Aug 26, 2004, 00:25
Hi!
I went to a co-ed Christian Primary School from Grades Prep to 3 and a co-ed Catholic Primary School from Grades 4 - 6. I then attended a girls Catholic College from Years 7 - 10, followed by a public Girls' State School.
...just a bit of background information as a prequel to the following advise / opinion ....
- Christian VS. Catholic Schools -
As a child who grew up in a Christian family and attended a Baptist church during my younger years, I found attending a Catholic school to be a little confusing at times because I didn't understand the traditions and practices which they used to do during the school masses and during religious education classes. So that made me feel a little awkward and even embarassed at times because I wasn't like the other kids who grew up in Catholic families who knew what to do and what to say during the church services or 'masses', as they called them.
When I was in Year 10, I was able to better appreciate the differences between the traditions and rituals of Christians and Catholics in terms of doctrine and worship. As a kid though, honestly, it was a little perplexing at times!!
The Bottom Line?
I was grateful that my parents sent me to that school, even though my parents and I weren't Catholics. Ultimately, the school did teach and instill biblical values that my folks wanted their children to learn about. I guess one other factor as to why my parents sent me to this school was because it was reputed to offer excellent education and that the school fees weren't as exorbitant as the other Christian school in our area. All things being taken into account, it was a pretty good decision by them I think.
- Private VS Public Schools -
Having been through both kinds of educational institutions, when it comes to having a successful student, I have come to the conclusion that: It all boils down to the student!!
Yes, private schools have better facilities. But a student still needs to have the initiative to tap into these resources and make the most use out of them. Better facilities do not necessarily make a better student.
Yes, private schools have more to offer. But a student, with creativity can seek out avenues to pursue extracurricular activities outside the school premises.
Yes, private schools have fancy and pleasant uniforms. But a student's academic performance is not determined by the clothes they wear, but by the determination and grit they possess to do succeed.
Yes, private schools have great teachers. But so do public schools! It should be noted that poor performance in a class due to a "bad" teacher is no excuse for a student. Once again, it comes down to the student to have enough drive to find ways to get around these hurdles.
I have had friends who finished in private schools (paying up to 10K a year!) only to find themselves floating through life after high school without any ambitions or goals in life! By the same token, I've had friends finish in a public school, finding themselves to be excellent doctors, optometrists, dentists and pharmacists!
The Bottom Line?
I don't want to take sides here to explicitly say whether private is better than public schooling. I do think parents should send their kids to the best school they can comfortably afford to send their kids to.
I also do think that parents do not need to spend thousands upon thousands to send their kids to a school, because the bottom line is, the student is very much the key driver of their success during their time in school.
And just a few more thoughts to tie it all up....
(if i haven't put you all to sleep yet!) 
Obviously, an very important part of a students' success in their studies is the love, support, prayers and encouragement of their parents. And if the public culture is what you're concerned, I want to encourage you by saying that we should not underestimate the power of parental influence! Yes the public culture may be promoting all sorts of 'evil' things, but that's not to say we can't continually try to instill the values that we want in our children through constant communication. Up until the age of about 18, children are still looking to their parents to shape and affirm their values. You have a big role to play in how they respond to the 'public school culture' that is out there.
SLEJHAMER .....what can I say? All the best in making that all-important decision!
I went to a co-ed Christian Primary School from Grades Prep to 3 and a co-ed Catholic Primary School from Grades 4 - 6. I then attended a girls Catholic College from Years 7 - 10, followed by a public Girls' State School.
...just a bit of background information as a prequel to the following advise / opinion ....
- Christian VS. Catholic Schools -
As a child who grew up in a Christian family and attended a Baptist church during my younger years, I found attending a Catholic school to be a little confusing at times because I didn't understand the traditions and practices which they used to do during the school masses and during religious education classes. So that made me feel a little awkward and even embarassed at times because I wasn't like the other kids who grew up in Catholic families who knew what to do and what to say during the church services or 'masses', as they called them.
When I was in Year 10, I was able to better appreciate the differences between the traditions and rituals of Christians and Catholics in terms of doctrine and worship. As a kid though, honestly, it was a little perplexing at times!!
The Bottom Line?
I was grateful that my parents sent me to that school, even though my parents and I weren't Catholics. Ultimately, the school did teach and instill biblical values that my folks wanted their children to learn about. I guess one other factor as to why my parents sent me to this school was because it was reputed to offer excellent education and that the school fees weren't as exorbitant as the other Christian school in our area. All things being taken into account, it was a pretty good decision by them I think.
- Private VS Public Schools -
Having been through both kinds of educational institutions, when it comes to having a successful student, I have come to the conclusion that: It all boils down to the student!!
Yes, private schools have better facilities. But a student still needs to have the initiative to tap into these resources and make the most use out of them. Better facilities do not necessarily make a better student.
Yes, private schools have more to offer. But a student, with creativity can seek out avenues to pursue extracurricular activities outside the school premises.
Yes, private schools have fancy and pleasant uniforms. But a student's academic performance is not determined by the clothes they wear, but by the determination and grit they possess to do succeed.
Yes, private schools have great teachers. But so do public schools! It should be noted that poor performance in a class due to a "bad" teacher is no excuse for a student. Once again, it comes down to the student to have enough drive to find ways to get around these hurdles.
I have had friends who finished in private schools (paying up to 10K a year!) only to find themselves floating through life after high school without any ambitions or goals in life! By the same token, I've had friends finish in a public school, finding themselves to be excellent doctors, optometrists, dentists and pharmacists!
The Bottom Line?
I don't want to take sides here to explicitly say whether private is better than public schooling. I do think parents should send their kids to the best school they can comfortably afford to send their kids to.
I also do think that parents do not need to spend thousands upon thousands to send their kids to a school, because the bottom line is, the student is very much the key driver of their success during their time in school.
And just a few more thoughts to tie it all up....
(if i haven't put you all to sleep yet!) Obviously, an very important part of a students' success in their studies is the love, support, prayers and encouragement of their parents. And if the public culture is what you're concerned, I want to encourage you by saying that we should not underestimate the power of parental influence! Yes the public culture may be promoting all sorts of 'evil' things, but that's not to say we can't continually try to instill the values that we want in our children through constant communication. Up until the age of about 18, children are still looking to their parents to shape and affirm their values. You have a big role to play in how they respond to the 'public school culture' that is out there.
SLEJHAMER .....what can I say? All the best in making that all-important decision!