Private Schools Vs.

Public Schools You want to give your child the best but you also have income constraints to think of. So how do you choose between private schools versus public schools? Put another way, how do you decide private education is really worth it? Here s a rundown of issues pertaining to private schools vs. public schools in !orth "merica# Private school tuition vs. public school ta$es %veryone pays ta$es, so you are already supporting the public school system. &hy pay for both, you might ask yourself? 'he fact is that in numerous provinces and states, you can get ta$ breaks when you send your child to private school over a public school. 'his ta$ break can come in many different forms depending on what state or province you are in. (ost private school parents view the )dollars and cents *uestion) as a materialistic reduction. +or e$ample, for ,ewish or -hristian parents, a private school that bolsters religious faith offers something invaluable. Parents of &aldorf or (ontessori school students feel much the same. .epending on what kind of private school you decide on, tuition can range from /0,111 per year up to more than /211,111. Public school costs nothing, of course. 3s it more important to you to spend the money on private school tuition versus having money to treat your kids well in other respects? How much are you willing to sacrifice? .o you think the best things in life are free 4 or do you believe you get what you pay for? Private schools admittance vs. public school admittance Private schools are allowed to e$pel students and can choose not to allow certain students admittance. 3n fact, many private schools are difficult to get into. Public schools allow all students, regardless of religious creed, academic abilities or any other factor. Sending you child to a private school means enrollment is selective and demands are uniformly higher versus a public school where they will be e$posed to a wider variety of people and abilities. 3n today s world, both are likely to incorporate students from various cultures and backgrounds. Student population at private vs. public school 3n most areas, your children will attend public school with other kids from the same area. However, a number of states are moving toward a policy where you can re*uest a change if you desire.

&hen parents choose a private school, they often do so based on their desire to give their children a specific peer group, whether that is based on discipline, cultural or religious background, or philosophical beliefs. 3n most private schools, students are e$cluded or e$pelled if they do not adhere to the school s policies or standards. -lass si5e in public vs. private schools 6vercrowding of public school classrooms is one of the most common complaints about the public education system, a significant problem that inspires parents to seek private school alternatives. School governance 7ecause they do not use public funds 8or in some areas, less funds9, private schools are not as restricted in their program development or curricula. Private schools are not sub:ect to budget limitations imposed by the state 8although, they may in fact, have more restrictive limitations9. 'his freedom allows private schools to develop their own curricula. "s long as parents agree with the intellectual, philosophical or religious basis brought to the curricula, this independence from government interference is seen as a great advantage of private schools over public. 6n the other hand, public schools use curricula designed to include all students, thus invoking in them a tolerance for others. ;earning in both public and private schools is measured through standardi5ed testing. 'eacher certification in private school vs. public "ll teachers in public schools in almost all states and provinces in !orth "merica are re*uired to have some form of federal, state or provincial certification along with a bachelor s degree. 3n the more prestigious private and boarding schools, there are likely to be teachers who are much more highly *ualified, with graduate degrees and higher level awards. "ctual teacher certification on a state<by<state or province<by<province basis varies and is always being revised, so blanket statements are not helpful or appropriate. Public school vs. private# *uality of education Private school and public school administrators and educators all do their best to

create the best learning environment possible. 'here are e$cellent public schools and there are e$cellent private schools. 3n -anada, the +raser 3nstitute ranks schools, often finding favour with private schools, although it does highly rank some public schools. 3n the =S", the situation is similar# there are good public schools but many of the best overall schools are privately funded. " study by Harvard =niversity found that private school students averaged higher than their public school counterparts in standardi5ed tests in 22 of 2> comparisons of students. 3n the final analysis "s a parent, you need to decide for yourself. Visit schools and see what the schools and teachers are like. &e think the option of private school makes all schools better and gives parents alternatives they may certainly want to pursue in finding the right education for their children. 6urkids.net lists private schools from across !orth "merica and %urope. Start a deeper investigation of !orth "merican private schools right now, using our private school search engine. < See more at# http#??www.ourkids.net?private<schools<versus<public< schools.php@sthash.bA(B>h5%.dpuf The following are some of the important things worth knowing about Ontarios private education setting: 1. Teachers and principals in private schools are not subjected to compulsory certification. They dont have to be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers to be able to teach or run private academic institutions. Hence, it is very important to make sure that the school you are choosing is staffed by highly competent educators, those who have the right credentials and pertinent e periences. !t helps conducting background checks on a private schools staff. 2. Only the Ontario Ministry of Education has the authority to determine which courses can make a student qualified for the Ontario econdary chool !iploma "O !#. !f you want to make sure that you or your children are getting the right credits to obtain a diploma, you need to do some in"uiries with the #inistry of $ducation. %ou may also visit the #inistrys website to see the official list of private schools that provide O&&' courses. The official Ontario #inistry of $ducation website comprehensively lists the schools, public and private, that operate in Ontario. The lists come with various useful

