By Mihika Badjate
Which is better: public or private school? This is an ongoing debate, one that everyone seems to have different answers and different explanations for. So how do we resolve this debate?
Let’s start by listing a few positives of public schools. Public schools are often much bigger than private schools, having a larger student body and larger class size. This means that there are also more options when it comes to electives, extracurricular activities, and APs. There is also a wider range of sports offered in public schools, while private schools may not have sports such as badminton and golf. A larger student body also means that public schools often are very diverse, making school perhaps more enjoyable for students.
Private schools, on the other hand, often have relatively small classes. This usually means that there is a limited number of extracurricular activities offered, so students don’t have quite as much choice as they do in public schools. However, small classes allow for much more interaction with the teacher and classmates, which can improve learning and help students understand the material better through individual teacher help. In a small school, students can also become familiar with all of the students in their grade and other grades, which would be nearly impossible in a public school. Not as many sports might be offered, but with a smaller student body, there is likely a greater chance of making it onto the team.
There are so many different positive and negative aspects of both public and private schools, that there is really no way to decide which is better. I personally have gone to a very small school my whole life, and find the thought of having over a hundred people in my grade almost frightening, but I have many good friends who have gone to really big public schools, and found out that it worked out well for them. In the end, it just depends on your personal interests, experiences, and learning style – public versus private school is more of a personal decision. It all depends on what suits you the best.
