Is Private School Worth The Cost?

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Parents want the best education possible for their children, and for those able to pay the tuition, private education promises to provide that experience. You may wonder if private schools live up to these promises. Is private school worth the cost?

Tuition

The average tuition for a private, non-sectarian high school is $27,302 per year. Catholic high schools have an average price tag of $7,826 while other religious high schools cost $10,493 annually. Those prices may seem prohibitive to many, especially those parents who have several children. However, private school does offer several advantages over the usual public school education.

Class Size

Private schools usually have smaller classes than public schools. The ratio of teachers to students is approximately 1:8 with class sizes of 10-15 students. Public school classes often contain 25 students or more. Also, private high schools have a much smaller enrollment with numbers in the low hundreds rather than the thousand or more students that some public schools have. Your child is less likely to get lost in the crowd at a private school.

Academics

Private schools often require more from their students academically. Their standards for graduation are generally higher. They typically demand students take more classes, produce higher quality work, and perform community service or other graduation prerequisites. Private school students also regularly outperform their counterparts in public schools.

Safety

According to the Council for American Private Education, private schools offer a safe and disciplined environment for learning. Teachers in private schools consistently report that they feel many problems such as drug abuse, absenteeism, and disrespect are not a big issue in their schools. They rarely are physically threatened or harmed.

Private school students report similarly low instances of being afraid or harmed while at school. Credit for these safe conditions is often given to the value-oriented curriculum provided by many of these schools. Private high schools often emphasize self-discipline, personal growth, moral values, and social skills. The religious schools, in particular, focus on a student's spiritual life. 

Some excellent public schools are available to students, but many parents find that the advantages of private school outdo even the best of the public offerings. Private schools are able to give students more attention due to their low student-to-teacher ratio, and they can focus more on moral development. Their rigorous academic standards also lead to their students outperforming their public school peers. The cost for private tuition is high, but many parents are happy to pay it to give their children a superior education. Contact a school like International School of MN of more information. 

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19 October 2015

Learning How To Learn

When I was a kid, my parents didn't care if I went to school or not. My mom and dad worked full time, and truthfully we didn't usually see them until well after school got out anyway. Unfortunately, this lack of schooling made it hard for me to learn valuable study habits. When I started taking school seriously later, I found that I was way behind where other kids my same age were. Fortunately, a few kind-hearted teachers helped to turn things around for me. They taught me techniques for how to learn, and I want to share them with you.