Pros and Cons of Home, Private and Public Schooling

Anyone who knows me, knows I'll tout homeschooling anytime anyone asks me what the "best choice" is. Honestly, while I have a lot of opinions on schooling, homeschooling isn't necessarily for everyone. I'd argue everyone would do well under it, but not everyone has the time or education to do it themselves, and I get that. To those of you who don't know, I have experienced each educational system. I was privately schooled from kindergarten through third grade. From fourth grade through seventh, I was homeschooled, and from eighth through twelfth I was in public school. They each had their pros and cons. You can see my assessments below.

So, I've compiled a list of pros and cons for each. The rankings are just 1-3, 1 being the worst option, 3 being the best. Please be aware that the "public school" option is specific to larger public schools, probably at least 100+ kids per class. Mine had 500+ kids in my class, so the school took care of 1500~ kids a year. That's a pretty huge school. Private schools I'm looking at have significantly smaller classes.

Totals:

Public School
Education - 1
Parental involvement - 1

Peer relations - dependent (1/2)

Breeding Maturity - 1

Opportunities - dependent (2/3)

Cost - 3

Overall - 1

Private School
Education - dependent (2/3)
Parental involvement - 2

Peer relations - dependent (1/3)

Breeding Maturity - dependent (2/3)

Opportunities - dependent (1/2)

Cost - 1

Overall - 2

Home School/Tutoring
Education - dependent on parent

Parental involvement - 3

Peer relations - dependent (2/3)

Breeding Maturity - 3

Opportunities - dependent on parent

Cost - 2

Overall - 3

Explanations provided below.

Public School
Education - 1
I rated Education a 1, although my public school was really pretty good overall. I'd say if you took the right classes, my school could have ranked up there with private schools. The issue with a public school education is that due to the lack of funds or connections to the school, both parents and kids can take their education less seriously. Furthermore, teachers are paid less, and more likely to go to better, private schools to make their money. The funds are also controlled by the government, who provides less money to schools with low test scores, bringing their funds to pay teachers and buy equipment even lower.

Parental involvement - 1
Parental involvement is more difficult in large public schools, because most likely, you will have too many parents for the school to talk to them all. Teachers might deal with hundreds of students in a single day and simply don't have time for you. Smaller public schools may not find this quite so difficult, but still are not likely to be as involved as private schooling (and obviously not homeschooling)

Peer relations - dependent (1/2)

This is specifically referring to social life involving friends of the same age. Honestly, it depends on the child. Due to the low maturity rating on public schools, kids are more likely to be obnoxious and rambunctious. There is less adult involvement in children's lives, allowing them to create their own mild little "Lord of the Flies" scenarios. Your bullies would probably do better in a homeschool situation with a loving parent, or in the least, a private school, where they are spending more time with other adults and learning how to be one themselves. The weaker children, or very shy children are the same. Your average, friendly child may do best in public school, where they can form healthy relationships with a wide variety of peers.

Breeding Maturity - 1

Obviously this has to be a low score. Again, the lack of adult involvement comes into play here. Kids surrounded by kids learn childish habits, and may not learn to communicate with adults if they are not naturally inclined or otherwise encouraged to do so. A larger number of regulations and rules may inhibit some children from gaining as intrinsic a sense of responsibility.

Opportunities - dependent (2/3)

This is dependent on several factors. The bigger, wealthier the school the more opportunities your child will be provided with. Wealthy schools can afford to have a wider variety of smaller classes, which would be ideal. Larger schools may still have large classes, but they also can provide a wider variety, even if just to get the kids shuffled off to a class for a while. Although opportunities provided outside the school may be a little more difficult to obtain, as a parent may need to speak with several people to get things resolved, public schools are generally eager to assist.

Cost - 3

Naturally, "free" is always a good cost. I would argue, however, that if we simply abolished public schools, the cost of private schools would go down significantly, and you wouldn't be paying for both tuition as well as taxes to send your kid to school. On the other hand, one benefit of public schools, is that your child is perfectly welcome to wear a sweatshirt and jeans with sneakers to school if they so desire, eliminating the cost of a uniform among other things many private schools require.

Overall - 1

Preparing your child for the future is the goal of education. Public schools most certainly have their benefits, and certain schools can be very good. I still heard enough bull in my public school background, however, that I can't even fully condone my own experience. Education and maturity are the two things I would rank most important to your child's future, and with that said, I would suggest parents homeschool if they have the capability, or send their children to private school if they cannot. Public school would be my last choice, if your child simply does not fare well in a private school environment, or homeschooling is not a viable option.

Private School
Education - dependent (2/3)
This score is partly variant on the homeschooling score, as are many other "dependent" scores on here. Education is generally highly rated for private schools, as they can afford to pay better teachers to fill their positions. As smaller schools with a cost, parents, students and teachers are all more invested in the education of a child, and parents are able to be as involved as they wish. This provides a fantastic system to get your kid's education off the ground. Less government involvement means standards are likely more tailored to your own preferences, and usually higher since the school is being paid.

Parental involvement - 2
While obviously not better than homeschooling, parents can typically be very involved. With the threat that a child could be removed from the school, the well-paid school staff is eager to help parents and children if they can. If a child is struggling, the parents are very likely to find out about it due to this ability to concern the school in the welfare of the child.

Peer relations - dependent (1/3)

This is highly dependent on the child. There is no 2 on this one. In any smaller school, be that public or private, it is harder to fit into a "clique". When ostracized, children can become angry or depressed. Parents must be careful to watch to make sure their child fits in with the social structure of their peers, or else seek out other options. Children who are able to fit in with the social structure must be guided in the matter of bullying, but will generally do very well in private school, provided that they are allowed out into the rest of the world often enough to know what it is all about. Oftentimes, when children are released from private schools into the rest of the world, they find it difficult to cope, and making their way into to popular clique in say, a public high school, could lead them down the wrong path. This is particularly troublesome if your child is coming from a religiously backed private school, as the child might feel like they need to prove themselves not "lame" to the other students.

