What are the advantages of sending my daughter to a private school?
The high fees you pay enables the school to provide better facilities all round – highly qualified teachers, better sports equipment etc and add classes that many schools have had to drop, such as music, art, house craft, needlework, due to lack of money. Private schools generally have smaller classes so that each child gets more individual attention and the children come from all walks of life as many companies include school fees in their senior employees’ remuneration packages.
It will not necessarily be higher qualified teachers – here in the state of Texas, private school teachers do not have to be certified. They are not always as qualified as public school teachers. The difference is that students pay money to enroll in those schools, so your daughter will be in an atmosphere where everyone is expected to do well. The expectations are higher coming from you and the teachers because of the fact that it is competetive to get into private school and expensive. The problem with public high school is that students MUST attend, whether they misbehave, want to succeed or not. Your daugher will be a bit more “sheltered” at a private school.
I went to a private school, and the good points were the smaller classes, more focus and motivation to do well, and importantly more individual attention. I did sometimes feel the pressure to get good results was too demanding, and I faced loads of criticism and stereotyping, but on the whole, I know I could not have done better in another school. I would suggest moving to a state college/sixth form for A-levels though, as I have done, and then you get the best of both worlds.
