Somehow this article caught my attention. Because it’s a question I need to find answer to…
“Shall I send my daughter to a public school or private school or home school?”
There’s a debate in great length going on at The Washington Post’s On Parenting column. Stacey Garfinkle posed the question to the floor.
It’s an interesting topic indeed. Some replies that I find worth mentioning are:
On Home Schooling
“Home-schooling has its faults. You don’t spend as much time with kids your own age, no prom, and no highly competitive sports (community league just isn’t the same).
But it also has some great benefits! I have a close relationship with my family, I learned how to interact with adults better, and I had more time to pursue the things I was interested in.”
On Public School
“If you have a good public school in your area, nothing beats it. We made our last two housing decisions based solely on the schools. We’ve paid a large mortgage, and now an even larger rent, so our DS could attend certain public schools, and we managed on a lower-middle-class income. We have chosen to do without most of the gewgaws of middle-class life, such as a late-model car, broadband, cable, cell phones, etc.”
On Private School
“Private school all the way. I went to public school (I graduated in 2001), and managed to get by while doing the smallest amount of actual learning possible. I literally slept through about half of my classes, yet I still graduated with a 3.5 GPA. My husband, on the other hand, went to private school. I am working my way through college, and am learning a lot of things, for the first time, that my husband learned in 7th and 8th grade. I really don’t feel like my public school education prepared me for college, especially in history and geography. Therefore, when I have children, I will be sending them to private school, no matter what financial sacrifices I have to make.”
On Montessori
“To explain Montessori (having gone to one), here’s what I say:
Montessori is based on the fundamental principles that children ENJOY learning and do so naturally and that children learn best when they physically interact with what their learning. To that end, Montessori uses materials for all its lessons that facilitate the learning of concepts.
If they want more explanation, I go on: Moreover, because Montessori does not turn learning into something painful (like most schools), children do not require being constantly told to do things in the class. They can and do choose which materials and lessons to work on and they enjoy it.”
A Bit of Everything
“Maybe, you should use Montessori for early education when children learn at different paces and then from 3rd grade on, give them the challenge of public school only if you live in an area with good public schools. Otherwise, move them into a non-Montessori private school.”
Get more confused after reading? A reply from a mother said it best:
“All in all, it matters not what choice one makes, as long as the choice is in the best interests of the child. Different options can be made for each child in the family, even. Caring parents make the difference, whatever the choice.”
