Education Problems in Public Schools

Public schools are different from private schools, in terms of their funding and administration. Public schools receive most of their funds from the state or federal government; whereas private schools rely on private sources, such as donations and organizations for their funding. Though, most public schools are administered by local governments; the overall funding is contributed by the local, state and federal governments. Private schools are under the control of a private body or a charitable trust.

In the United States, public school education is more common than private education, and about 90 percent of children attend public schools. Basically, there are three stages in a public school, namely, primary or elementary school (kindergarten to 5th grade), middle school or junior high school (6th to 8th grade) and high school or secondary school (9th to 12th grade). The policies for each stage are set by the board members, elected under local jurisdiction.

Education Problems in Public Schools

The first and foremost educational problem of public schools is the larger school size and student population. On an average, most public schools are twice the size of private schools. According to a study, public schools have an average of 16 students per teacher, whereas private schools have an average of 13 students per teacher. This may be due to free education offered in public schools. Whatever may be the reason, students of public schools receive less individual attention, as compared to private school students.

Since public school education is free, the academic curricula and programs may not be as refined as those of private schools. Usually, they offer the same programs and standardized tests for all the students. In short, what the students learn in public schools is decided by the state. On the other hand, private schools offer alternative curricula and have their own assessment system.

In public schools, all the students get admission, irrespective of the student's talent. They cannot deny any student who has applied for admission. Sometimes, this may result in a slow learning pace for the talented students. On the other hand, private schools have full authority to reject a student who is not up to the mark. Hence, many a times, private schools perform better in standardized achievement tests.

Another educational problem of public schools is higher rate of violence and student dropout. It is due to the fact that public schools accept all students, irrespective of their behavior and talent. Whereas in case of private schools, they select students on the basis of their assessment, thus resulting in a safer environment. However, in order to clear your doubt, you can always check for previous records and school rankings before sending your child to any of the public schools. You can also meet the principal for a better perspective, regarding the safety, and the rules and regulations of the school.

Though public schools have some educational problems, there are certain advantages of public school education. Since the student populace is more in public schools, exposure to various kinds of people from different socio-economic backgrounds, teaches students to get along with people, irrespective of their social status.

In spite of these general educational problems in public schools, a study has revealed that students of public schools get better grades in college than those in private schools. Hence, before enrolling your child to any of the schools, it is always better to analyze the pros and cons of both private and public schools. You can opt for a school, which will best meet your child's interests and suit his/her abilities.