in a big city I would think it was even worse. If I had money to send my boys to private school, I would but it isn't possible at this time. I believe also that a much higher percentage of private school students go to college compared to public school students. I am sure part of this is the financial status of the parents but I also think that its just expected that you will graduate and go on to college in the private schools that I have been around.

What basis do you have for saying that - stupid straw hats? - Uniforms - you don't like their boata and so they shouldn't attend that school. Some of my best friends are BBC boys, there are some dropkicks just as their are some very intelligent, loyal, chivalrous and genuinely nice guys. Likewise there are some complete arses who went to Grammar and some nice guys.

I was joking - don't take it personally! I went to St Peters for a few years when I lived up there, so it's part of the whole deal to bag out the GPS guys.

In all seriousness you're better off letting the kid decide where he wants to go himself, because he'll probably be happier there, and if he isn't then you won't get the blame.

In all seriousness you're better off letting the kid decide where he wants to go himself, because he'll probably be happier there, and if he isn't then you won't get the blame.

Yeah we are trying to get him into where he wants to go... although at this stage of the year it is going to be a very hard task.