Private Schools

[Amethyst Rose]

Is it normal to be planning your unborn child's future place and method of education?

My husband and I agreed, before we ever planned on having children, that we wanted our children to go to a private school. We're both disillusioned with the public school system (doesn't teach well enough, and it's becoming too dangerous, and there' s not enough control over what and how your children learn). I also don't believe in home-schooling, because I believe that isn't healthy for a child's social development.
Anyway.... I think I found a school that I would like my child to go to in 6 years.... It has great academic achievement scores, great curriculum (even teaches latin :) ), and a shorter school day to leave room for extracuricular activities so a child doesn't get too tired to learn (ie. figity and bored). It also has about 11 students to every teacher, and small class sizes, and has recommended summer reading lists for various grades (with books that I didn't read until university, starting in grade 6). Oh, and it's not too expensive... about $4700 CAD per year (for one child).
I'm just really excited about this, and my child isn't even born yet. Is that silly? hehe
Does anyone else have or planning to have, or had in the past, their child in a private school? What do/did you think?

[licorice whip]

i dont think its silly at all! school is a very important part of a child's life, so it definately makes sense that youre planning ahead!

i am sixteen years old and attended a private high school. for middle and elementary school i only went to public schools. my private school has been utter crapola until this year (junior year). the curriculum has been awful, the teachers just plain average, and it was way too easy for me to do absolutely no homework or studying and manage to get a B or a B+. and we pay $25,000 a YEAR for this school! its crazy!

so, before you get set on the idea that all private schools are better than public schools, i would ask people who have attended the school, or ask people who's children go to the school about what they think. i would also look into the public schools. the local public school is really good around here, and my public middle school was great as well.

its better to be safe than waste your money on a school that doesnt live up to its image.

[Chibi-Fallon]

Yeah, the only thing the private schools around here are known for is being stuck up jackholes (well when you get to play the public school kids because mommy and daddy are city council members...) or that the girls are really easy.
There was a front page article today about how class sizes at these private schools are reaching *gasp* 40. Last year when they ran a small story (in the 3rd page of the metro section) about our school having 50 kids in some classes, no one did anything. But hey, it was fun sitting on carpet squares, filing cabinets, and lab tables... it was like kindergarten all over again. :fprtyman2 Okay, I’m done ranting... anyway...
Remember that your kid will meet mainly WASPs (rich ones too) at a private school. They probably won’t meet many kids from the lower-middle class and lower. Even if the school has vouchers and whatnot, the majority of the kids will be rich and white.
A small school isn't always the best, I'd shoot myself if I only had 45 kids in a grade, but I have a good friend who goes to a school like that and loves it. She has a tendency to become a face in the crowd if no one pays attention to her. I... have pink hair... If I went to a school like that I would stand out too much and then I wouldn’t get asked to prom and it’d be sad (or something like that).
Also if you send your kid to a small school conforming is more of an issue, at a bigger school generally no matter who you are, there are people like you (doesn’t mean they’re popular or anything but hell peoples is peoples), at a small school you have a smaller group of people to choose from as for who you want to hang out with.
It really depends on the kid, and what they’re into (and as the kid isn’t born yet you really don’t know at this point). My parents sent me to a semi-private (it was an exclusive public school, had to take a test to get in a whatnot) for 1st and 2nd grade and I *hated* it (although I apparently was pretty popular because I still have people who weren’t even in my class come up and say they remember me). But once they switched me out into a bigger school I was happy as a clam.
Just look at all your options. If your kid likes music and art send them to a creative arts magnet, if they like math and science send ‘em to one of those.
You obviously care a ton, but don’t cut out public school as being “bad” look into all your options so when you do have to send ‘em off, you know that they’re happy with the school and you are too. And remember where you went to school and when you went to school isn’t here and now. Just because you had a bad time doesn't mean that all schools are like that or that nothing has changed.

[Valnorran]

It's not silly at all, especially considering how long a waiting list some of those private schools can have.