by El Sombreron

Created on: August 25, 2008

Private schools are stereotypically portrayed as centers of snobbery and the rich. Many do in fact portray a sense of superiority towards their "inferiors", the public system. Why should I put my child in a private school? How can I prepare them for what's to come? Am I making the right decision and how do I guide them if the path gets hard and bumpy?

Parents enlist their children in private schools for one simple reason: they provide education that not many can afford, therefore they assume it has to be exemplary in all aspects, academic or not.

Private schools are better in many aspects because the professors are better qualified; they have lived through experiences that can emotionally bind the student with their teachings.
Now that my son/daughter is enlisted, what do I have to do in order to ensure their happiness? There are many transitions a student goes through; some have their advantages and their disadvantages. If my child is making the transition from a public to a private school it is, first of all, lucrative. How fast my child adapts to this new way of life (say, uniforms, snobby kids, wealthy companions, stricter teachers, etc.) is for the most part dependent on how I have decided to raise my child.

Materialism is not the most important aspect of life, and many of us can agree on that. But if there is something that emphasizes every kid's desires, it is the fulfillment of every material wish. The way we manage to establish the line between material needs and desires must be well defined in order to see our son/daughter grow into the humble and successful human being we wish to see.

Dealing with materialism is hard in private schools because many students in these institutions have grown to take these goods for granted. A strong sense of personal will is required to lead my child through times like these. In most cases though we see our kids turn out just fine.

Preparing a child for private education varies with each individual (parent, guardian, etc.). School is always a hard time, but parents must learn to deal with these problems and trust what they believe in to be the right thing; being strict and kind goes hand in hand. Let your child enjoy these years but don't forget to be with them when they really need it. Private schools can offer lots of opportunities for which you will be grateful later in life, but remember to always be there to guide your son or daughter through the right path.

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