EDUCATION: PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE

by: Amanda Moya

There is a difference were you decide to put your child for schooling.

The first difference is classroom sizes with the Christian schooling have a class room size no bigger than ten students per teacher. The curriculum is religion focused.

“The curriculum in Christian-based schools is all God focused and prayer time is included in their day.There is also one day of the week where all the children and faculty go to Chapel. And parents are also invited to this time to.” says Tina Merrill parent of a third grader at Yorktown Christian Academy.

Public Schools do not offer any type of Prayer time or chapel for their students. So, students are not taught anything about God. Teachers have more problems with their students do to class size and no curriculum that is based in any religion. Many teachers and parents think that this is a problem and has been since prayer was taken out of schools.

Many Christian-based school teachers are paid less than their Public schools counterparts and do the same job and more. Public School teachers also have to pay for all the extra things that they need. Teaching in private schools, most of the private schools pay for all the extra stuff to have it available to their students. This is also in the tuition that the families pay to have their child in the Private school.

“Corpus Christi Independent School District, does not have the amount of teachers needed to be able to create smaller classrooms” says Darcy Hudgens.

Although smaller classrooms would be better and helpful in CCISD, adding religion would be helpful to. CCISD can not though do to that they are paid federal funds which makes it against the church and state laws.

“The Christian Schools do not get this funding, since they are considered a Religious School. So, they can have Chapel time, Prayer time, and offer the time for prayer with students.”says Sandy Harbst.

With approximately 26,000 students in CCISD schools, and only 1700 students in Christian schools in Corpus Christi, this makes it hard for teachers in a public school to be able to do much of anything. This number is the amount of students in just Kindergarten to eighth grade throughout Corpus Christi.

In either case it should be what is best for the child.