By: James Daniels

Many people would like to send their children to private schools. However, not everyone has the money to do so. With expenses such as taxes, groceries, housing, and transportation, there is often little room left to send little Johnny or Jane to a private school. The following is an analysis of the quality of education in each and the cost of each.

First, let’s take a look at the educational quality of each. These results have been taken from a study done in 2003 by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Over 6,900 public schools and 530 private schools participated in fourth grade assessments and over 5,500 public schools and 550 private schools participated in eighth grade assessments. The study tested scores for both reading and mathematics and compared the two. The results of the mean scores were as follows:
Fourth grade reading: Private schools averaged 14.7 points higher than public schools.
Fourth grade mathematics: Private schools averaged 7.8 points higher than public schools.
Eighth grade reading: Private schools averaged 18.1 points higher than public schools.
Eighth grade mathematics: Private schools averaged 12.3 points higher than public schools.

Now, let’s take a look at the costs of each. In most jurisdictions, public schools are not permitted to charge any out of pocket costs. Some charge a small tuition at the high school level. In general, at both levels, funding comes mostly from local property taxes, with supplemental funding coming from the state and federal government level. Private schools, on the other hand, are funded completely from private sources (mostly from tuition) and do not take any government funding. The average cost per pupil in public schools is $10,041, while the average cost per pupil in private schools is $8,549.

So, the results show that the average public school costs more and offers a lower quality of education than the average private school. However, one still has to pay, through taxation, for the education of children in his or her area and, to a lesser extent, throughout his or her state and the rest of the United States. How would you like the education of your current or future children to be handled? Would you rather put your child’s future in the hands of government officials who spend your tax money – or would you rather have a greater role in determining how your money is spent and how your child is educated?