details including religious affiliation and an indication whether or not the programs offered could yield credits that enable a student to obtain an O&&'. $. The Ministry does not inspect private elementary schools in Ontario. !t is the responsibility of parents to carefully assess the right private elementary school for their children. These schools are also not compelled to make use of the Ontario curriculum. %. &rivate secondary schools may or may not be inspected by the Ministry of Education. This depends on whether or not the private secondary school offers credits that lead to an Ontario &econdary &chool 'iploma (O&&'). &chools that dont offer O&&' credits are not inspected and re"uired to follow the Ontario curriculum. !n contrast, those that provide O&&' credits are being inspected. The inspection, however, is limited to the standard of instruction in the school. The #inistry performs inspections to make sure that the courses offered have enough of the content similar or corresponding to the Ontario curriculum. The #inistry of $ducation has no business in conducting inspections on private school premises, staff recruitment, school health and safety standards, sanitation, facilities, or the school policies being implemented. !nspections are only meant to ensure ade"uate coverage for O&&' "ualification. '. &rivate schools are required to submit a notice of intention to operate. *ll private schools, both O&&' and non+O&&' credit+ granting, are obliged to notify the Ontario #inistry of $ducation about their operation. This notice should be in writing and has to be submitted annually. This policy is based on &ection ,- of the $ducation *ct. These details can provide guidance in choosing the right private school in Ontario. The right school does not have to be regularly inspected by the #inistry of $ducation but if you want an O&&', you need to choose a school that is proven to provide O&&' credits. !t also helps in"uiring about the competence, credibility, and reliability of a schools principal and teachers. * school has to be very transparent with its programs, policies, and number of years in operation. #oreover, it is advisable to clarify details on fees, charges, refunds, and other money+related matters.

(uthor &rofile #arina .lumin is the headmistress of 'iscovery *cademy, a #inistry+ approved private school. /ith 01 years of e perience as a teacher, she is certainly not new to the world of education. &he has a 2h' degree in 2hysics and has served as a researcher at the 3niversity of Toronto, in the field of nanotechnology. *lways goal+oriented, she is committed to providing learning opportunities that emphasi4e the need to address present+day demands in terms of skills and knowhow.

creen Time ) a *amily *riend or *oe+ Oh ,screen time-. Every family has a love.hate relationship with you. ometimes you provide my kids with a/e0appropriate activity1 fun and learnin/. (nd sometimes you hold them hosta/e.

#anaging the amount of time kids spend on the computer and in front of the T5 is an on+going issue for most families. #y strategies have changed over the years. /hen the children were small, we had 6&creenless &undays7. /hen they got older and screen obsessed, ! banned screens during the week entirely. ! didnt find that arrangement worked very well for us. .y the time the weekend rolled around, they would screen binge. They were like those kids who are never given candy, so they sneak away and stuff their faces. #ine were stuffing their virtual faces with #inecraft. ! started the new school year with a new plan, and ! have to say 8 its working9 !ts really working9 2ere3s the deal in our house4

* child can earn up to one hour of screen time a day that can be cashed in between -:11pm and ::11pm. They earn screen time by doing the following activities: homework, reading, walking the dog, practicing an instrument, playing outside. $arned time and screen time match. &o if a child wants a full hour of screen time, they will have walked the dog for ,;

minutes, practiced piano for ,; minutes and spent a half an hour reading. !f they only do one of these activities for ,1 minutes, they get ,1 minutes of screen time. &creen time must be 6meaningful7. /hat is meaningful< ! decide that. =or my kids, it means using the computer to play #inecraft, &pore or *nimal >am. ! dont count watching %ouTube videos of other people playing #inecraft as meaningful. $ach parent can define 6meaningful7 as they see fit. ! dont include T5 as 6screen time7, but T5 can only be watched if homework is done. &ince T5 is not an activity that earns them screen time, its not very attractive. Children must self+monitor their time. !f ! catch them cheating, the privilege is pulled and they lose screens for the week. !f they have hockey or another activity during the -:11pm 8 ::11pm screen cash in time, they dont get screens that day.