There is often a shift when your child begins looking from elementary to middle school. While kids often get a fairly similar education throughout preschool and elementary school, middle school is when children often begin developing more specific academic interests, and thinking somewhat seriously about what they want to be when they “grow up”. For that matter, middle school is meant to be a transition period, and can be a time that determines whether or not your child gets into gifted programs in high school. Gifted programs or IB schools can determine where your child goes to college, and thus affects their entire future. What we’re saying is — there is more to choosing a middle school for your child than what may initially meet the eye. Many parents consider private schools for their middle school-age children that feed into private high schools. There are many benefits to private school, and the sooner you start looking at private schools for your child, the better. For that matter, if your child didn’t get to experience private school in preschool or elementary school, it would be best if they got started in middle school. That way, going to a private high school will be less of a transition for them. Below, we’ll look into the benefits of sending your child to private school, as well as what private school is really like.
Are All Private Schools Religious?
There is a common misconception that all private schools are affiliated with certain religions — and for that matter, that all private school students must practice the religions of their private schools. It’s true that many private schools are religious on some level. However, these schools are first and foremost academic in nature, and studies take precedence over religion. In fact, parents of 80% of students enrolled in religious private schools in 2011-2012 and 82% of parents of children enrolled in non-religious private schools reported being “very satisfied” with their children’s schools. Religious private schools often don’t require that students practice specific religions. Lots of parents choose religious private schools even if they themselves aren’t religious, simply because they believe in the academic missions of those schools. At the end of the day, private schools, whether religious or not, tend to offer better academic opportunities to students than public schools. While you can likely easily find a private school for your child that isn’t religious, you may not want to brush off those that are so quickly. Alternatively, if you are religious, your child may find a great support base from a religious private school, while still getting an excellent education.
Are There Really Academic Benefits To Private Schools?
Understandably, some parents are skeptical about the academic benefits of private schools. You might think that all schools are fairly equal when it comes to academics — however, this is not the case. Private schools put more emphasis on higher education; this may be why 88% of private high school students apply to college, compared to just 56% of public high school students. Private school students to have better scores, and this can help feed them into certain gifted programs and even internship opportunities that will look great on college applications. Some private schools also have stricter hiring standards for teachers, which means that students at private schools may be getting a better education from the start. Private schools are typically a good bit smaller than public schools — 86% of private schools have less than 300 students. This lets teachers pay more attention to individual students, helping them along the way.
What Is The Social Experience At A Private School?
Private school is different from public school in that it puts kids who are more likely to be on similar tracks together. Therefore, your child may be more likely to make friends they’ll have for life. Private schools also tend to be safer, with less of an association with drug culture, as well as less risk of violence. The social opportunities for private school students are simpler brighter.
