Our parents are our very first teachers. However, parenting is definitely not the same as teaching, especially when it comes to letting the child learn specific disciplines such as Math, Science, Geography, History, etc. Many parents struggle to do parenting and teaching at the same time. Thus, the need for them to look for the best school where they could have their children earn proper education. However, undergoing formal education is not without financial costs. This is also one of the main reasons why many parents are not able to send their kids to school. But, thanks to the wide expansion of educational opportunities, data from UNICEF showed that the literacy rate in the world has reached 91 percent, which is significantly higher compared to 83 percent in the past twenty years.
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The impact of illiteracy can be far-reaching. It can have negative repercussions not just to our children, but also to society and the country’s economy as a whole. Needless to say, the children need to be sent to school yet the process of looking for one is not an easy thing to do. If you’re torn between homeschooling or sending your child to a private school, you have to know the important differences between these two. This article can help you decide which one is better for your child and your family situation.
Costs
The costs of sending your child to formal education can be a real sticker shock. But, despite the fact that education entails serious financial costs, many people still continue to believe that being able to earn a degree is able to make considerably more compared to individuals who have not earned an education. This is one of the reasons why when considering where to enroll your child, you have to consider the costs.
If you prefer your child to be homeschooled, note that it may cost you an average amount of $600 each year, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. On the other hand, if you opt for a private school, prepare to spend an average of almost $15,000 each year as revealed from the collected data by the Private School Review. However, the costs of studying in private schools would largely vary from each state. For example, a private school in Connecticut would have an annual cost of almost $25,000 but only less than $4,000 on average when you’re in Nebraska.
The good news is that as a parent you can now start saving for your child’s future college education. The earlier you start saving for your child’s college education, the higher your compounding interest will become. This is the type of interest that is also referred to as an “interest on interest”. A compound interest can be your best friend when it comes to saving for your child’s college education. However, this type of interest only works for fixed investments which includes college savings such as a 529 plan. With compounding interest, you are like gaining additional money from the interest earned on your 529 plan. After several years, this compounding interest will help you accumulate a significant amount of money, which will prove to be an enormous help as your child reaches college. In turn, you will find yourself worrying less about the projected costs of a college education, even if inflation rates change by the time your child starts his college studies.
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Control
One great advantage of homeschooling is control. Parents can have complete control over what to teach and how to teach a certain subject. However, all these must also abide by the rules and regulations set by the state where they live. For homeschooling to be successful, the parent who takes on the role of a teacher should be very good at managing activities and keeping records. Parents who prefer their kids to be homeschooled should also possess enough knowledge and ability to be able to teach different subjects. The ability to teach effectively can significantly impact the child’s chances of becoming a successful homeschooler. Parents who earned a bachelor’s degree are more likely to be an asset in their child’s homeschooling. Having a good educational background not only makes parents a good evaluator of their children’s performance, but it will also help them when subjects become too tricky which is expected as the children reach their teenage years.
But, should you opt for your child to be educated in a private school you will no longer have to worry about these things. The private school teachers will be the ones making the evaluation and assessments. They also bear the burden of knowing how to teach each subject and what activities to give their students to ensure it helps children achieve the objectives of each lesson. In private schools, professionals and nonprofessionals work together so that your child’s academic subjects, extracurricular activities and physical education are all carried out well. Private schools also have teachers that have gained years of experience in handling students from different family backgrounds and of teaching different disciplines which are very crucial for your child’s foundational years. Plus, private schools also give your child opportunities for socialization and this is important for his overall development.
Attention
When it comes to personal attention homeschooling indeed can have a greater advantage over private schools. Parents who serve as teachers will have first-hand information about their child’s academic performance and can plan accordingly how to tailor their teaching approach to suit their child’s level. The child’s weaknesses and need for improvement can be improved right away since, the parents do not have other students to deal with.
Homeschooling also allows more opportunities for individualized instruction, but a teacher in a private school has to accommodate several students at the same time. A private school teacher is stretched trying to make sure that all of his students will be able to achieve the lesson objectives and master the course material being taught. Unfortunately, some students are not able to understand everything that was being taught while the teacher may not have enough time to focus on each of their weaknesses. As a consequence, the student’s difficulties will compound as the course material progresses into a more difficult level. Therefore, in private school, if your child has a tendency to become a slow learner, he can be at risk of falling behind since there’s no guarantee for a one on one attention except for a few private schools that have 1:1 teacher-student ratio.
A private school may not always be the best option and so is homeschooling. What is most important is to choose the kind of school that best suits your lifestyle and the education goals you have for your children. Most of all, keep in mind that nobody knows what the future may bring. So, start saving for your child’s education today to better secure his or her future.
