Catechize anyone about private schools and they are clear-cut to comment on how collectible they are. Why must the tuition be so high? Are private school providers just trying to make money out of students ' needs? What makes up the costs?
Since private schools are frontage of the public system, they pocket no government funding at all. Some private schools may procure funding from controlling organizations congenerous a sanctum or they may be sprint as charities and be eligible for some grants but the majority of funding for private schools comes from the families whose children loom. Sharp are no other sources. Some school have been under consideration with corporate funding but able is always the problem of the values and messages being taught through a curriculum influenced by one specific market speed. Can children receive a comprehensive critical education in an institution funded by one corporation? This is still not clear.
However, besides these issues, the truth is that the majority of the funding must come from the consumer. Education costs are almost all centred around staffing. Good qualified teachers are essential to the good quality of any program. Stability and dependability are also crucial, both in staff members and in the overall program. In order to attract and keep good teachers private schools must offer decent salaries. This seems obvious. The details are a little less clear. If someone were to do the straight forward math and calculate the tuition based on 15 students per class, a rather typical size for a private school class, they might come up with a certain number. However this does not take into account that even if there are only three children in a specific class, the school must still pay for a full time teacher. This becomes particularly apparent at the high school level where teachers must each be specialists in their own field. A grade 12 English teacher cannot be expected to teach Grade 12 Physics. If a school wishes to offer any type of comprehensive curriculum then they must have, and keep, a wide selection of good quality teachers.
There is also the question of resources. Parents want and expect good science labs, computer labs, music equipment, physical education space and equipment. This is all expensive. In fact, if the public schools were to limit class sizes to 15 students, it would probably cost more to send a child to public school than to a private school. Public school teachers and administrators traditionally have higher salaries than their counterparts in the private system. A good education is costly but the value lasts a life time.
Yes, private schools are expensive. They must be in order to deliver a quality product and give parents the stability to know that the institution will be there throughout their child ' s educational journey. Families must make their own decision based on the same factors that influence any major financial decision. What are the returns on investment? What is the service worth to us as a family and what are we willing to give up in order to make this happen? What are the consequences of not pursuing this avenue? What is best for our child? These are personal, individual decisions but do not think that private schools are there to make money. They are usually scrambling, just like you, to make the most of limited resources.
