The Great Debate: Are Private Schools Really Academically Better Than Public Schools? Essay Example
The Great Debate: Are Private Schools Really Academically Better Than Public Schools?
Introduction Education is a major topic of controversy in this country. People often wonder if private school is worth the money it costs and if public schools have what it takes to produce well educated, disciplined young adults. There comes a time in every parents life when they must decide what is best for their child and what school will prepare them for the best possible future. It is a topic that is constantly up for debate. Whether it be scholars, government officials, educators, parents or even students themselves discussing the issue, there is no concrete answer to the question: Are private schools academically better than public schools? It seems that the answer is a personal one.
Literature Review
James S. Coleman, a sociologist, is a big advocate for private education. In 1981, he made his first announcement of a national study which showed that private high schools were better disciplined than their public counterparts and their students did better academically with whom they had been matched by race, socioeconomic status and parental education. These findings withstood harsh criticism and a final report titled High School Achievement: Public, Catholic and Private Schools Compared was published.
Critics of Coleman say that public and private schools operate under a different set of rules and therefore make his studies a comparison of apples and oranges. Coleman (1981) believes that private schools are superior to public schools because of certain characteristics that seem to be found in private schools more than in public ones. These characteristics include: more homework, stronger discipline, fewer behavior problems, less cutting of class and more order in the classroom
No other study has generated more controversy than High School and Beyond which was performed by the National Center for Education Statistics. The first reports
Introduction Education is a major topic of controversy in this country. People often wonder if private school is worth the money it costs and if public schools have what it takes to produce well educated, disciplined young adults. There comes a time in every parents life when they must decide what is best for their child and what school will prepare them for the best possible future. It is a topic that is constantly up for debate. Whether it be scholars, government officials, educators, parents or even students themselves discussing the issue, there is no concrete answer to the question: Are private schools academically better than public schools? It seems that the answer is a personal one.
Literature Review
James S. Coleman, a sociologist, is a big advocate for private education. In 1981, he made his first announcement of a national study which showed that private high schools were better disciplined than their public counterparts and their students did better academically with whom they had been matched by race, socioeconomic status and parental education. These findings withstood harsh criticism and a final report titled High School Achievement: Public, Catholic and Private Schools Compared was published.
Critics of Coleman say that public and private schools operate under a different set of rules and therefore make his studies a comparison of apples and oranges. Coleman (1981) believes that private schools are superior to public schools because of certain characteristics that seem to be found in private schools more than in public ones. These characteristics include: more homework, stronger discipline, fewer behavior problems, less cutting of class and more order in the classroom
No other study has generated more controversy than High School and Beyond which was performed by the National Center for Education Statistics. The first reports