The Pros and Cons of a Public Education
As the first part in a series examining the pros and cons of different types of education, it seems best to first examine the most popular and widespread form, which is public (or state) education. As we discuss in other articles on this site, each method of schooling has its advantages and disadvantages.
The first step in this kind of discussion is to define what public education is and which institutions are typically included in its domain. For those readers who have been publicly educated or who have children enrolled in this system, the definition might seem obvious. It is, according to The Oxford Learner Dictionary:
‘Education in schools, colleges, and universities provided by the government.’
So there you have it. Pretty straightforward. Formal Education, which can technically include any form of group instruction including private and charter schools, is usually defined as ‘a structured, systematic form of learning delivered to students by trained teachers.’
While private schools construct curricula under the oversight of boards or owners, the public version is always standardized. In order to ensure that all public schools comply with state/national standards, they are governed by ruling organizations such as the Dept. of Education (in the US), as well as individual districts and the boards of various states.
A few common Pros and Cons for this type of education are listed below. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it represents issues that have often been raised since the onset of compulsory instruction.
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Cost
Public education is and always has been free for every child, notwithstanding the public money that funds it through taxation (which many would argue is not free, particularly in high-tax states).
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Availability
By law, a public school cannot turn away any student based on academic performance, income level, or disability, creating equal opportunity for every child across the board.
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Diversity
Due to this required admittance of all children, public schools tend to be far more diverse than their private counterparts. As a result, students are exposed to classmates from different cultures and income levels, with varying viewpoints and abilities.
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Broader choice of academic programs and opportunities
Large school systems in particular often have the resources to offer more in the way of classes and academic enrichment to students (i.e. special education or gifted and talented programs). There may also be specialized offerings in subjects like technology, language, or the arts.
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Extracurricular Opportunities
Public school students often have a wider range of options in terms of after-school activities (music, theatre, art, etc) as well as athletics.
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Services
Public schools are required to provide specific services to students including transportation, reduced-price meals, counseling, and academic assistance, which isn’t always provided elsewhere.
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Teacher Qualifications
In order to teach in a public school, an employee must be certified by the state, requiring college degrees, continuing education, and periodic license renewal. Private and charter schools do not have this requirement.
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Accountability
Public schools are held accountable for academic performance by the state through the mechanism of standardized testing, which tends to promote more rapid management of failing schools.
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Results
Overall, public school students tend to perform comparably on tests with students in many private schools. Many are able to transfer easily to college or trade schools and create rewarding careers.
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Security
Publicly funded as they are, public schools are not in danger of shutting down in the event of bankruptcy. Regardless of the income ratio in any particular school area, it will not cease to function or provide services.
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Consistency
Public schools are known for their ability to provide consistent and highly uniform educational experiences, assuring that most students receive similar services.
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Few Barriers to Attendance
Very few barriers exist to attending a public school. There are no applications, interviews, or major test requirements.
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Large class sizes
Due to the inexpensive nature of public schools, classes can be large and inadequately staffed, making it difficult to address individual learning needs.
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Funding Reductions
With recent reductions in public funding, many previously offered programs are getting cut including arts, athletics, or even certain academic programs.
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Excessive Testing
Standardized tests have become prevalent to a point that most students are exposed to them on a monthly or yearly basis from elementary level through high school. Many teachers are forced to ‘teach to the test’, thereby ignoring other material, and students may become stressed.
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Behavioral problems
In urban areas in particular, school size may be such that there is inadequate staff to deal with problem behaviors. During the course of the lockdown era, these behaviors have only increased.
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Selective Assistance
Due to the moderate nature of a public school education, students on the high or low ends of the learning spectrum tend to be overlooked and may receive less help as a result.
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Religious accommodation
Religious preferences are not as easily accommodated in a public school. Students may have more difficulty expressing religious differences.
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Accommodation of learning differences
There is less tolerance of individual differences, interests, and learning styles in public schools, which are geared to commonalities and often suppress the needs of individuals in these areas.
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Discouragement of independent thought
The rigid nature of the public school ethos (standardized lessons, scheduling, management, etc) tends to promote and reward a high degree of conformity. This may make it difficult for students to think independently as adults.
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Bullying, stigmatization
Given larger student populations, frequent staffing issues, and a generally competitive setting in terms of achievement, reward, and so on, mistreatment of non-conforming students may occur.
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Lower academic achievement
While public schools compare favorably with most charter schools and even certain private schools, most cannot outperform students who attend higher-end private schools or those who have been homeschooled.
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Socialization
While public schools are often touted for their ability to expose students to myriad cultures and values, the stratified nature of modern classrooms dictates that students spend the majority of their time with children of identical age and maturity levels. Some experts have labeled this model an artificial environment that does not reflect the makeup or experience of the society at large.
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Limited resources
A majority of public schools tend to lack the resources needed to educate students in the modern age. Whether it is technology, advanced learning tools, reading and writing implements, or even basic materials like paper, many teachers end up having to purchase these supplies themselves, making availability sparse.
These are just a few of the details to consider when comparing assorted schooling options. Regardless of pros and cons, however, it is important to remember that every family situation is different, and the choices each must make depend on unique situations. Families with heavily employed adults may have little time to homeschool, and families with limited incomes may be unable to pursue private options. Learning-disabled children may require specialized settings and therapeutic tools.
There are thousands of ways to educate a child, and the very poorest conditions have produced some of our greatest achievers. In the end what matters most is the love, value, and support that each child receives, and help to compensate for shortcomings that may exist in any setting.