Funded by the government, public schools have a multitude of benefits and downsides as to whether it is the right academic choice for an individual. Attending a public school, in my opinion, is a wild experience. From the bustling, bright classrooms to the rowdy student and teacher body, this article will uncover the challenges and strengths that all play a part in the public school experience.
Diversity, Student Population, and Resources
Public schools often have more inclusion and diversity within their student body, representing a wide range of cultures and religions. Additionally, they welcome students with different abilities and limitations, such as the IEP program in nationwide public schools. The IEP program is a free plan that provides support services for students with learning disabilities. So, tnteracting with students who have a different perspective will help individuals become more empathetic with a sense of unity. This can be shown that the academic and social environment in a public and private school is totally different. Another advantage of public schools is that it is free to everyone, which provides equal educational opportunities for the students and parents who might not be able to pay the tuition for a private school. Public schools can still allow students to have access to prestigious schools with no cost, such as specialized high schools, including Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, and more.
The downsides, however, include language barriers and limited resources. The DOE funds public schools, and the amount of money sometimes isn’t enough to keep programs going. Students from various backgrounds speak different languages, and that might lead to isolation and challenges for some students, both socially and academically. Also, as you are aware, Millennium is a very small, tightly-knit school, leaving students with limited space for a gym or other sports facilities. This raises the struggle of having to travel to MBHS’s campus in order to play a sport, which takes a significant amount of time and energy.
Standardized Testing and Grades Emphasis
Public schools place a heavy emphasis on how well students perform on their standardized tests, such as the SAT, PSAT, and MAP tests. These tests show the school how well a student understands the curriculum that has been taught in class. Since public schools, such as Millennium, have high expectations for their students to do well, it encourages all of us to prioritize time management, eliminate distractions, and truly focus on our studies, in order to get higher scores.
A “teaching to the test” approach, in which teaching and resources are overly directed to exam subjects and concepts, could result from a strong focus on standardized testing. As a result, important topics like critical thinking, the arts, and physical education might become disregarded. For students, teachers, and parents, high-stakes standardized testing can contribute to significant stress and anxiety. Exam pressure can have a detrimental effect on students’ mental health by increasing test-related stress, fatigue, and disengagement from the core educational values, which is to focus on learning rather than grades.
In my high school application process, I was presented with the opportunity of attending both a private school and a public school. However, after extensive research, I had decided to choose to attend Millennium, due to the great academics, students, teachers, and clubs, all combined into one fantastic school. In conclusion, attending a public school, especially one as rigorous as Millennium, has its distinctive benefits and downsides. But, it’s up to you to decide which outweighs the other.
