Originally published August 6 2005
Public schools outshining private schools?
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A new study has shown that children excel more in public school then in private school.
Q: Our daughter is about to start kindergarten and the public schools in our area have a reputation for being so-so.
Because of this, my husband and many other parents say a private school is the only way to go.
A: In many areas of the country, there's a lot of middle-class anxiety and guilt these days about sending children to public schools.
Much of this can be attributed to one thing --- what parents hear "over the back fence" about public schools.
To wit, many of us believe, hands-down, that private schools are better than public schools.
However, a recent study by the husband-and-wife team of Sarah Thuele Lubienski and Christopher Lubienski, researchers at the University of Illinois-Champaign, found that when they controlled for a family's socioeconomic background, public-school kids slightly outperformed private-school kids.
Using data from the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress, the researchers looked specifically at the scores on a federal math exam for 28,000 fourth- and eighth-graders.
The reason for this, explains Christopher Lubienski, is because math is the one area that's least likely to be influenced by other activities that supplement education (i.e. reading to your child at home).
But it is reassuring to know that overall public-school education should not necessarily be seen as second-rate compared to private schools.
When it comes to deciding where to place your child, however, the only way to do it properly is to "test-drive" a school (and perhaps even specific teachers, if that's possible) much like you would a new car, says Pelman.
Make your best guess as to where your daughter will do well and then also know that you can make changes if you must.
For instance, if your public school seems fine after you pay a visit, enroll your daughter there.
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