There are 2 choices, 2 votes for sca's debate

Private schools: is the advantage unfair?

Private schools are generally considered to provide a better education than government schools, how-ever directly cost the student more to attend.

But is the advantage unfair? Should there be private schools, or simply the same level/method of education for all?

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(Arguments against: )
This may exclude some families from the option of sending their children to private school as they cannot afford the school fees - which in some cases may be upward of 20 000 dollars per year, even though these schools do receive some funding from the government.
As private school children may - in general - do better in their final year exams, this may make it harder for their children to acheive University placement.
This may in turn make it harder for them to secure a job that will allow them to send their children to private school, etcetera.
In order for children to be compared on their ability - they all need to be taught to the same level, not each to the level they can or cannot afford.


(Arguments for: )
How-ever, the reason private school fees are so much higher than government school fees is that they receive less government funding. I.e. where a government school may receive up to 10 000 dollars funding per student, a private school may only receive 1 000 per student. Private schools may also charge more than the difference in funding to provide the extra services or higher paid teachers.
Not all students in private schools are from wealthy families, many in fact making sacrifices to be able to afford the annual sum.
And if all private school students were to suddenly enroll in the government schooling system, the system would not cope with the number of students, thus either increasing the cost of government schooling, increasing taxes, or simply decreasing the amount of funding possible to provide for each student.
Hence those that can afford the fees are in fact saving taxpayers money, and forfeiting resources that can be better allocated to those that cannot.


I hope my opinion didn't come across in that, but objectively:

thoughts?

  • Fair
    It's kind of like saying whether or not it's fair that some kids live in big houses and get all the toys they want, and others don't. Is it FAIR? I guess not in one sense. By would it be fair to deny him this just because someone else doesn't get it? Someone can spend their money however they like, and if this means specialized schooling than so be it.

    I have to say though that at least in my area, private schools aren't all that much better. The teachers tend to make much less money and need no more than BA to teach at most of them, because all the money the school gets goes into maintaining the things that the government doesn't give them. The schools are desperate for teachers that are more enticed by the already-embarrassing public school salaries.

    The real difference tends to show up less in education, and more in discipline in order to keep kids safer. Private schools go by slightly different rules, and a good many are single-sex. With a smaller number of kids, stricter rules, and less cuties walking around, it's easier for the staff to stay on top of the kids. A little, anyway.
    Voted for by Weydon.
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  • Dunno... not really...
    I'm at a private school, have been since Year 8. Whenever I talk to other friends or whoever from a public school, they seem to receive the same level of education at any rate. So there is no advantage there.

    However, private school facilities or resources usually are slightly better then that of a public school. I'm not saying that because I think they are better, it's just usually that way.

    I chose to go a private school because I was having a hard time with other people during the first year. The private school I'm at does not tolerate bullying of any sort here so I feel a lot safer than where I once was. That's probably just the school I was at because it was pretty crumby.

    BUT it is really bloody hard to keep up with the high fees of a private school, which is why it really shits me when I'm labeled a snob or a rich-kid because if I didn't go to the school I'm now at, my life probably would be more material based.

    So yeah, from my experience, private schools are better but then I don't have much to compare it with so I don't know if that makes others disadvantaged in a way. That's all, ta, ta.
    Voted for by tfry.
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