Difference between Catholic School and Public School
Catholic schools have traditionally had the edge over public schools, at least as far as standards of education were concerned. On the downside, Catholic schools also tended to be far more expensive than their state funded counterparts. But this isn't necessarily the case today, as many public schools all over the country have raised their educational standards considerably and many Catholic schools have lowered their prices to levels more competitive to those charged by public schools as well. Let's see how the two measure up today.
Role In Education And Beyond
Catholic schools have the advantage–or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it–of providing a theological component to the education of a child. If you are a Catholic, this of course would be a desirable trait. However, parents belonging to other faiths may not be so accepting of the added theological teachings of such schools.
It may also be argued that Catholic schools impose a limited sphere of experience and exposure, since most of the students come from similar backgrounds. With public schools on the other hand, students are exposed to a wider variety of students from different backgrounds. Some claim that this gives public school students a more accurate perception of how social relationships work in the "real world".
Cost Concerns
As most parents of Catholic school students are aware of, such educational institutions entail costs other than the tuition. These costs include uniforms, mandatory fund raiser activity, athletics equipment, and possibly even transportation. These costs are offset somewhat by the higher level of education provided by Catholic schools, although many public schools have since caught up.
Public schools that offer basic education programs charge about $3,900 for every student on average, while Catholic schools on average charge about $3,584. Given these figures, it would appear that Catholic schools are in fact cheaper than public schools, although there are various associated costs to consider as well, some of which were mentioned previously.
Functions And Structure
In Catholic schools, it is the responsibility of the principal to supervise and allocate the budget. It is also the principal’s role to develop the curriculum in conjunction with the teachers and to make decisions with regard to hiring teachers and other key personnel. In public schools on the other hand, principals serve a role that is more akin to that of a coordinator between the head office and the teacher.
Summary
Catholic Schools
- Offers a theological component to education
- Usually comes with additional costs such as uniforms, athletics fees, and transportation
- Generally has fewer students in each class
- May bring about a feeling of seclusion in the student
- Many students of Catholic schools tend to be less extroverted
- Average cost of about $3,600 per student
Public Schools
- No tuition since they are funded by the state
- Generally have more students in each class
- Exposes students to a more "real world" setting, with students from different backgrounds
- Public schools comparable to Catholic schools actually cost slightly more on average
