Viviana Coy

November 8, 2016
Private VS Public Schools
Many believe that private schools shape children in ways that public schools cannot.
However, is that the case? Do students in a public school have a disadvantage? Could it be the
other way around? Interestingly enough, according to the New York Times article Would You
Rather Attend a Public or a Private High School? by Katherine Schulten, typically, wealthy
Americans send their children to private schools. On the other hand, the wealthy foreign-born do
not bother with sending their children to private schools. Public schools seem to offer greater
ethnic and economic diversity that private schools do not.
Public schools offer a more realistic sense of the real world. They also offer things that
a private school may not. For example, public schools require teachers to be state certified while
private schools may not. Cost, is also a huge factor that separates public schools from private
schools. Everyone pays taxes so it only makes sense to take advantage of the institutions that are
funded by the government. In addition, public schools are required to have a special needs
program while private schools may not. There has been a big increase in the number of kids that
are being diagnosed ADHD or dyslexic. For these types of students there are special
accommodation such as; extra time for assignments and tests, and extra help. However, in a
private school, the child may be in a position of extreme stress where his/her need isnt taken
into consideration and the expectations for him or her may be too high. A private school is more
of a safe bubble. Everyone around you in a private school is virtually of the same background,
status, and social class. In public schools, you encounter people of all different backgrounds, and

ethnicities. You are exposed to different cultures and you learn how diverse the world actually is.
Not everyone is the same, and not everyone has the same capacities or talents. In a public school,
help just doesnt fall into your lap the way it does in a private school, you have to learn how to
figure out how to ask for help. In a private school, youre mostly in safe bubble, and your hand is
held every step of the way.
Of course, private schools are still good and have many advantages. They teach you
academic skills and give you special attention that public schools may not. The class sizes are a
lot smaller, so that leads to more one on one interaction between the teacher and the student. The
main focus in a private school is academic excellence. They make sure every student is
academically on the right path. Furthermore, private schools are generally more safe than public
schools. In addition, private schools may also focus on the religious aspect of the childrens life,
whereas a public school may not. If a family is very concerned with the presence of God in their
childs life, they are most likely to send their kid to a catholic private school.
Nevertheless, data shows, there are approximately 15,500 families in the city with school aged
children where the total income is at least 150,000 a year and both parents were born abroad. Of
those, about 68% only use the public-school system (Semple, NYT). The diversity continues to
grow as astonishing rates. we have never had the numbers we have said Elizabeth Phillips, the
principle at Public school 321 in Park Slope. If we want our children to go far, further than the
boundaries of this nation, we need to expose our children to the diversity there is. We are
always back and forth, but our kids will probably be in many more nations, so its important for
them to be able to deal with multicultural exposure Ms. Prakash Dutta said. Many more street
smart skills are developed in public schools (Semple, NYT). It is important to recognize that
academics is not the most important thing in life, there are more important things that come

along with academics. Such as social intelligence. Being book smart will only take you so far.
Being able to communicate effectively with other human beings is what will really take you into
a path of success. Being educated is like the cherry on top. It is what will set you apart from the
rest, but being successful is made up of so many different more components.
Overall, children do not need private school. Its kind of like comparing and
iPhone 6 to an iPhone 7. They are virtually the same phone, except the iPhone 7 is ridiculously
more expensive for features that are not essential in a persons life. Public school children learn
how to work with people of all different types. It might not be easy, but it is a skill that needs to
be acquired if they plan to become successful in life. In other parts of the world, such as Canada
and western European countries, private school is seen as a place for children with special needs.
Wealthier families were accustomed to sending their children to public schools (Semple, NYT).
In conclusion, I believe that at the end of the day its up to the student. Of course, the
environment you are in will impact you. However, no matter what situation you are in, if you
want to succeed you will be able to do so. It goes back to that clich, it takes grit. If you dont
have that, it wont matter if you went to the most prestigious private school in the country. You
just wont make it as far as the person who never gave up no matter the obstacles they were
given. The most successful people in the world come from humble beginnings. Its easy to be
born in a golden crib and hold a high status, but when you work your way up from the bottom,
now that is something that a private school cannot teach you.

Works Cited
Schulten, Katherine. "Would You Rather Attend a Public or a Private High School?",
learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/would-you-rather-attend-a-public-or-a-privatehigh-school/comment-page-7/?_r=0. Accessed 8 Nov. 2016. Originally published in New
York Times.
Semple, Kirk. "Foreign Parents in NY Prefer Public Schools.",
www.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/nyregion/foreign-parents-in-new-york-prefer-publicschools.html. Accessed 8 Nov. 2016. Originally published in New York Times.