by Sandra Dapper

Created on: June 10, 2007

I have attended a private school for ten years, so naturally, I am a huge supporter of private schooling. There are definite pros and cons to both public and private schools, and different children require different social and educational atmospheres, but most private schools aim to conform to a child's specific needs. There are, however, many misconceptions about private schools. Many people are led to believe that private schools are filled with only one type of student: rich, snobbish, smart, and sheltered. Parents think that these kids will not be able to survive in the "real world," where they are forced to deal with different types of people. In my experience this is entirely untrue, but I have only dealt with one method of private schooling. Here I will only speak for the Montessori private school method; I have no experience with other private schools, which are often affiliated with a religion.

My education has all been done through the Montessori method. Montessori emphasizes the need for students to be able to learn at their own pace, without being pressured to go faster or becoming bored with material they already know. Students of all ages and backgrounds interact because class sizes are considerably smaller. Montessori schools usually attract two kinds of students, and that is the student who is striving for a challenge and the student who is falling behind in public school. Because each student's curriculum varies, there is no line of separation between the two as one might think . My school only held about one hundred and fifty students, ranging from newborns to high school seniors, so it was impossible to form a clique or exclude one type of student. There is never a shortage of teachers, so all students receive plenty of one-on-one time. There is no homework; all school work is done during school hours, with teacher interaction. The entire focus of students and teachers is on education and tolerance, so the bullying factor is completely eliminated. My school in particular had a family atmosphere where class discussions were commonplace. On the whole, students at my school were more mature and less interested in the social "drama" that takes place at public schools. My teachers focused on getting every child the best education possible. Their undying support has meant that next year, at age fifteen, I will be a full time college student. I am extremely grateful to have received such a positive experience to be associated with learning.

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