by Eva Clark

Created on: May 26, 2009   Last Updated: May 28, 2009

Does private or public education serve society best?

How can one answer this question without considering all the people in the society? What works for one, may not work for the other one. People who are rich, or well-off, may want to attend a private institution, in keeping with their family traditions. People who are, let us say, not rich, may still want to afford themselves of the perceived opportunities provided by private schools. It remains to be seen where people would go if given the choice. I am so glad for the opportunities public schools gave to me. The real questions that should be asked are, does the school reflect excellence, and, does the institution provide a quality education? By quality, I mean, does it meet and even surpass the needs of its clients?

The Constitution of the United States suggested that there should be a free public school education, available to each of its citizens. This public education system was to be monitored by the states. This way, citizens would be assured of an education that would, amongst other things, allow them the benefit of an educated vote.

Rich people will always have opportunities to receive the best of everything, including education. This is fine, but the rest of us should keep in mind, that all that glitters is not gold.

Most of the public need to keep in mind that public education was meant to give any and every one, the right to a quality education from first grade through high school, for free. We just need to keep a vigilant watch over it. We need to demand that our state governments do their jobs and monitor the public educational systems within their jurisdictions. This is paramount to a continuance of those public institutions that are working diligently to educate their students, and it should serve as a warning to all those public schools that do not measure up, to get it right. They should be made to get their educational curricula together; to hire quality personnel throughout the district, but certainly for the staff that engages with the students on a daily basis. Quality teachers and parents, who are willing to work with and not against the school staffs, are a sure start for successful educational experiences for each child. There are too many children depending on us to keep public education going and operating at its best. Private education is fine, but public education is needed. Everyone benefits.

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