Private vs Public School.

[CheekyChick]

Ok, so this is so way off TERBish topics, but whatever. My 7 yr old was asked to attend a private school. I was hoping to get some perspectives on this. Anyone have some pros- and cons- that I haven't thought about yet? Its obviously a financial investment, but also very time consuming for the drive is much longer than the local pubic school just down the street. However, the school has a great reputation. Has anyone been to a private school and maybe can offer some candid information on whether it was worth it. I know this is somewhat personal in nature, and you can feel free to write privately with your opinions or thoughts on this matter.

Thanks for your patience... and sorry for the off-topic topic. But you know, the longer I have been here, the more I realize most here are honest and well meaning. And, strange as it may sound, I value your opinions.

 

[smylee52]

Ok, so this is so way off TERBish topics, but whatever. My 7 yr old was asked to attend a private school. I was hoping to get some perspectives on this. Anyone have some pros- and cons- that I haven't thought about yet? Its obviously a financial investment, but also very time consuming for the drive is much longer than the local pubic school just down the street. However, the school has a great reputation. Has anyone been to a private school and maybe can offer some candid information on whether it was worth it. I know this is somewhat personal in nature, and you can feel free to write privately with your opinions or thoughts on this matter.

Thanks for your patience... and sorry for the off-topic topic. But you know, the longer I have been here, the more I realize most here are honest and well meaning. And, strange as it may sound, I value your opinions.

Hard to give an opinion without knowing the circumstances of you child being "asked" to join a private school . Did you fill out the application and they have agreed to accept your child .Is he/she being recruited , does the present school feel he/she needs more discipline ? There 's different reasons for a private school education and these factor in the benefits of enrolling .

 

[CheekyChick]

Did you fill out the application and they have agreed to accept your child .Is he/she being recruited , does the present school feel he/she needs more discipline ?

It was not a discipline thing. It's more like he was recruited. I guess he was invited to go to the school and apply for admission into the school, if that makes any sense. I guess he was pre-screened and if we were interested, then we were to go to the school and formally apply. The question I had though, is whether the obvious sacrifices I will have to make, will all be worth it? Does a private education make a real difference? Is the education, discipline, work ethic, etc any better than the regular public school system?

 

[Geoff]

I have two boys. One did high school thru the private system and the other went thru the regular system.

The one that went private benefited greatly from the better one to one teacher student attention. Plus much smaller class sizes.
The private way also provided a very wide variety of better life experiences that young people need to be exposed to. This helps them make better and informed decisions down the road.

Our other boy that stayed with the regular system has turned out great. But he is a little more mature for his age than normal.

I always wonder how much more he might have experienced had he gone to the private school???

I don't know much about starting the children in private at very young ages. But at the high school level we felt that it had a great deal to offer.

Specially if you can afford it, cause it ain't cheap.

 

[hunter001]

My kid had great success with a Montessori school. If you can afford it I would highly recommend it.

 

[danmand]

My two children went to a private school. I regretted it. It had excellent
class sizes and good extracurricular support, but when it came to teaching
hard topics, I found the school wanting.

 

[oldjones]

It's fair to say that our system of free public education has been the the biggest single contributor to our North American way of life and high standard of living. It deserves our support. But it's far from perfect. And for some, it may even be a detriment.

I think you should start by looking carefully at your child's experience and progress in the public school. Only if you find you're coming up with unhappy observations and negative evaluations should you start looking at alternatives. Not because some recuiter (on commission?) approached you.

Our kids are so important, we're always on tenterhooks about whether today might be Disaster Day. Have confidence; they're practically indestrictible and could likely survive quite well without all our worry. You have time to make up your own mind, don't be rushed or sold.

And don't forget there are many alternative schools, tracks and streams within the public system as well. I'm sure your child's teacher would be pleased to chat with a concerned parent about them and how best to assess and serve the kid's needs and abilities.

PS: This is the Lounge; I can't think of anything that would be off-topic. Thank you for the compliment; best of luck with the decision.

 

[FailsW0rth]

imo

Private school = Connections/Hook ups (Alumni)

Thats the only difference.

You want kids to go to school with the Kennedy's or Joe Blow?

- Fails.

 

[Inferno]

Private school = Connections/Hook ups (Alumni)

Thats the only difference.

You want kids to go to school with the Kennedy's or Joe Blow?

- Fails.

I went to private school until Grade 9 and I concur: the alumni are what make the biggest difference.

The classmates your son befriends at, say, UCC, are likely to be far more successful and influential than the ones he will meet at a neighbourhood PS.

If he's clever and sociable, this could have big payoffs down the road.

 

[a 1 player]

I went to private school until Grade 9 and I concur: the alumni are what make the biggest difference.

The classmates your son befriends at, say, UCC, are likely to be far more successful and influential than the ones he will meet at a neighbourhood PS.

If he's clever and sociable, this could have big payoffs down the road.

