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Private or Public Education?
The Debate Is On in Canada By Gwen Morrison
Kelly, like all mothers of young children, wanted to ensure that her children were getting the very best education that they could from the start. What they soon discovered was that their school of choice came with a very long waiting list.
"St. Clements gets five or six applicants for every one space available for grade one," says Kelly. "We soon came to realize we might be out in the cold."
Kelly decided to do some intense research into the public school system in their area to see what it had to offer. She spoke directly with parents, educators and friends who taught in both the public and the private school systems.
"I discovered that there are a number of very fine public schools in Toronto," says Kelly. "Most are located in the very fine neighbourhoods where houses start at a price of $500,000. The school board strictly adheres to school area boundaries. We don't currently live in a 'choice' school district."
The local school that was in their district had very low statistics, according to Kelly's research. She was discouraged at the number of children who did not speak English as much as 75 percent of the class.
"Attending private school, my daughter would miss this opportunity," says Kelly. "Her friends would all live hither and yon."
What Kelly did discover in her search was that the French Immersion schools in her district were consistently rated at a higher level. She also discovered that there was a good deal to recommend French Immersion. The statistics have shown that Senior Kindergarten enrollment French Immersion nets a child who "thinks" in French and later nets a child who translates in French. It was then that Kelly learned that entry into the SK French Immersion in the public school system is by lottery.