A school run by private authorities is a private school. Schools run by government are public schools. Although there are various demarcations between a private school and a public school, yet of late the gap between them is decreasing gradually. Both types of schools have their individual advantages and disadvantages.

Normally student-teacher ratio in a private school is favorable and around 9:1. Therefore, every child gets personal attention. Besides, teachers at such schools get a free hand to implement their teaching techniques and methods. Lack of governmental proceeding lessens the burden of paperwork on teachers. Therefore, they find more time for interacting with students.

Parental involvement in private school is higher. Although schools insist and encourage your involvements at each level of school, parents of children in such schools also have a definite say in their childís education. Such schools also prefer children with physical and mental challenges.

Eligibility criteria at a private school are simple and flexible. Although the main drawback of such schools was their high school fees, recent annual government grants are helping these schools lower fees to affordable levels. Therefore, these schools are able to carry forward their style of education with sufficient stress on extracurricular activities, discipline, and other values.

Normally, pass outs from a private school display better academic performances than their public school counterparts do. This is because of their closer and higher access to teachers, better exposure to academics, and a more mature value system. Therefore, it is difficult to get admission to such schools even if you are willing to bear higher costs.

The grade system at a private school is more rigorous. Some schools also include certain hours of community service in their curriculum as a basic prerequisite. Hence, average grades at these schools are higher. Some of them offer special courses like video editing and filmmaking, which are essentially college subjects. Nevertheless, exposure to such subjects increases the knowledge, exposure, and capability.

However, the final say in the choice of a private school over its public counterpart depends on you and your child. Parents are equal shareholders in performance and success of your child at school.


Resources: Help for Parents with Difficult Teens at http://www.parentingteens.com and Listing of Nationwide Private Schools at http://educationseek.com/schools/Private_Schools/