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My recent questions about private versus public educating systems upset some readers. Several readers replied.

One reader began: "The question: How come the private schools do better, with fewer staff? The Answer: Private schools do better with fewer staff because, unlike public schools, they don't accept students with financial, emotional (?), physical, learning, or any other challenges or disabilities that require special attention by staff and faculty.

"In fact, the public school system cannot refuse to accept any student, and often has to accept those students who have been rejected for various reasons by private schools." [LaVerne Furbert]

A second reader went deeper: "Why do they appear to be better? Simple - they get to kick out all of the students who have major academic/ emotional challenges. Public schools simply don't have that option. They take 'em all: the 'ain't-never-seen-the-alphabet' student; the 'mama-AND-daddy-on-crack' student; the 'I'm-12-and-my-mama-is-26' student; the 'I'm-angry-cuz-my-daddy-don't-check-for-me' student... in other words, no-one is turned away. The mighty privates cannot claim to have a similarly open admissions policy. And I haven't even bothered to include a comprehensive race and class analysis (which is necessary if you REALLY wish to add intelligence to the discussion).

"Now, if you want to make a more accurate comparison, you may wish to include a "keep-em-at ALL-costs" clause for those all-knowing private school teachers..." [Junior Burchall]

Still a third: "Education is NOT A BUSINESS! And private schools do better because they CHOOSE who they will educate. Government schools take whoever comes through the door." [Tricia Foggo]

All three critics went to the central point that the public system cannot discriminate while the private system can - and does. All three suggest that the number of troubled or disadvantaged students who populate the public system is significantly higher than in the private sector.

None of the three suggests that the private system has a population of superior and angelic students from perfect families. However, each is either saying or implying that the public system is bedeviled by having a disproportionate population of students from dysfunctional family backgrounds; from homes that are riddled with drugs; and from homes where babydaddies don't come around.

Sufficient money

With just fewer than 6,000 students, I have always believed that the public system gets sufficient money [for 2008/2009 it got $122,985,000 and it actually spends 15 per cent MORE on each student than does the private system]; that it had sufficient professionals [for 2008/2009 it was funded for 1,176 teachers, staff, administrators] and that, in global terms, its physical plant is in excellent condition.

Until now, I have believed that 80-90 per cent of all students in the public system were good kids from decent or acceptable backgrounds; that their academic potential ranged from high to low; and that they could and would respond positively to good teaching.

These three critics deliver the impression that my assessment is wrong and has always been wrong. Perhaps the three critics are right.

Perhaps the public education system really does consist of 80 per cent or more problem students. Perhaps 80 per cent or more of the students in the public system are wild and beyond control. Perhaps 80 per cent or more are violence prone thugs just looking for an excuse to stab or beat someone. Perhaps 80 per cent or more have no interest whatsoever in any academic or vocational offering.

     Through ignorance or innocence, I may have been getting it wrong - for years.

So, is the public system populated with a student body that is 80 per cent thug and dysfunctional? Are only 20 per cent, or fewer, normal and average? Or, is the public system populated by a student body that is 80 per cent well-behaved and average? What secrets do these critics know that they won't share with the rest of us? Simply, is the public education system an incubator for 'thugs' or 'thinkers'? Which?[[In-content Ad]]

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