We still found the time when it was shameful even to think about paid education. Pay for training? What do you! It's letting TAM over the ocean buy knowledge for currency, and our state is able to give its children a decent education at their own expense! .. Now everything is different. Like mushrooms after the rain, there are all new private gardens, schools, colleges, lyceums. And, despite the high cost of services, they are not deprived by customers. How can this be explained? And why do wealthy parents give their children to private schools - only for the sake of prestige? Discuss?
In fact, paid education came to us not so long ago - 15 years ago. The first private schools had a hard time. Few people dared to entrust their child to "specialists for a coin." There was more distrust of such educational institutions than anything else. Now, more and more parents are choosing for their children is a private form of education.
TYPES OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Actually, private schools are classified just like public ones. What are they different from each other, besides the name?
1. Lyceum.
Such schools always have a certain specialization, for example, socio-economic, physical and mathematical, etc. True, the division into specializations does not begin with an elementary school, but a class from the seventh. By this time, students usually already know where they would like to try. Some lyceums do not teach "first-graders" at all. Parents give their children there right away from the fifth grade. And some institutions announce a set even right away from the eighth - but there are very few such lyceums.
2. Gymnasium.
Usually the emphasis is on humanitarian disciplines. The program includes such subjects, linguistics, history of grammar, rhetoric, several foreign languages, etc. Admission to similar schools is usually preceded by an exam - although in paid gymnasiums this already becomes unnecessary. Why? The answer seems to be obvious.
3. Schools without studying subjects in-depth
These are schools corresponding to the state standard of education. That is, your child will receive only the items needed by the program and no more. However, there are very few such private schools. After all, there is absolutely nothing to attract a client - for such education hardly anyone will want to pay money.
4. Schools with the study of certain subjects in-depth
These are schools with specialized subjects. And the program has its own - also in-depth. Here standards of specialized educational institutions, instead of simple schools operate.
5. Confessional schools
This is the type of religious schools in which the child is provided with an educational minimum. In recent years, schools of this type are becoming more and more.
Parents themselves have the right to decide which school to give their child to. But it will not be superfluous to determine in advance the requirements for the school. What is it that receives more attention? What are the conditions of training, how high is the qualification of employees? What is the regime of the day (is it a boarding house, half board or a regular school)? What the cost of studying?
Coming to school, it would be better not only to meet with the director, but also to communicate with teachers. It would also be useful to talk with the children who are studying there and, if possible, with their parents. But most importantly - be guided by the opinion of the child. In the end, learn it, not you. Careful analysis of all the pros and cons of learning for money will help you make the right choice.
ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS
1. A student is a client
In non-state schools, students are particularly valued, as they understand perfectly well: the client should be satisfied. Here the children and their parents are taken into account. No one wants to lose customers, because the attitude towards children in private schools is special. Usually teachers are more conscientious, diligent, attentive to the problems of each, more tolerant and interested in giving from the child. Of course, and without extremes, it does not do. In some schools, evaluations are artificially overstated, in order to please the parents of individual offspring. Such situations are usually provoked by parents themselves - often very rich people. They pre-set the teacher in the position "I'm crying to you - try not to teach", and then rejoice in the "lime" dozens in the diaries of their children. But this can not be considered a system. This happens infrequently. Modern parents are interested in getting the child high-level knowledge. Now there are very few people who do not understand that without this in our time - just nowhere.
2. Individual approach
Compare simply: in public schools classes of 30 people, in private schools - ten. It is physically easier for the teacher to give everyone maximum attention, without trying to level everyone by one measure. And most importantly. That in a private school your child's characteristics will be taken into account. For example, your child is slow, or, conversely, extremely active. In the state school, he certainly will have many problems: some do not have time to cope with the task, others, hurrying, make a lot of mistakes. Here no one delves into the crux of the problem - reproaches and accusations will fall on your child with hail. About psychological characteristics, too, no one will really think about it - there are so many of them in the class of such "special" ones. Can not you handle it? Your problems. In a private school with this kind of kids, a psychologist will certainly work, and even teachers themselves have more opportunity to pay attention to each student, given their nature, natural data, desire to learn and other factors.
