美国公立学校和私立学校对比

The comparison between

public schools and private schools in the United States Summary:

和许多国家一样，美国学校按照其支持和附属的对象分位公立学校和私立学校。公立学校主要由州和政府办学，私立学校则由宗教组织和个人开设。在中国，公立学校的名声很高、教学很好，但在美国，也许很多家长们都想把自己的孩子送往私立学校，既是私立学校的学校收费较高，而公立学校免费。总的说来，美国的公立学校和私立学校有一些区别，却相互依存。

As we know, Harvard is the best known university around the world, which is situated in the urban area of Boston, Massachusets in the United States. But ,do you know that Harvard University was a product of Puritans? In other words, Harvard University is a private school. On the contrary, there are public schools in the United States. What is the difference between these two kinds of schools? This is a question that foreigners concern, besides Americans themselves.

In the United States, some schools are public while the others are private. The names public and private refer to the manner in which the schools are supported and controlled. Public schools are tax-supported and controlled by local officials. Private schools general charge tuition and are not under direct public control, although many states set educational standards for private school. In a word, public schools cannot

charge tuition. They are funded through federal, state and local taxes. When you pay your taxes, you are paying for your child's education and the education of other children in your community. But private schools cost money. Private schools do not receive tax revenues, instead, they are funded through tuition, donations and private grants. Sometimes the median tuition for private schools in the United States is close to $17,441 for grades 9 to 12. This is the big and main difference between public schools and private schools.

One is free while the other is expensive, which one will you choose? Many people may choose the free one, but in the USA, if the conditions permitting, part of the parents are inclined to send their children to private schools. In their opinions, public schools are complicated which must follow all federal, state and local laws in educating children. Such laws usually include specifics about funding, program development and curriculum. So in many public schools, they offer a general program, designed for all children, which usually includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history and physical education. And in addition to these key subjects, they may also offer programs in music and art. Focusing on the examinations, we can know that public school students' learning is measured through state standardized tests. This phenomenon can not exist in private schools. Since private schools are funded independently, they are not subject to the limitations of state education budgets and have more

freedom in designing curriculum and instruction. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on outdoor trips to relax themselves and put the knowledge into practice. Maybe there is a celebration of Grandparent's Day while public schools never think about it. If the school is associated with a religious group or people himself, the local branch may provide an important source of funding as well.

But not every child in the United States can have the chance to study in the private school. Not as public schools admit all children, private schools are selective. By law, public schools must educate all children, including students with special needs. To enroll in a public school you simply register your child by filling out the necessary paperwork. But in the private schools, they are not obligated to accept every child, and in many private schools admission is very competitive. The student is determined through a selection process and all students must apply and be accepted in order to attend. Although students may be from different neighborhoods, they will probably have similar goals and interests.

Looking back to the paragraph above, we mentioned that students with special needs. The USA can't ignore the students who want to study something different. This can be realized in the public schools. Due to special education laws, public schools must educate all the students and provide the necessary programs to meet their special needs. It means that

most public schools should have special teachers who are trained to work with students who have particular needs. But in many private schools, they don't have to have special education programs or teachers trained to please with the special needs. This doesn't mean that private schools are not responsible for the special students. Instead, they try to help all the students they admit, but extra resources may also come at an additional cost.

At last, another idea which must be pointed out is that both public schools and private schools are providing small classes and individual attention to students, which is different from Chinese schools. But in some public schools, class size tends to get bigger as students become older so that individual attention become less. That is why many American parents choose private schools for their children.

Since the first universities were developed by private charitable organizations. In the United States, the private schools are very important, and most of the best-known institutions, like Harvard, Yale and Princeton are private. And for the most part Americans think that there is some advantage in attending one of the better known private institutions,in spite of the higher cost. However, the state universities are becoming increasingly important, and they can ensure all the children be admitted to the education. There is no clear answer to the question which kind of school is better. Because to the Americans, both are necessary.