Private school

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Private schools
)

Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, one of the oldest private boarding schools in the United States
Share enrolled in private institutions at the pre-primary education level (2015)
Share enrolled in private institutions at the primary education level (2015)
Share enrolled in private institutions at the tertiary education level (2015)

A private school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a public school.[note 1]

Private schools (also known as 'independent schools'), are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowment.[1] Unless privately owned they typically have a board of governors and have a system of governance that ensures their independent operation.

Private schools retain the right to select their

tax credit scholarships that might be available.[2] Roughly one in 10 U.S. families have chosen to enroll their children in private school for the past century.[3]

Some private schools are associated with a particular religious denomination or religion, such as Roman Catholicism, various branches of Protestantism or Judaism. Although private schools may have a religious affiliation, the precise use of the term excludes parochial (and other) schools if there is a financial dependence upon, or governance subordinate to, outside organizations. These definitions generally apply equally to both primary and secondary education.

Types

In the United Kingdom and several other

preparatory schools.[6]

The secondary level includes

university-preparatory schools or "prep schools", boarding schools, and day schools. Tuition at private secondary schools varies from school to school and depends on many factors, including the school's location, the willingness of parents to pay, peer tuitions, and the school's financial endowment.[7] High fees, schools claim, are used to pay higher salaries for the best teachers and also used to provide enriched learning environments,[citation needed] including a low student-to-teacher ratio, small class sizes and services, such as libraries, science laboratories and computers. Some private schools are boarding schools, and many military academies
are privately owned or operated as well.

Religiously affiliated and denominational schools form a subcategory of private schools. Some such schools teach religious education, together with the usual academic subjects, to impress their particular faith's beliefs and traditions in the students who attend. Others use the denomination as a general label to describe what the founders based their belief, while still maintaining a fine distinction between academics and religion. They include parochial schools,[8] a term which is often used to denote Roman Catholic schools. Other religious groups represented in the K–12 private education sector include Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians.

Many educational alternatives, such as private schools or online schools, are privately financed.[9] Private schools often avoid some state regulations, although in the name of educational quality, most comply with regulations relating to the educational content of classes. Religious private schools often add religious instruction to the courses provided by local public schools.

Special assistance schools aim to improve the lives of their students by providing services tailored to the particular needs of individual students. Such schools include

tutoring
schools and schools to assist the learning of disabled children.

By country

Australia

Scotch College, Melbourne

In Australia, private schools, are mostly operated by an independently elected school council or board of governors and range broadly in the type of school-education provided and the

special schools).[10]

Australia has one of the most privatised education systems in the world with 30 per cent of primary students and more than 40 per cent of secondary students attending private schools. In contrast the OECD average is 18 per cent.

Protestant private schools. Enrolments in non-government schools have been growing steadily at the expense of enrolments in government schools, which have seen their enrolment share reduce from 78.1 percent to 65 percent since 1970, although the rate of growth has slowed in the later years.[10]

Australian private schools differ from those in other OECD nations as the

bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth of Australia with each state and territory commenced on 1 January 2019, with the exception of Victoria, whose bilateral agreement commenced on 1 February 2019. The funding agreements provide states with funding for government schools (20 percent) and non-government schools (80 percent) taking into consideration annual changes in enrolment numbers, indexation and student or school characteristics. A National School Resourcing Board was charged with the responsibility of independently reviewing each state's compliance with the funding agreement(s).[14]

Private school fees can vary from under $100 per month

ISA Schools in Sydney and New South Wales) charge fees of up to $500,000 for the thirteen years of an private school education.[18][19][20]

Catholic schools form the second-largest sector after government schools, with around 21% of secondary enrollments.[21] Catholic schools, typically have a strong religious focus, and usually most of their staff and students are Catholic.[22]

Canada

In 1999, 5.6% of Canadian students were enrolled in private schools,[23] some of which are religious or faith-based schools, including Christian, Jewish, and Islamic schools. Some private schools in Canada are considered world class, especially some boarding schools with a long and illustrious history. Private schools have sometimes been controversial, with some[24] in the media and in Ontario's Provincial Ministry of Education asserting that students may buy inflated grades from private schools.[25]

Finland

In Finland, education takes place in state-run, municipality-run, and private schools. To qualify for public funding, all schools must receive a license from the

official languages of Finland (for example in English) may charge modest fees.[26][27]

There are also unlicensed private schools that do not follow any national curriculum and do not receive public funding. Certificates obtained from such institutions are not recognized as valid proof of education. [28]

In 2018, private schools accounted for 3% of basic education institutions and 9% of upper secondary education institutions. All

Universities in Finland operate without legal mandate and are not overseen by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Graduates from these universities must undergo the same verification process as those holding foreign degrees. [28] [29]