There are children who are taught at a private school just the same. For example, these are children who are naturally weak in health. They initially require a special approach to themselves. It is unlikely that the public school can provide it. Only in case of a certain "blat" you can go to a meeting and treat the child more carefully and competently. It will also be difficult in a public school and a gifted child. The reason is the same - the lack of consideration for the characteristics of the individual, the individual approach. A private school can help not to "bury", but to develop your child's abilities.
3. Almost homely atmosphere
In private schools, as a rule, equipment is at a high level. There purity, comfort, which is very important for the development of aesthetic perception of the child. It's nice to sit at a clean desk in a well-trained classroom, dine in a cozy cafe with neat little tables, and just use clean toilets with separate booths.
4. Interesting leisure time
Private schools almost always have connections with similar institutions abroad. So your child can easily and simply go on vacation to England, where at the same time and there will be a language school. Or go to Malta, Sweden or Denmark. And during the year the schools organize excursions both in our country and abroad.
PRICE OF THE QUESTION
The main disadvantage of private schools is that education is not cheap. The fee in Moscow ranges from 500 to 700 cu. per month. The board, of course, is more expensive - more than 1000 USD. The price difference is dictated by the package of additional services provided by a separate school.
The main question of many parents: where such a frantic price? And why do wealthy parents give their children to private schools by force, and everything else is very problematic? The answer is obvious: renting a room takes a third (and sometimes more) of the parental money, the rest goes to pay for utilities, taxes and salaries to employees. And do not forget that the purchase of equipment and materials, repairs, too, do not happen by themselves. If in public schools all this covers the budget, then in private all have to buy. If we calculate how much costs the maintenance of a private school involves - the question of a high tuition fee will no longer arise.
There are a few more cons. Every 5 years, private schools are subject to re-licensing. That is, the school can be closed suddenly if the license is not renewed. Your child may be out of work, and you will have to hurry to find a new place to study. Although with those schools that have proven themselves in the market, such incidents do not happen.
In some institutions such as "school-garden" there is a large staff turnover due to low salaries. Specialists there are good, and wages are lower than in schools. There subsequently "teachers" and teachers "run away".
When registering documents in a private school, carefully read the contract! Some moments you may be unpleasantly surprised. So, compulsory payment of vacation time, as educational, or exorbitant contributions to protection, or a huge entrance fee, etc. can be indicated. As a result, monthly payment can be much higher than the one that was indicated initially.
IF NO POSSIBILITY
If you for obvious reasons can not afford to give the child to a private school, and you want to give him a good education, there is another way out.
You can hire a tutor for the subjects that the child will need when entering. Even in the XVII century, it was the norm for noblemen to invite teachers of literature, music, history, etc. to their homes. Of course, tutors are different. And do not be too lazy to look, as this will depend a lot on the future. The best criterion for selection is the recommendation of friends and acquaintances.
You can find out if there are lyceum classes in your school. They are also called classes with in-depth study of subjects, profile classes, etc. They usually build a separate program. For the quality of education in such classes, you do not have to worry - it is monitored by higher-level organizations. Teachers in such classes are interested in getting their students a high level of knowledge.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
What kind of education is better: private or public? This question is unlikely to anyone you will definitely answer. After all, both there and there have their pros and cons. You just have to compare them and make your choice. It may be that an ordinary school near the house is in no way inferior to a private gymnasium in the center of the city. And they work wonderful, dedicated teachers, who are able to devote themselves entirely to the cause. And they will be able to give your child no less (and often more) than private specialists.
But also to non-state schools should not be wary. It's not something completely new, it's just a well-forgotten old. After all, under Peter I, private schools for boys and girls began to open.
But our generation has a choice. And this is good. After all, it's better to think for a while where to give your child for training than simply to take him to the first school that has come to the place of residence.