Our education system is divided and fundamentally broken as it is built to cater to those with privilege. The average cost of a private elementary school in Connecticut is $23,349 per year while a private high school has an average of $41,936 per year. These costs make private schools exclusive, deeming them as a “better” education than public institutions.
As someone who has attended private schools throughout life, it always made me consider why our system is so broken and unfairly benefits those who can afford private education. It isn’t fair that some students get to receive a “better” education than others.
Many public elementary, middle and high schools don’t have all the resources that private schools do have due to the immense amount of funding and high tuition bills. Funding, in my opinion, is the main reason why our education system is broken and unjust. In Connecticut public schools, nearly $12.4 billion is spent on K-12 public education in Connecticut each year.
The money that pays for this spending comes from three primary sources: local, state and federal tax dollars. This all gets divided up between all the public schools in the state which amounts to 935 schools in 169 school districts. Connecticut’s public houses around 486,990 students that are taught by 39,049 teachers.
Fairfield Country Day School’s tuition for students is $47,200 per year. This all-boys school contains only 197 students. The high tuition rate and the extremely small class sizes create more recourse for students, which promotes exclusivity in the education system. The resources private schools have compared to the public are prominent.
Private schools have a better teacher-to-student ratio. Private schools don’t tend to struggle with teacher shortages, whereas public schools fight to find teachers to lead large classes. Smaller classes in private schools amount to more support for students.
Due to private funding, private schools don’t lean towards following curriculum implementation by their state, that public schools do.This has children at the same age learning different curriculums.
Although that might not seem like a huge deal, but shouldn’t all students start off their education with a somewhat similar foundation of education? With private funding, it gives private schools extra resources and room to give students a different type of education.
Private schools have an immense amount of extracurricular activities for their students. Fairfield Country Day School has immersive art and athletic programs that interest all students. In many Connecticut public schools, students do not get to choose from a long list of after-school activities that can help promote a healthy lifestyle, creativity and relationships with peers.
Students who attend private elementary, middle, and high school are more likely to attend a private college or university.
Students in private schools going through the college process tend to have a college counselor who holds their hand through the journey of applying to schools. It is easier for private school students to do well on SATs and or ACTs due to the extra private tutoring they can receive.
This frustrates me because education is universal, and is something that every person deserves to receive. Affordability of education in the United States continues to be a significant problem that needs to be addressed and it starts as early as pre school. Education should never be considered a privilege, it is a basic right.
Although private education is a beautiful thing, it creates an elitist mentality for many within schools, without even knowing. Our education system is teaching children at a young age that division is our reality. Elementary school should be a place where children learn how to create unity.
I feel that our education system needs less division and more inclusion. It should not just be benefiting one socio economic class. It needs to benefit all, since education is meant to help our society grow. Private and public education creates a socioeconomic divide at an early age, feeding into class divides in a negative way.
Public schools and private schools need to receive the same funding so they create resources that benefit all. It is only fair that we all receive the same education starting at elementary school. Equal education opportunities are imperative to our growth as adults.The creation of private education has hindered the core of education which in turn has divided us in ways we cannot even see.
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