Tuesday 18 February 2014

Despite The Problems With Public Education, It Is Necessary

By Krystal Branch


Parents, professional educators, and members of the media are constantly debating the issue of school choice, and questioning the quality of public schools. You sometimes hear the arguments that private schools and charter schools are superior, or that home schooling is the ideal way to educate children. Many people are confused about the nature of charter schools, which are run independently (sometimes by for-profit corporations, though not always) but receive public funding. Despite the problems with public education, there are several reasons why it needs to be available, and why its quality is important to maintain.

You will find many differing opinions on this issue. Teachers often change their minds throughout their careers. For instance, they may initially be vehemently opposed to charter schools, but then they may see the benefits of certain charter schools when they work for one and see things firsthand.

There are definitely a lot of complications and gray ares regarding this issue. School quality varies according to the individual school, regardless of whether it is public, charter, or private.

However, there are a few extremely important reasons that state-run schools need to be available and that their quality needs to be a priority. These issues have to do with accessibility and availability. All children need to be provided with good, viable options for schooling, and state-run schools have historically made this possible.

1. The necessity of free schools. Private schools are often able to offer extra benefits such as small class sizes and access to the latest technology. However, one of the reasons they are able to do so is that they are funded by tuition and private donations. Many parents are unable to pay tuition for their children, and lack the connections to get them into private schools. Of course, charter schools present a free alternative, but many neighborhoods are not located conveniently in relation to a charter school.

2. Location. Even if a child can get into a free charter school, or get a scholarship to a private school, this does not guarantee that the family can provide transportation. Once of the historical benefits of state-run schools has been the effort to place them in all neighborhoods, so each child has access to a school within walking distance or a short bus ride.

3. Socialization. Obviously, this takes place at private schools, too. However, children who attend private schools are often socialized into a privileged bubble, or according to a particular religion. They still provide a sense of community, but it is different. Ideally, state-run schools are places where students can encounter kids from different religious and ethnic backgrounds, and see themselves as part of a diverse community.

The issue of school choice is a complicated one. Parents should take many different factors into consideration when deciding on the best educational environment for their individual children. However, as a society, we have a responsibility to make a quality school experience available to every child, Despite the problems with public education, it was designed to serve that purpose. It needs to be valued and maintained.




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