5 Reasons Parents Should Transfer Children From Private School to Public This January.
On Monday, January 23, schools in Kenya reopen after a two-month break.
Most parents must decide whether to keep their children in private schools or move them to public schools.
According to Statista’s (2022) research, the number of private primary schools in Kenya has progressively increased from 300 in 2002 to over 10,000 in 2022.
Increasing numbers of parents are opting out of public schools, which has led to several private primary schools.
Despite this, recent research has demonstrated that public primary schools remain the best option for pupils.
Cost
The government provides free primary education, which makes public primary schools affordable.
On the other hand, private schools charge a substantial school.
In addition, an examination of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam results revealed that enrolling children in private schools did not provide a significant return on investment.
Numerous famous private schools were stunned by their poor performance on the 2022 KCPE compared to their public school colleagues.
Charles Ochome, chairman of the Kenya Private Schools Association, refused to provide an overview of the performance of the schools under the association’s umbrella in light of the abysmal showing.
Kitengela International School in Kajiado County, for example, filed an official protest with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) when none of the 170 applicants failed to achieve 400 marks.
The school stated, “All of our candidates have results disputed by themselves, their parents, and the administration.”
In 2020, ten of the nation’s top fifteen spots were held by public schools.
Only one kid from a private school was among the top five best students in individual performance.
The data indicate that paying excessive school fees for one’s children is not a guarantee of top academic performance. In recent schools, public school performance has continued to improve.
Location and Accessibility
Most public schools are located in the neighborhood, making it easier for children to form friendships with nearby classmates.
This is essential for pupils to form friends outside of school.
It also allows parents to interact with other parents about their children’s well-being and the state of the school in general.
In most schools, parents send their children to private schools distant from their homes.
Because it is a whole new setting, when children take a break from school for the summer, they have no friends in their communities with which to interact.
Diversity
Public schools, unlike private schools, primarily enroll students from the local community.
Children attending public schools are more likely to be in classrooms with children who do not think, act, or appear identically to them, generating diverse classrooms.
According to the journal Public School Review (2022), public school students are more likely to be exposed to students from other cultures or socioeconomic backgrounds.
Students learn to collaborate with pupils with mental and physical challenges.
According to the journal, the diversity of the student body can be a significant learning experience in and of itself for all public school children.
Accommodation of pupils with particular needs
The government establishes the funding and legal framework for public schools.
Thus, public schools may accommodate pupils with unique interests. Private schools accept pupils with specific interests, but it is at the discretion of the school owner, whereas it is a guarantee in public schools.
Accountability
The Teachers Service Commission employs teachers in public schools (TSC).
The commission establishes standards that all teachers must adhere to, creating a standardized and responsible education system.
Additionally, teachers in public schools have a uniform performance contract known as Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD).
The creation of performance contracts at private schools is left to the discretion of the school owner or Board of Management.