Breeding Maturity - dependent (2/3)

This is dependent on the child, once again. Some children may mature very well in a healthy private school situation. But some classes are better than others. Generally privately schooled children come out very mature, however, the scenario mentioned in the peer relations section is a possibility for others.

Opportunities - dependent (1/2)

This is dependent on several factors. As wealthier schools, private schools may be able to offer a number of smaller, more in depth courses, or even unique opportunities specific to the school. However, the school board is not generally as excited to work with parents on certain things, like disabilities etc. It is harder for a smaller school to accommodate children with different needs or goals with their educations. Some schools, although wealthier than the average public school, are also unable to build up as wide a variety of opportunities.

Cost - 1

This is the most expensive school option, though that does depend on what kind of curriculum a homeschooling parent might buy. Still, one must consider the cost of uniforms, tools not provided by the school, and transportation.

Overall - 2

Private schools can be great, if they're great for the kid. A lot depends on the child and the school you are looking at, but one of the greatest things about private schooling, is you have many different schools to choose from. I would recommend this to parents who do not have enough time to homeschool, but would like to give their children the best education they possibly can. I would also suggest signing your child up for extracurricular to make up for any lack of opportunities, however that may stress some children out, and parents need to be sensitive to their child's mental state.

Home School/Tutoring
Education - dependent on parent
It all depends on you, as the parent. Parents can choose their child's curriculum, and there are some out there to buy. Being able to work one-on-one with your child can help you best understand their learning style. If you are wealthy enough, I would make an argument to bring tutoring back as well. Tutors can fill the same role while parents are away working. Parents can also choose to teach their children in unconventional ways that make more sense, and can work around hectic schedules due to illnesses or traveling jobs, without placing undue stress on the child. This provides a better learning atmosphere and makes schooling more entertaining. There are few cases, though they do exist, in which parents simply do not educate their children. This is illegal, and parents in this situation ought to be sending their children to another schooling option. Most parents who choose to homeschool, however, are very excited about educating their child and are more involved than other teachers.

Parental involvement - 3
Obviously with the parent as the teacher, a child is getting the best of this world. Children with parents as teachers often feel less angry, more loved by parents who are able to be around. Parents also are more likely to be able to connect to their child, as they are family and will know more about their kids. Children with difficulties learning, or medical problems, are better able to get the care they need, while having their education tailored to them. Parents must be disciplined and structured, though there is more flexibility allowed in scheduling. Parents who do not feel qualified to teach can still be heavily involved, even if their child is provided a tutor.

Peer relations - dependent (2/3)

Without the hectic woes of teen life or the difficulties of being a child, children are introduced to the adult world. In this way, they are taught to communicate like adults, with adults, and that doesn't necessarily cause children to be afraid or awkward around their peers, contrary to popular belief. Children who are homeschooled typically come out of homeschooling with a new confidence in themselves that wasn't there in elementary school. It allows children to progress past the social struggles of peer relationships, so when they are presented to peers, they are prepared to present themselves, and not constantly bombarded with various embarrassments of childhood (such as that time they peed their pants, or a stupid comment they once made, etc). Children are cruel, and sometimes its better to just have your kids removed from the front lines. Some kids may require more socialization with peers than others. These children should be placed in extra-curricular activities where they can branch out and make friends, preventing the sense that they are trapped at home. You might be surprised at how much fun a child can have being home schooled, as opposed to being surrounded by other kids all the time!

Breeding Maturity - 3

Home school is a fantastic way to breed maturity in a child. Again, being surrounded by adults, children who are homeschooled are often able to make more mature decisions and join the adult world at a younger age. Their verbiage is often of higher quality, as is their critical thinking. Private school students may be on par with some home schoolers, but even private school children have been surrounded by so many of each other, that they lack the mature front which children more constantly exposed to adults may exhibit.

Opportunities - dependent on parent

Aside from peer relations, this is the other main concern parents have with home schooling. It is usually forgotten that home schooled kids can have all kinds of opportunities not even slightly presented to children who must attend a conventional institution. Parents and tutors can travel, and so school can come on long, educational vacations. Furthermore, parents and tutors can teach kids with disabilities in unconventional ways that suit the child better than a normal school. Kids are able to take piano lessons and more one-on-one courses with others, and can learn at their own pace. A child who learns quickly can pack much more into a day. Kids can be brought together with other home schooling families and learn new things, as well as experience fun with peers. The opportunities all depend on how much effort a parent and/or tutor is willing to put in.

Cost - 2

This also depends on the parent, but can cost less that private school in most situations. Obviously, if you take your kid on vacations solely for educational purposes, pay for expensive curriculums, tutors, and extracurricular activities, then it can easily total up to more than a private school education. I would argue it is much more worth it. Generally, vacations I would argue are also for family fun, however, and shouldn't count as the overall cost. ;)

Overall - 3

If a parent has the time, money, education and/or dedication, home schooling is the best choice. It does indeed require a lot out of the adults involved, however, so this decision cannot be taken lightly. You want to give your kids the world? Home school. You want to give them as much as you can but don't have the time? Tutor. Still don't have the money? Private. Last choice, public. There isn't anything terrible about sending your kid to public school - sometimes it is the best option and that really depends on the family (money, social issues, disabilities, etc are all more than acceptable excuses to send your child to public school). But if you can, I would highly recommend giving home schooling a shot. You might learn something in the process too!