What is a Magnet School

The term magnet school is used more in the US than in any other nation in the world. These schools are public schools that have a specialized curriculum. Other countries that have similar kinds of schools, refer to them by different other names; for example in Britain such schools are called 'specialist schools'. Generally, if a child doesn't attend a magnet school, then the school he attends is called his home school (not to be confused with homeschooling) or base school, zone school, etc.

What is a Magnet School

Children normally go to schools which are in their zone, as defined by school boards, but in the magnet school concept, students are drawn from outside the zoned boundaries. Perhaps this ability to attract bright students from across boundaries is the reason why these schools are called magnet schools. Magnet schools offer specialized courses which the regular parochial schools do not and hence attract parents and children, thereby increasing the diversity of students on the campus. This is the reason why they are the most sought after schools in the US. Magnet schools have their own set of rules and instructions that are tougher and more stringent than those of other public schools. They also receive additional funding from outside and hence they are able to spend more on the student's education, school supplies, teachers, programs, etc.

History of Magnet Schools

Magnet schools emerged in the United States in the 1960s, as a way to deal with the racial and academic segregation in society. They intended to attract students from all races, communities and geographical areas without any discrimination, that is why the metaphor 'magnet school' was coined.Their main purpose was to:

• Encourage students from across different traditional school zones to enroll in the school.
• Provide good quality programs and educational opportunities, such that students and parents would be tempted to join the school.

The main aim was to create a school that would attract even meritorious students from poor and minority groups rather than forcing them to join and to thereby promote academic and racial desegregation. Over the last few years, there has been a sharp rise in the number of students applying to these schools, but due to limited seats, magnet schools are now filtering the process by conducting tests and admitting only 10-20 % of students who apply, namely those who score well in tests.

Advantages of Magnet Schools

• High academic achievements
• Provide parents more choice within the public school system
• Help to desegregate public education.
• Specialized programs which help students achieve what they couldn't have in other public schools
• Progress in teaching methodologies

Disadvantages of Magnet Schools

• They take away bright students from neighboring public schools
• Their selection process keeps out children who could have benefited from a magnet school experience.
• Critiques argue that if families are encouraged to join magnet schools because they are better, then why not change all public schools into magnet schools?
• Why are only these schools provided the funding? Why not other public schools?

Magnet school were created to promote the academic desegregation that existed in the sixties and seventies. Everything from specialized curriculum to tough instructions were an extension of efforts to make magnet schools attract students but, unfortunately, there are many students who aspire to join these schools but cannot due to less intake capacity of these schools.

Whether magnet schools are good or bad is up to the parents to decide. They have their merits and demerits and ultimately it is the parents who have to decide, based on the goals that they have set for their child. Knowing what these schools can do for your children is the first step in understanding whether they make sense for your family or not.