Selecting a school for teens is a big decision that must be taken with great care. School environment, curriculum, staff, classroom size, extracurricular activities, school fee, accountability of students etc. are important considerations. However, one of the key decisions that you need to make is to whether opt for a public school or a private one. Even through public schools charge lower fee, they are not good and safe for the developing minds. Let’s have a look on major drawbacks of public schools, and how they can affect our teens.

Overcrowded Classrooms

Due to poverty and other factors, a large number of low-income parents prefer public school for teens which has led to an increase in classroom size. A class that can normally accommodate 30 students may be filled with as many as 50 students. These figures are given as an example to give you an idea of the extent of problem. It naturally becomes difficult for the teachers to give individual attention to every student in such an over-crowded class, thus resulting in poor quality of education and weak academic performance and record of students.

Bullying

Bullying is more common in public schools compared to private school. Just imagine your teen getting bullied on the very first day of school by peers. Won’t it affect his mental health? Will he be able to continue education in such as environment? What if he, like thousands of other youngsters, quit school just because of these issues? School life may last for a few years, but it has a great impact on the life of an individual.

Lower Funding

Lack of funding is the major reason behind the pitfalls of the American public school system. These schools get funding from Federal Government, which is surely not enough to fulfill all the expenses. Lack of resources due to low funding makes public schools a bad option for teens. There is very limited staff in these schools and teachers are not offered good salary. Also, most of the public schools, especially those in low-income districts, do not offer activities like music class, study trips, etc.

School is linked to Suicide

According to a study named Back to School Blues: Seasonality of Youth Suicide and the Academic Calenda, suicide is linked to schools. It was revealed in this study that the rate of suicide among 14 and 18 years old teens decreases during June, July and August. These are the months when almost all the schools are closed due to summer vacations. It was further explained in the study that even though alcohol abuse, lower self-esteem, sexual issues, etc. are considered real causes of suicide among teens, yet the point to be noted is that schools acts as a birthplace for all these behaviors. Such issues are unfortunately a common place in public schools, where the supervision as hardly as strict as it is in private schools.

We may compromise on a lot of things, but not on the physical and psychological well-being of our teens. Public schools are simply not doing enough to ensure the safety of its students, which is quite alarming a good enough reason for you to explore other options. Do not let your kid become a statistic. Decide wisely. After all, it is a matter of your teen's future. Moreover, good education is definitely something worth investing on.