Private schools have a great deal to offer and are able to implement more programs and hire better teachers due to the fact that they have more money in their school systems garnered by student tuitions. Should every child go to private school? Probably not, but your child might benefit if he seems to be getting lost in the shuffle of public schools.

Private schools can offer a smaller student to teacher ratio than public schools simply because of the fact that there are fewer students in these schools. The majority of students attend local public schools. As the public schools become more and more crowded, many families are choosing the smaller private schools to gain more one on one attention for their children from the teachers. . On average, private schools have a student-teacher ratio of 9:1 as opposed to about 17:1 in public schools.

Private schools also offer more accelerated, college focused courses and are more intent on honing their students to go to college. Public schools often have the philosophy that each student is different and college isn't for everyone, and students are not pushed in that direction, though they may choose to strive for it on their own.

Many public schools which are located in affluent areas can be just as focused and have just as much money as private schools; it is in the city areas where the most difference can be seen. If your child is one that seems to need more attention from teachers or is floundering in a class that is too large, you may want to consider private school simply for the attention that he needs. Private schools also generally have lower incidences of drugs, violence and drop outs, most likely due to the increased level of dedication of parents who send their child to private schools to have every advantage.

Though private schools can be quite costly, there is more and more legislation moving towards school vouchers where families could take the tax dollars that would be directed toward a public school education and use it for private school tuition. Not everyone can afford private school and so families who have lost faith in public schools are beginning to home school. There has been a great surge towards home schooling in recent years as families begin to take control and refuse to let their children be ruined by the 'veal farm' that many public schools have become, turning out children who are just scraping by or simply dropping out.

In general, private schools are more focused and dedicated to the education of children. Teachers in private schools often earn more and can be more dedicated when working with parents who are as equally dedicated to their children. Schooling is an investment in a child's future and not a decision to be made lightly.

There's often less bureaucracy as private schools don't have to abide by certain state regulations, they spend less time on mandated paperwork and more on instruction. They also are not compelled to focus on test scores. As a result, teachers tend to enjoy more autonomy in the classroom and have more creative control over their teaching methods.

Parent involvement is strong. Not only do private schools encourage parents' participation, but it's also true that the parents of private school students tend to be extremely committed to having a say in their child's education.

On a note of caution though, private schools are not required to comply with state laws concerning special needs students. Many private schools do accommodate students with special needs, but they aren't required to by law as public schools are. If you have a special needs child, make sure that your child's physical and behavioral needs will be met. Whatever the school, children face enormous pressure. Even pre-teens today feel pressure to play on sports teams that practice nearly every day year round, to take the hardest classes offered at their schools and then extra enrichment courses outside of it. When one reads about the many high achievers who are turned away by the most competitive colleges every spring, it's no wonder that parents--and students, too--feel that the only way to have a chance at a dream college is to do even more.

Thus, overstressed, anxious kids can be the product of both public and private schools. Depending on where you live, the competition at the upper levels in your local public high school can be as bad--or worse--than at a private school.

While all children will, to some degree, whine about the work involved in both their school and out-of-school pursuits, it's important to keep an eye out to determine if they're truly experiencing an overload and not just looking for more time with the telephone, TV, or Internet (though most every kid needs some of that, too).

Only the child and parents can assess whether their level of academic pressure and extracurricular involvement is right for them--or too much. However, don't assume that switching to a new school will be a silver-bullet solution.