Schools by Viktoriya

Lots of parents all over the world and particularly in Kazakhstan ask themselves this
question. Will public school or private school establish the finest basis of knowledge and experience for my child? When it comes to education, parents want the best for their children. I’ve studied only in public schools and cannot compare them from my own experience. But I’ll try to imagine myself as a mother and make the analysis to decide which school would be better for my child to study at.
I’ll start with considering such questions as will my child receive enough individual attention from teachers, what extracurricular activities are available and does the school align with our values and needs?
In 2018 MES of the RK reported that there are 125 private schools in Kazakhstan with
approximately 26 thousand students, while the amount of public schools reaches 7 024 and more than 3 million children study there. The figure of students in 1 public school is twice as much as in private school. That means that classes in public schools tend to be overcrowded and not all of the students have the ability to talk to their teacher if they have any questions or haven’t understood the theme. That also means that teachers in public schools won’t examine each student’s learning style and abilities and would assess everyone according to the standard. As for me, I want my child to get enough attention and support, so at this point private school eclipses public one. Moreover, it has been proven that one-on-one time with students improves academic performance and achievements.
Extracurricular activities is an important criterion when choosing a school. My child might need after-school care and also other activities like art, drama or sports clubs. I believe it’d positively affect my child and broaden his or her mind. Yet again, because of the number of students at public school they don’t have such activities. Even if they do, they are poorly held due to the lack of staff, time an government’s funding. Private schools, on the contrary, offer a great variety of activities and events, which I want my child to participate in, in order to communicate and socialize with peers.
The last, but not the least — needs and values. They include geographical location, cost, well-trained teachers and some of the items discussed above. As there are few private schools in Almaty, it may be difficult to commute there so public schools’ advantage is that they are accessible and many parents send their kids to a particular school because it is a stone’s throw. The cost of education in private schools is usually high however, it is explained by the quality of education, campus building and school’s staff. Public schools are free which is also great because all of the children have the opportunity to study. Finally, I’m convinced private schools have better-trained teachers with advanced degrees and test them before hiring.
Summing up, I’d choose a private school for my child. Although the price is high, it is worth paying and it’d be a great investment in my child’s future. However, I’m talking for myself and some people might prefer public schools for benefits which were not described here. I assume, private school vs. public school debate will never come to an end, because both sides have their pros and cons. Each family should decide from their abilities and needs