Better Education in a Private School?

Many parents send their children to private schools because they want them to have a better education, so they will have better opportunities for success after they graduate. With so much job competition in today's work force, it makes sense to do what you can to prepare your children for a better future. Since private education isn't cheap, many families have to sacrifice certain comforts in order to send their children to a private school. Unfortunately, many private schools do not offer a better education. In fact, many private schools offer a far less substantial education than the public system.

One of the reasons private schools are lacking in quality education is because of the many poor quality or inexperienced teachers that are employed in private schools. With the exception of a few elite private schools, most of the teachers that work in private schools are not as highly qualified for the job as public school teachers. Many of the teachers are either brand new teachers with no experience, teachers who haven't been able to find a job at a public school, or even teachers who aren't certified. Yes, many private schools are filled with non-certified teachers! Most certified teachers who are good at teaching either don't want to work at private schools, or they will work for a few years to gain some experience and then move on to public education. So why are private schools filled with low quality teachers? The reason most teachers don't want to work for a private school is because they receive a much lower salary than they would in the public education system. They also receive very little or no benefits. Teachers simply can't afford to work at private schools. It's no wonder that so many private schools in this country have such a low quality education.

Private schools also aren't required to meet all of the state educational expectations. The standardized tests that students are required to pass in certain grade levels in the public schools aren't required in private schools. In fact, many children who can't pass the state tests, are tranfered to private schools so they can bypass these tests and still receive a high school diploma. Instead of private schools being filled with high achievers looking for a richer education, they are instead filled with low achievers who are trying to get around the state requirements.

Another reason for poor quality education in private schools is poor curriulum choice. Many of the Christian private schools opt to go with all Christian based textbooks. Unfortunately, most Christian textbooks don't meet up to the high educational standards that secular textbooks do. I reviewed a third grade science textbook from a Christian company that looked like it was written for first graders. I was shocked and very disappointed. Christian based textbooks could be written on a higher level without compromising core religious beliefs. Unfortunately, the ones I have seen are not. Some Christian private institutions realize this and use secular textbooks as the main book, then suplement Christian values and beliefs into the lessons. Until Christian companies start writing better textbooks, this is something that should be done in all Christian private schools if they want to meet the standard educational requirements.

If you wish to send your children to a private school for a better education, you should do a lot of research before deciding on a specific place. Don't just assume that any private school will offer a better education. Find out what qualifications the teachers have, check the standardized test scores and compare them to the state and county test scores, and be sure to examine the textbooks and class curricula. If you are going to pay for your child to have an education, it only makes sense to carefully examine the institution you are considering. Before compromising your child's education, make sure the private school you choose meets up to your expectations. If it does not, your child will be better off being educated in the public system.