Are Private Schools Worth the Money?
Providing quality education to their children is the ultimate dream for every parent. Quality education not about the course-based curricula only. It is an attempt to transform the students into good human beings, who can face the outside world with confidence. Parents want the best for their children, and one way they try to achieve that is by sending their kids to private school. Maybe they don’t like the school area where they live, or they think a better education will be found outside of the public school system. But either way, some parents are dropping thousands of rupees a year on private education for their children.
Whether to enroll their children in private schools or government schools has been an age-old debate among parents. Over the past two decades, the trend to join private schools has been significantly on the rise. Even with government schools at a short distance from home, we can see flocks of children boarding buses to go to a private school an hour away.
Why has this trend continued despite the high expenses associated with private schools? It’s because the basic infrastructure and education facilities in private schools are far better than the government-run schools.
Apart from imparting high-quality education at par with international levels, private schools take care of the overall development of the students. Proper attention is given to each student’s potential. Private schools also engage children in more extra-curricular activities, inter-school competitions and social and communication skills, thus improving their personality.
Although the teachers in government schools are highly qualified, the schools show poor results due to lack of motivation amongst the faculty. They rarely apply creative teaching methods and do not have any appraisal system based on performance.
Also, many government schools lack proper infrastructure and conduct classes in make-shift buildings. There are no fans and lights, and the students lack the motivation to continue their education due to these conditions. The lack of discipline has put the government schools at a backward pace as compared to private schools. The funds provided to these schools are often not utilized in a logical manner for the overall facilities.
However, despite the better quality of education provided by private schools, the expenses associated with these schools are often beyond the reach of the families with a modest annual income. Apart from the huge donations and tuition fees, there are a lot of hidden expenses associated with the admission process in private schools.
Although guardians often complain about the high expenditure, the benefits offered by the private schools often outmatch those of the government institutions. With an overall enriched experience and career counselling sessions, the students are better prepared to face challenges that life throws at them after the primary education.
Well-furnished classrooms and a good student-teacher ratio enable the professors to provide individual attention and guidance to students. Private schools also have a special budget allocated to provide several extracurricular activities on the campus. Proper libraries are maintained with a thorough collection of books and encyclopedias. The laboratory facilities offered to the students of the science stream are much more advanced and as per with the latest quality and security standards as compared to most of the government schools in the distant villages.
Private schools are undoubtedly expensive and should make an attempt to optimize the pay structure to make quality education more affordable to a greater section of the population. However, the well-established infrastructure and detailed attention given to the overall development of the students by private schools in exchange for the high expenses cannot be overlooked.
But whether or not a private school education is worth the cost is going to be an individual choice. Parents can spend all the money in the world sending their kids to the best private schools in the country, but if their child does not want to learn, then it is not going to matter. It will also depend on your unique situation and the type of student your child is. For some students, a private education is going to be a way for them to flourish academically and get into a top-notch college. For others, it can be a waste of time. While there are critics on both sides of the decision, parents have to consider more than just the cost when weighing whether or not to send their kid to a private school.
These days, the concept of homeschooling is also catching on. Read here about whether homeschooling is a good option as compared to traditional schooling.