Germany

The right to create private schools in Germany is in Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the Grundgesetz and cannot be suspended even in a state of emergency. It is also not possible to abolish these rights. This unusual protection of private schools was implemented to protect these schools from a second Gleichschaltung or similar event in the future. Still, they are less common than in many other countries. Overall, between 1992 and 2008 the percent of pupils in such schools in Germany increased from 6.1% to 7.8% (including rise from 0.5% to 6.1% in the former GDR). Percent of students in private high schools reached 11.1%.[30]

There are two types of private schools in Germany, Ersatzschulen (literally: substitute schools) and Ergänzungsschulen (literally: auxiliary schools). There are also private Hochschulen (private colleges and universities) in Germany, but similar to the UK, the term private school is almost never used of universities or other tertiary institutions.[citation needed]

Ersatzschulen are ordinary primary or secondary schools, which are run by private individuals, private organizations or religious groups. These schools offer the same types of diplomas as public schools.[citation needed] Ersatzschulen lack the freedom to operate completely outside government regulation. Teachers at Ersatzschulen must have at least the same education and at least the same wages as teachers at public schools, an Ersatzschule must have at least the same academic standards as a public school and Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the Grundgesetz, also forbids segregation of pupils according to the means of their parents (the so-called Sonderungsverbot).[citation needed] Therefore, most Ersatzschulen have very low tuition fees or offer scholarships, compared to most other Western European countries.[citation needed]

Ergänzungsschulen are secondary or post-secondary (non-tertiary) schools, which are run by private individuals, private organizations or rarely, religious groups and offer a type of education which is not available at public schools.[citation needed] Most of these schools are vocational schools.[citation needed] However, these vocational schools are not part of the German dual education system.[citation needed] Ergänzungsschulen have the freedom to operate outside government regulation and are funded in whole by charging their students tuition fees.[citation needed]

Italy

In Italy education is predominantly public; about one-fifth of schools are private, attended by about one out of 10 Italian schoolchildren. The Italian constitution states that education is to be public, free, and compulsory for at least eight years.[31]

The majority of schools not administered by the state are Catholic. In the period 2008–2009 Catholic schools were about 57% of all private schools, with a tendency to decrease.[citation needed]

India

Students of a private school in Hnahthial, Mizoram, India

In India, private schools are called independent schools, but since some private schools receive financial aid from the government, it can be an aided or an unaided school. So, in a strict sense, a private school is an unaided independent school. For the purpose of this definition, only receipt of financial aid is considered, not land purchased from the government at a subsidized rate. It is within the power of both the union government and the state governments to govern schools since Education appears in the Concurrent list of legislative subjects in the constitution. The practice has been for the union government to provide the broad policy directions while the states create their own rules and regulations for the administration of the sector. Among other things, this has also resulted in 30 different Examination Boards or academic authorities that conduct examinations for school leaving certificates. Prominent Examination Boards that are present in multiple states are the CBSE and the CISCE, NENBSE

An independent school in Hnahthial, India

Legally, only non-profit trusts and societies can run schools in India. They will have to satisfy a number of infrastructure and human resource related criteria to get Recognition (a form of license) from the government. Critics of this system point out that this leads to corruption by school inspectors who check compliance and to fewer schools in a country that has the largest adult illiterate population in the world. While official data does not capture the real extent of private schooling in the country, various studies have reported unpopularity of government schools and an increasing number of private schools. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which evaluates learning levels in rural India, has been reporting poorer academic achievement in government schools than in private schools. A key difference between the government and private schools is that the medium of education in private schools is English while it is the local language in government schools.

Indonesia

Private schools can be found across Indonesia. All private schools in Indonesia are established by foundations. The costs of education are not subsidized by the government. The differences between private schools and public schools depend on each school. Each private school applies policies from the Indonesian Government, and all private schools give the opportunity of additional activities whether cultural or for sport. Lots of Private schools in Indonesia are also influenced by religions (Islam, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, Buddha). But there are also national private schools that are not influenced by religion but rather have a special program.

Iran

A lot of criticism towards Iranian government is because of large gap of University entrance Exam success between public and private school students, number private school growth has seen a 15% growth dominating Iranian education sector.[32][33] [34][35][36] there is a rise of "luxury" schools.[37] Studying for one year term in private schools may cost 50 million as of July 2023.[38]

Ireland

In Ireland, the internationally recognised definition of "private school" is misleading and a more accurate distinction is between fee-charging schools and non-fee-charging schools. This is because approximately 85% of all schools are private schools (

Roman Catholic Church is the largest owner of schools in Ireland, with other religious institutions owning the remaining private schools. Nevertheless, despite the vast majority of schools being under the ownership of private institutions, a large majority of all their costs, including teachers' salaries, are paid for by the Irish state. Of these private schools, only a very small minority actually charge fees. In 2007, 'The number of schools permitted to charge fees represents 7.6% of the 723 post primary level schools and they cater for 7.1% of the total enrolment.'[39]
If a fee-charging school wishes to employ extra teachers they are paid for with school fees, which tend to be relatively low in Ireland compared to the rest of the world. Because state funding plays a fundamental role in the finances of all but one fee-charging school, they must undergo similar state inspection to non-fee-charging schools. This is due to the requirement that the state ensure that children receive a certain minimum education; Irish state subsidised fee-charging schools must still work towards the
Leaving Certificate
, for example.

