Private School Essay
Since 1830 private schools have been a symbol of upward mobility and the American dream. If parents wanted to send their children to schools they deemed “better” they were free to do so. In 1925 the Supreme Court found that private schools were a suitable alternative to the nation’s public school system. The constitutional right for parents to send their children to private school is not in question in this essay. I do believe, however, that the mentality created by most private schools and parents who choose to send their kids to private schools, is a major factor in the lack of personal responsibility in today’s society.
Lack of personal responsibility is the most troubling problem in America at the moment. From frivolous lawsuits to murderers who were egged on or just lost control, people these days seem to have excuses and scapegoats for every problem they face.
“You have to go to private school in Alabama,” says an acquaintance of mine. “Colleges don’t like transcripts from public schools in Alabama.” As ignorant, closed-minded and overall atrocious that comment sounds it was spoken and is the attitude of more than one American I’m afraid.
Private schools are any one of a multitude of educational alternatives. Six million American schoolchildren attend private school. Don Erikson has identified 15 major categories of private schools: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, Seventh Day Adventist, independent, Episcopal, Greek Orthodox, Quaker, Mennonite, Calvinist, Evangelical, Assembly of God, special education, alternative, and military. A stereotypical prep school is included as well as a tiny school in California where students live in self-made shacks, cook their meals, and study poetry in the forest. The overwhelming difference between public and private schools is that most private schools are focused primarily on academics while public schools tend to be more social, vocational, and academically equal.
One of the most appalling statistics about private schools is along racial lines. Approximately 46 percent of private schools enroll less than 5 percent minority students. So, despite what private school advocates are yelling, the private school experience is in no means adequate to teach students about other races or cultures. Reading information in a book is no comparison to actually being in contact and sharing with people of other races, cultures and backgrounds. Along with student diversity, public schools also employ a greater percentage of minority teachers and principles. Minorities represent 12 percent of teachers and 16 percent of principals in public schools. In private schools the numbers are 9 percent teachers and 8 percent principles.
Along with racial problems, the private schools of America are harbors of status and wealth. While 29 percent of children in public school receive subsidized lunches from the government the number is only 6 percent in private schools. Parents who believe they are sending their kids to better schools are often misinformed. Many public schools far outperform their private counterparts. Some private schools even lack accreditation to award recognized diplomas.
One statistic that I find points to the adequacy of public schools is that public schools are more likely to have libraries than private schools. Not only libraries but also computers, Internet access, cable TV, and broadcast TV. This is especially intriguing to me because libraries are a more-than-integral part of the learning process.
Let’s get to the key aspect of education, family background and support. In study after study done by sociologists, students with strong family support perform better than others. The reason for this is simple. Education has more to do with expectations set at home and help along the way from family than the type of school you go to. Richard Murnane, a researcher of education, states that the reason private school students do better on tests is because “They come from more advantaged homes and bring more skills to school with them.” A child who’s parents neglect them will wind up performing poorer in school regardless of the type of school they attend.
One issue that makes comparing public and private schools difficult is the ability for private schools to be selective. This leads many people to argue that private schools don’t teach better they just have better students. A private school is able to pick and choose whom they wish to admit with minimal government interference, i.e. affirmative action. They can eliminate the troublemakers and poor students, leaving them for the public school system to deal with. I’ve never attended a private school. I have friends who have and they seem well enough. My problem with private schools lies less in fact than in reason. I can’t understand thinking a school isn’t appropriate for your child but is for others just down the street. What is that telling kids? In essence it’s instilling an elitist attitude in them from the very beginnings of their education. I never attended private school but I was always a part of the extra, once a week programs for the “gifted” kids throughout elementary school. We got out of class, in some cases got bussed to other locations and worked on activities we wouldn’t have had a chance too in our “normal” class. There were some kids who thought they were better than the other kids and there were kids that didn’t. When I was in 5th grade our extend teacher gave us a speech at the beginning of the year that really hit me. She told the story of the detention center high school kids who helped build our facility. She said they achieved something great. Were they better than us? No. Were we better than them? No. We were just different. I’ve noticed myself at time in the past taking a negative view towards people who didn’t understand things or who saw things differently and I’ve tried to train myself out of it. It’s a bad feeling to realize you’re closed-minded.
I believe that instead of sending their kids away from “inadequate” schools, parents should become involved in the education community and work to improve their town or city as a whole. The “I’ve got mine” attitude that is permeating the nation is not a welcome sign for our future. I’m not calling for the national adoption of hippie communes, I’m just saying that people shouldn’t be so quick to attempt to solve their worries or problems with money or status and put some real effort into their lives.