The Quality of Education in the Public School System Essay Example for Free

The Quality of Education in the Public School System Essay Basic education whether it is from a public or a private school is one of the most fundamental needs of mankind. It is responsible for the advancement of our civilization. Education is a vital necessity and the fundamental right of an individual. It is difficult to put a price tag for education. However, it can be said that education is the window to numerous opportunities and the most essential means of poverty elevation. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Everyone has the right to education Education shall be directed to the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (art.26 Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Today’s education system has become an issue of debate especially between the public and the private school educational quality. Each and every parent has their own set of choices for their children. Many people opt for having a religious affiliation, for others the costs of private school may not be affordable (Public School Review n.pag). This paper compares the major differences between both public and the private schools and also gives a few recommendations of improving the quality of education in the public school system. If we take into consideration the cost involved in the public and the private schools, it can be noted that public schools are funded through federal, state and local taxes. For instance, when a person pays taxes to the government they are paying for their childs education and the education of other children in the community. On the other hand, private schools do not run on the tax revenues or any fund from the government.   Instead, these schools are funded through tuition, fundraising, donations and private grants. Therefore, when a parent has to send their child to school they compare the cost of education. If the parent is not financially capable to pay the fees for the private school, then obviously the parent opts for public schools where the fees structure is much less and compromise on the quality of education. In order to improve the quality of the public schools it is essential to increase the funding to these schools, improve the infrastructure and also increase the number of teaching faculty. When it comes to admission, public schools admit all children, and therefore these schools are multicultural in nature. As per the rules in most of the countries, public schools are open for all and must educate all children (Public Education Network n.pag). Private schools are selective in nature. For instance, schools managed by churches give preference to Christians. They are not compelled to accept every child by any rule. Today because of this reason private school admission is very competitive. It is therefore important that public schools need to continue and improve their multicultural nature and promote education among all communities equally. It is essential to recognize the diversity of groups and issues that are present in every town and city (Leistyna 1-23). Whether fair or not, educational opportunity and academic achievement are directly tied to the social divisions associated with race, ethnicity, gender, first language, and social class. The level and quality of educational attainment either open the doors to opportunity or close them. —Educational psychologist Edmund W. Gordon in The Covenant with Black America In general public schools offer subjects which usually includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history, physical education, music and arts. The substance of what children learn is mandated by the state and learning is measured through tests and examinations. In private schools these subjects are flexible for students. Besides the students are taught the curriculum using various effective techniques such as take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Such innovative trips increase the practical knowledge of the students. Private schools are not bound by any rules and therefore they can create their own curriculum and assessment systems. In order to improve the public schools it is important to take some of the special teaching techniques followed by the private schools (GreatSchools.net n.pag). In terms of the teaching faculty it is a well known fact that the teachers in public schools are usually state certified or, at least working toward certification. Public school teachers need compulsory college degrees and to be licensed by the state (Broward County Public Schools n.pag). Qualified teachers with certification ensure that they have gone through the training required by the state, which includes student teaching and coursework. However, this is lacking in a private schools. Teachers in private schools may not be required to have certification but often have good subject area expertise and an undergraduate or graduate degree in the subject they teach. It is important to maintain the standards of payment in public and private schools because teachers also need to maintain high standards of living. Private schools are usually committed to providing attention to each and every child individually and therefore keep the class size small. Many parents choose private schools for this reason. In public schools though many states recognize the value of small classes, they are unable to do so because of overcrowding and lack of good infrastructure especially in large school districts and urban schools (GreatSchools.net n.pag). As a result teachers cannot give equal attention to individual students or for students with special needs. It is essential therefore to decrease the size of classes in public schools to improve the quality of education. Finally, it can be said that in order to improve the public education system, it is essential to equitably allocate resources. For instance, educational and administrative staffing ratios show how many students per teacher or per administrator are in each school. Work Cited    Public School Review, Public School vs. Private School (2007) Public School Review LLC. 21 October 2007, http://www.publicschoolreview.com/private-public-schools.php Public Education Network, Public Schools Must Be Held Accountable, Americans Say (26 July 2007) 21 October 2007, http://www.publiceducation.org/doc/Press_Releases/20070726_Public.doc Leistyna, P. Extending the Possibilities of Multicultural Community Partnerships in Urban Public Schools, The Urban Review, Volume 34, Number 1 / March, 2002, pp 1-23. GreatSchools.net, Private vs. Public Schools: Whats the Difference? (February 2007) GreatSchools Staff, 21 October 2007, http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticlefeature/ca/197 Broward County Public Schools, Public Vs. Private Education 21 October 2007, http://www.browardschools.com/info/education.htm