As a graduate of public schools and a Christian private college, with a mother who teaches public elementary school and a father who went to all Catholic private schools, I've seen most sides here.
Joyfulbeliever has a good point - many smaller private schools cannot offer the advanced courses a large public school can. I went to college with 9 semester hours of credit, after taking eight or nine Advanced Placement classes my junior and senior years. I had a philosophy seminar for my gifted education program, access to the Junior ROTC department which helped me earn my ROTC scholarship that paid for college, etc.
Public schools do one thing very well - they cater to the ends of the spectrum. There are facilities and resources in abundance for students who need extra help, both the "special education" kids with disabilities and the gifted students who require additional challenges.
Private schools do one thing very well - they teach to the middle. The average student at a large public school may get a superior education at a small private school, but may miss out on a lot of added benefits. Of course, it's likely that the average student wouldn't have been enrolled in the AP classes, the gifted seminars, etc. in a public school, and so private is the best option.
I have little experience with homeschooling - a few kids at my university were homeschooled. They tended to be a little... odd.
Joyfulbeliever has a good point - many smaller private schools cannot offer the advanced courses a large public school can. I went to college with 9 semester hours of credit, after taking eight or nine Advanced Placement classes my junior and senior years. I had a philosophy seminar for my gifted education program, access to the Junior ROTC department which helped me earn my ROTC scholarship that paid for college, etc.
Public schools do one thing very well - they cater to the ends of the spectrum. There are facilities and resources in abundance for students who need extra help, both the "special education" kids with disabilities and the gifted students who require additional challenges.
Private schools do one thing very well - they teach to the middle. The average student at a large public school may get a superior education at a small private school, but may miss out on a lot of added benefits. Of course, it's likely that the average student wouldn't have been enrolled in the AP classes, the gifted seminars, etc. in a public school, and so private is the best option.
I have little experience with homeschooling - a few kids at my university were homeschooled. They tended to be a little... odd.
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