Educator Meg White argues that public schools are superior to private schools for five reasons.
As I scoured the headlines for a topic this week, there were plenty of charter school scandals to report but I didn’t want to start the year on a negative note. I found an interesting article listing advantages to public education. So I did a little more digging and compiled my own list. What follows is my top five reasons why public schools are better than private.
5. Public schools spend more time on core subjects. In a recent study by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), teachers in public schools spend more time teaching English, math, science, and social studies than in private schools – by an average of 3 more hours per week (NCES.ed.gov).
4. Public schools have more opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities – sports, clubs, chorus, science fair, summer programs, marching band, cheer; all wonderful opportunities for kids to get involved. Research supports students engaged in extracurricular activities have an improved grade point average, higher educational aspirations, increased college attendance, and reduced absenteeism” (Broh, 2002).
3. Public schools are required by law to provide diagnostic services and special education accommodations to children who qualify. Public schools are also more likely to offer academic support such as gifted and talented classes or remedial support for students.