The importance of education in any society is high. For a society to have the right set of people, education is imperative. There has yet been a discourse of recent as regards the importance of public schools with some people attempting to underscore the same. In America, children get sent to schools the moment they clock 5 and they remain in the system till they graduate. During this period, they evolve from being illiterates to acquiring the much-needed skills and knowledge for a secured future.
Public education helps out in this regard in the most unique way. But, what is the main purpose of public education in the first place?
Why is public education so important?
The main importance of public education is to make sure that every member of society has the right skill set. These skills include basic social interactions, math, writing, ability to interpret directions and directives. There is also the need to make sure that human beings keep the ability to learn irrespective of wealth or social status. The rich have always found education to be quite accessible as they are often able to afford to pay for education for their children. But, for the low and mid-income earners, education has always been a luxury that they find difficult to afford.
Public education is quite important because it is one way through which people get equipped with the right tools to escape poverty. It is also an avenue through which people learn the basic skills they will use to work for the rest of their lives. Public education is thus important because it gives a fair platform for all to learn irrespective of class or financial status.
Why Does Public Education Exist?
Public education exists for several reasons. , it helps to train kids for college and the labor market. This entails preparing them for the kind of jobs that may not even be obtainable yet. It is also designed to help kids discover and maximize their potentials. Furthermore, public education helps children become balanced and well-rounded with a focus on the child as a whole and not the academic aspect. Finally, public education exists to help prepare students to become productive members of society while observing and obeying the existing rules of the land.
Benefits Of Public Education
Without a doubt, there are several challenges the public education sector faces. That, yet, does not take away the immense benefits of the sector. Here is a run-down of some of the unique benefits of public education:
Availability
Public educational facilities provide much-needed educational access for children in a community. It is a rule that public schools cannot reject students based on income level, academic performance or disability. This makes sure that each child in the community gets a fair shot at education regardless of certain factors.
Cost
One of the most notable features of public education that makes it unbeatable is the low cost. Even though there have been recent modifications in expenses for supplies of the sports teams. But with this, public schools are still a better option than private schools. A statistic of the cost of the average private school showed that it cost an average of $19,310 while boarding schools cost about $35,118. Furthermore, private schools get funding via private donations and this would mean that the parents and guardians of kids may have to spend time in fundraisers. Public schools get most of their funding from the government at all levels.
Classroom size
More often than not, the funding allocated to schools is subject to the number of students in such a school. The aim is usually to have smaller sized classes that are more manageable. Usually, the class size is smaller in public schools in the early years. The classes may, but with the student’s age and independent-mindedness.
Diversity
Public schools usually open their doors to all the kids in the community. As a result, people who attend public schools should expect to share classrooms with people of a different race, color, religion, and social class. Also, there is the possibility of working with kids with mental and physical challenges.
Extracurricular activities
Added to the choices available in the classrooms, students in public schools have the privilege of more options in activities as soon as the bell goes off for the day. There is always a long list of activities to get engaged in ranging from theater to music and other extracurricular activities that help bring out the best in each child.
Academics
One unique feature of public schools is that they have the needed resources to give students more opportunities. These opportunities include advanced courses. Also, there are classes in subjects such as arts, technology, and sciences. Children who have a strong desire to be exceptional will often find the platform and opportunities to do so in public schools.
Man-power
By default, teachers in the public education sector need a license and certified by the state. The certification also requires them to be educated at regular intervals. Private schools don’t have such requirements and as such parents may not know the level of education of the teacher of their child or ward. There are even private schools that don’t need their teachers to have a degree before teaching the kids.
Premium Services
The law requires Public schools are to make available certain services to their students. Some of these services like transport to and from school are available to all students. There are other services such as subsidized lunch as well as academic help schemes. Furthermore, public schools have a team of personnel who handle the special needs of the students. Private schools may not offer any such services because they are not mandated to admit such students.
Results
A report by Huffington post indicates that students from public schools usually have better scores in standardized tests when compared with private schools. In some instances, public school students have outperformed their private school counterparts. This does not mean that public schools don’t turn out bad results, but those results are more prevalent in poor areas.
Track records
Public schools are always held responsible for their performances in academics. What this means is that public schools have a higher authority they are answerable to. This, in turn, helps to prevent abuse of office and mismanagement. Private schools on their part do not have such checks and balances.
What Are The Challenges Faced By Public Education
There are quite several challenges facing public schools today. These problems range from inadequate funding to insecurity and discipline. Having a better understanding of these problems should help in no small measure to improve the experience.
Safety concerns
Many teenagers in public schools have a constant fear of a shooting taking place. The numbers in this regard are quite scary and raise a lot of concerns. It is on record that since the Columbine High School shooting of 1999, over 187,000 American students have experienced the risk of gun violence. It is a fact that if students do not feel safe in schools, their academic life will suffer.
Funding
There is a widespread belief that the authorities can do better in funding for public school funding. The ever increasing demand for public school facilities means that we can do more to improve quality while also expanding capacity. This is achievable through adequate funding.
Disciplinary issues
It is more common to find public schools having issues with student indiscipline than their private counterparts. This, thus, makes it imperative to take proactive measures to check the causes of such. It is always ideal to nip such situations in the bud before they escalate. One major failing of public schools in this regard is that they are often quick to cast students off after the first offense. We should give room to the students to change and become better people. The simple reality is that students are better off in classrooms than they will ever be in the streets.
What Does The Future Hold For Public Education?
The importance of public education in our societies is due to the roles it plays in shaping young minds. It is quite difficult to picture a future without the contribution of public schools. It is without a doubt that the challenges faced by the public education sector will increase. Yet, the prospects they have to offer are quite immense, hence the need to further invest in them.
You May Like These Articles As Well:
Bitcoin Education For The Indonesian Population
Autonomy and Amp Access: The Shift Toward Online Higher Education
