As mentioned in the video “Is Private Education Good for Society,” the rate of parents enrolling their children in private school over public school has increased in several major countries over the past few years. Fifteen years ago, the rate of primary school children attending private school was around 10%. Today, it’s skyrocketed to 17% since then.
With this significant increase, you may ask what effect private education has on society. The answer can be complicated.
With global trends of quick moving urbanization and relocation, governments are having a hard time keeping up with the demand for public education in certain areas. This is where private education allows parents who might not otherwise be able to educate their children to find a placement for their school-age kids to learn in private school settings. The flip side of this benefit is that private schools can also create inequality. For students whose parents can’t afford private school, the gap between their future opportunities and those of their privately educated peers grows as the popularity of public education does. Like all aspects of society, private school education has pros and cons to consider.
