How to choose?
Our son is off to an elite and expensive private school this fall here in Shanghai. Is that a good thing? How do you choose between public and private?
Our situation is a bit unusual as we are an international family overseas and all our public school options are Chinese, which is problematic on two fronts: first, we’re not fans of the Chinese education system in general, and second, the local system doesn’t really prepare kids to either return to the US nor to succeed on the global stage.
Thus the majority of international parents here choose private schools, though we have a very wide array of options, from local semi-public hybrids to large flagship American, German, and other schools. Some parents do elect for the full local option, considering the language, culture, and immersion benefits as most valuable to them.
But if you live in the U.S. or other countries, how do you choose? Of course, private schooling is very expensive, up to $50,000/year here in Shanghai, so few families can really afford that, though there are $10–20,000 options, too.
But assuming you can afford it, should you do it? Certainly in many cities such as San Francisco with poor public schools, private is the default and nearly mandatory choice for people of means.
But the reverse is true in Silicon Valley, where nearly all schools are spectacular (hence the high housing prices) and private schools more typically cater to religious, single-gender, or special focal areas.
Then there are the diversity and public policy arguments. Clearly public schools are more (mostly) diverse in a variety of ways, which is clearly good for everyone. And there are strong reasons for all kids to be schooled together, including diversity, but also to ensure there are sufficient resources, support, and involvement from a wide range of parents, including & especially those of means who could drive excellence for all students.
For us, it’s private in China, and almost certainly public once we return to Silicon Valley. But it’s an interesting topic, one not talked about enough, especially when all the privilege & economic or elitist elements are mixed in.