education

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where i live, depending on the suburb(s) ur in and surrounded by, public schools are just as good as private schools, only without the hefty school fees and crazy money for the uniform… and prob without the prentiousness (sp?) attached to it..

So, when it would come down to sending my kid off to school, i wouldnt mind if she went to a decent public school. There are good private schools in my area too, but the schools fees, just for the first year are a whopping $9.5k… and thats excluding uniform.

My, and my hubby’s take on it is that, if we want to send her to a private school, we will have to do that with the second child as well.. we dont want to make one think we didnt want to offer them the best.

But, the 2nd take on it is that we would have to sustain a good living, provide them the best till the end. We would have to make them feel equal to their counterparts… but we know that is a HUGE HUGE HUGE risk for us. If we lose our jobs, cant pay the mortgage, or something crazy… we would have to take the kid or kids out from that school and send them elsewhere. And I really dont know how damaging that would be for their self esteem.

So, the hubby and i look at it this way… make a house. Get things organised. Give them a good life… and Inshallah when we have the money.. maybe in their last 3 years of schooling, we’ll send them private.

I dont want to send them to a private school, when we dont have a house of our own. When we wont be able to afford anything more than their fees. When they cant do their extra-curricula activities and feel left out.

But, i see other parents who are willing to do this. Or that, they have not considered all the factors. Only that their kid is special and needs to go a private school.

I dont know… maybe im being stingy. Myabe I am really not thinking about my childs education. But I believe I am. I am wanting her to get a decent education, but at the same time, still enjoy life at home while we have some money for holidays and things.. and then Inshallah we can do something for them.

What is ur take on this?

note: I am talking about good public schools vs private schools

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Re: education

If you really think the public schools are just as good as private schools then no need to hesitate...... don't look at what other parents do.

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Re: education

^ no im not bothered by what other parents do.

But, i just wanted to know what other parents think

Do u think that you need to be able to give the child everything else if ur sending them to a private school? Im only asking, cus i have seen some parents and kids.. and what it does to them..

In my opinion, if u can afford it, by all means do it. If you're gonna be giving up a lot of things in the process... is it worthwhile?

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Re: education

I honestly don't think private school or having things made me any smarter or better than anyone else.

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Re: education

I think if the public schools really are as good, then it's definitely fine. One thing to check about is class size. That's where private schools usually out-perform even the best public schools. It makes a HUGE difference if your child is in a classroom of 12-15 students, versus a classroom of 25-30. It's not a deal-breaker, tho. It's just something to keep an eye out for.

I'd say, if the public elementary schools are good, send her there. When she hits middle/high school, you can reevaluate the situation and decide what's best for her.

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Re: education

Also try to see if you can get a hold of statistics from each school, which tell you about the average scores of students, etc...what activities are offered etc. If it is a good public school, then I am not sure it is worth the extra money for private school. As a matter of fact you can use the extra money on enriching activities to enhance her creativity or some social or sport activity that she would enjoy. For the most part, at least here in NJ, I have seen some brilliant kids come out of public school. At least they had many more opportunities to participate in activities, advanced placement classes, etc....and went off to great colleges. Just investigate each option for yourself, and do not look at what others are doing.