I went to private school until grade 10 and I agree 100%. Funny thing though, my parents scraped and saved to get me into private school, and have never been wealthy people, so they were almost 'snubbed' by the more influential parents of the school. I found that there is a certain 'entitlement' feeling in the private schools, that does not exist elsewhere.

 

[Inferno]

Funny thing though, my parents scraped and saved to get me into private school, and have never been wealthy people, so they were almost 'snubbed' by the more influential parents of the school. I found that there is a certain 'entitlement' feeling in the private schools, that does not exist elsewhere.

Yup, same situation here. My parents were by no means wealthy, either. Fortunately, my school had a scaled tuition system that was based on household income, so my parents only had to pay a fraction of what the more priviliged kids' parents paid.

Dealing with the snobbishness was more of an issue for me than my parents (especially since we could not afford the designer clothes the other kids wore - I would have killed for a pair of Grebs back then). Eventually, though, I got over it. In hindsight, it was a valuable experience, in that it taught me how immaterial materialism really is.

My parents had to stretch their finances to send me to that school. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I sure do now.

 

[einar]

I find that the abdication of the public school system in Toronto by white people looking for exclusivity or snob appeal is one the the sad facts of life here. Private schools are our tie to the worst of merry olde England. Same-sex schooling only compounds the problem.

I think the Toronto public schools, both secular and Catholic, are excellent.
Maybe not if your child has learning difficulties, but most of the name-brand private schools don't excel in this area, either.

 

[red]

depends on the child and the school. if the child is doing well in public school, don't make a change,

 

[enduser1]

http://www.toronto.ca/children/dmc/webreg/gcreg6515.html

Try the Lawrence Park School.

or

BSS


although if you want something amazingly pretentious try to guide your child towards

http://www.citadel.edu/main/ If he is a boy or

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/

Ok I admit it If I was a girl I would want to go there!!!!

EU

 

[LKD]

If your kid was meant to do good in school, he/she will do good no matter which school they attend.

From my experience, kids is private school are total snobs. If you don't have enough money to spend on your kid, I don't recommend private school. Kids who go there are usually spoilt by their rich parents. If you can't afford the same for your kids so he/she doesn't felt left out in school, leave him in a public school


Also I wonder why/who would even recommend a 7 yr old kid to a private school. The kid is still very young... It wouldn't matter much which school they went to

 

[Nickelodeon]

It was not a discipline thing. It's more like he was recruited. I guess he was invited to go to the school and apply for admission into the school, if that makes any sense. I guess he was pre-screened and if we were interested, then we were to go to the school and formally apply. The question I had though, is whether the obvious sacrifices I will have to make, will all be worth it? Does a private education make a real difference? Is the education, discipline, work ethic, etc any better than the regular public school system?

This suggests that private schools are hurting so they've started more aggressive recruiting....not necessarily a bad thing, but you should recognize for what it is, rather than be impressed that you've been invited.

The best "education deal" in public school is the gift program...better teachers, smaller classes, more intense curriculum. But your kid has to qualify through testing.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

[SkyRider]

I know a teacher who has taught in both the public and private systems. As a teacher (not necessarily a student) she prefers the private system for the following reasons:
1) Attracts a higher quality of teachers.
2) Students are better behaved.
3) Students and their parents are more motivated.
4) Students are generally "brighter".

 

[thompo69]

This suggests that private schools are hurting so they've started more aggressive recruiting....not necessarily a bad thing, but you should recognize for what it is, rather than be impressed that you've been invited.

The best "education deal" in public school is the gift program...better teachers, smaller classes, more intense curriculum. But your kid has to qualify through testing.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

Every program, be it public, gifted, or private, has advantages and disadvantages. Honestly, I don't think you're going to get much useful input here, other than anecdotal evidence. The public/private debate is a very polarizing one. I know some private school punks who were pompous asses, and I know some who are fantastic brilliant human beings. I know some public school kids who have soared to great heights, and others who wallowed in mediocrity. There is no right or wrong answer -- only what's right or wrong for your kid.

The best advice is whatever program you're looking at, do your due diligence. No one knows your kid better than you -- look at the program and see how it is run. What is the teaching philosophy, and how will your kid adapt to that? Most importantly, talk to your kid. What does he want? How is he finding school? Is he challenged?

All of these things will help you make the choice that's right for you and your kid.

 

[JEFF247]

An enjoyable experience

I know a teacher who has taught in both the public and private systems. As a teacher (not necessarily a student) she prefers the private system for the following reasons:
1) Attracts a higher quality of teachers.
2) Students are better behaved.
3) Students and their parents are more motivated.
4) Students are generally "brighter".

I loved "prep school". It was in Massachusetts and attracted students from around the world. A couple of the Kennedy clan attended at the same time. I agree with all of the above. My classmates were from Venezuela, S Korea, Iran, Germany, England and other countries. Gave me a better exposure the the rest of th world.

 

[SkyRider]

In addition to public and private schools, there is a third system and that is home schooling. I think that you are legally allowed in Canada to home school until they are ready to attend high school. The main concern with home schooling is the lack of interaction with other kids of the same age so there may be a lack in the development of social skills.