Essay On Private Vs. Public Schools

During these harsh economic times, it is better to learn in a public school rather than a private school. This is due to a number of reasons which are related to the characteristics of both the public and private institutions. These are as indicated below.
First of all, it is important to note that the public schools are cheaper since they are subsidized by the government. As such, the education in these institutions is very affordable even to people who do not have much. On the other hand, the private schools are set up as individual businesses whose main aim is to make profits. As such, the costs are exaggerated since the owners have to make sure that they realize their financial goals. This makes education, a basic in modern life, to be so expensive that some cannot afford it.
Another factor to consider is that the modern society is largely capitalist. As such, individuals are expected to be more independent, competitive and vigorous in every aspect of life so as to make it through. The philosophy of survival for the fittest seems to apply in the modern times. Looking at this perspective, it can be said that the public institutions are better off at preparing the learners to face the competition in the world. This is mainly because the students are trained to do a lot by themselves. They are exposed to the challenges of the world and face real life scenarios. They also get to interact with quite a broad array of people. Most of all, the fact that students in public institutions have to do much of the work by themselves makes them independent and competitive. Unlike the public institutions, private institutions tend to adopt a closed-system. The students tend to be over-protected and everything is done for them. In literal terms, it can be said that they are spoon-fed. Ultimately, the students tend to be limited in their abilities to cope by themselves. They tend to have a dependency characteristic where they have to be always guided or instructed. This ill-prepares them to face the reality in the outside world and they find it quite hard when they have to compete with students from the public institutions.
Lastly, the private and public institutions tend to differ in terms of the objectivity in learning. The pubic institutions tend to focus more on giving knowledge to the students. It is not so much about performing well in the exams or being at the top. Rather, it is about making sure that the students grasp and understand what is taught and can actually produce the same in a practical setting. However, the private institutions have to build a name for themselves. This can only be realized through performing well in exams and other assessments, as this is the only way through which the private school can market itself. As such, the objective is moved from delivery of quality education to achievement of results, which leads to drilling of students for performance rather than actually educating them.
In conclusion, it can be seen from the above argument that it is better to learn in a public institution than a private institution. This is mainly because the former is cheaper, more educational oriented and helps an individual to be independent and competitive. These are characteristics that are a must for survival in the competitive world we live in today.