The single fee-charging secondary school in Ireland which receives no state funding, the

Leaving Certificate which every other Irish secondary school student sits. In exchange, however, Nord Anglia students pay some €25,000 per annum in fees, compared to c. €4,000 – €8,000 per annum fees by students in all other fee-charging Irish schools.[40]
Many fee-charging schools in Ireland also double as boarding schools. The fees for these may then rise up to €25,000 per year. All the state-subsidised fee-charging schools are run by a religious order, e.g., the .

There are also a few fee-charging international schools in Ireland, including a French school, a Japanese school and a German school.

Lebanon

In Lebanon the vast majority of students attend private schools, most of which are owned and operated by the Maronite Church. Government owned schools do exist, but only a small percentage of the population attend these aging structures, most of which were built in the mid-twentieth century. Educational standards are very high in Lebanon, but only those who can afford them are found in these schools. This presents a massive issue as not only does it place a burden on parents and younger families, but it also prevents certain individuals from realizing their full potential.

Lebanon utilizes an unusual mixed system, with French, English and American systems intertwining, sometimes in the same facility. As of 2015, approximately 85% of Secondary and High School graduates continued on to university.

Malaysia

Tsun Jin High School (Chinese: 循人中学; pinyin: Xún Rén Zhōngxué), a Chinese independent high school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Chinese schools were being founded by the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia as early as the 19th century. The schools were set up with the main intention of providing education in the Chinese language. As such, their students remain largely Chinese to this day even though the school themselves are open to people of all races and backgrounds.

After Malaysia's independence in 1957, the government instructed all schools to surrender their properties and be assimilated into the National School system. This caused an uproar among the Chinese and a compromise was achieved in that the schools would instead become "National Type" schools. Under such a system, the government is only in charge of the school curriculum and teaching personnel while the lands still belonged to the schools. While Chinese primary schools were allowed to retain Chinese as the medium of instruction, Chinese secondary schools are required to change into English-medium schools. Over 60 schools converted to become National Type schools.

Nepal

In much of Nepal, the schooling offered by the state governments would technically come under the category of "public schools". They are federal- or state-funded, and have no or minimal fees.

The other category of schools are those run and partly or fully funded by private individuals, private organizations and religious groups. The ones that accept government funds are called 'aided' schools. The private 'un-aided' schools are fully funded by private parties. The standard and the quality of education is quite high. Technically, these would be categorized as private schools, but many of them have the name "Public School" appended to them (e.g., the Galaxy Public School in Kathmandu). Most of the middle-class families send their children to such schools, which might be in their own city or far off, like boarding schools. The medium of education is English, but as a compulsory subject, Nepali or the state's official language is also taught. Preschool education is mostly limited to organized neighbourhood nursery schools.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands over two-thirds of state-funded schools operate autonomously, with many of these schools being linked to faith groups.[41] The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, ranks the education in the Netherlands as the 9th best in the world as of 2008, being significantly higher than the OECD average.[42]

New Zealand

St Andrew's College, an independent primary and secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand

As of April 2014, there were 88 private schools in New Zealand, catering for around 28,000 students or 3.7% of the entire student population.[43] Private school numbers have been in decline since the mid-1970s as a result of many private schools opting to become state-integrated schools, mostly due of financial difficulties stemming from changes in student numbers or the economy. State-integrated schools keep their private school special character and receives state funds in return for having to operate like a state school, e.g. they must teach the state curriculum, they must employ registered teachers, and they can not charge tuition fees (they can charge "attendance dues" for the upkeep on the still-private school land and buildings). The largest decline in private school numbers occurred between 1979 and 1984, when the nation's then-private Catholic school system integrated. As a result, private schools in New Zealand are now largely restricted to the largest cities (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch) and niche markets.

Private schools are almost fully funded by tuition fees paid by students' parents, but they do receive some government subsidies. Private schools are popular for academic and sporting performance, prestige, exclusivity and old boys/girls networks; however, many state-integrated schools and some prestigious single-sex state schools, such as

Wellington College
, are actively competitive with private schools in academic and sporting achievement, history and character.

Private schools are often Anglican, such as

St Dominic's College
).

A recent group of private schools run as a business has been formed by

ACG New Zealand International College
.

Oman