11/07/2006
A Brief Review of Reasons
Parents Choose Private Schools
The attached documents are excerpts from three studies and an article related to school
choice, and why some parents choose private schools for their children. This review was
compiled in response to a request from a BCSTA member board and is not intended to
represent a comprehensive review of the topic.
The first document is a Canadian study that was conducted last year by the Society for
Advancement for Excellence in Education (SAEE). This was a national study, but
BCSTA asked SAEE to prepare a special report with only the BC data. I have included
the tables that relate specifically to school choice.
The second item is an article that appeared in Atlanta Parent Magazine. The research
that the article is based on is not evident; however, the points made are similar to those
from other sources.
The third item consists of excerpts from a 2004 study done by the Australian Council for
Education Research. You will see consistent themes with the Atlanta article.
The last item is an abstract from a1999 American study that appeared in the Journal of
Education Policy. The study explores issues of race, and socioeconomic status in school
choice. The full study is lengthy but the abstract provides a brief statement of the
findings.
Analysing Change in Education: National Parent Survey
British Columbia Parents vs. Canadian Parents 2005
A 2005 Study of Canadian parent and teacher opinions on education, conducted by the
Society for the Advancement in Excellence in Education. BC data extracted for BCSTA.
(http://10.0.0.18/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-9823/BC%20Parents%20Report.pdf)
Parents should be able to send their children to another school if
they are dissatisfied with their current school
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
73.6%
69.8%
19.7% 18.5%
2.5%
4.5%
(Strongly
disagree) 1
4.2%
7.2%
2
BC
3
(Strongly agree)
4
Canada
In your judgement, is there sufficient information available to help
you make good educational choices about the best type of schooling
for your child/children
57.8%
54.0%
60%
46.0%
42.2%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes
No
BC
Canada
2
Using a 4 point scale, where “1” is NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT and “4” is VERY
IMPORTANT, how important were each of the following in helping you choose the school
your (youngest) child currently attends?
Close to our home - Importance in choosing the school your
(youngest) child currently attends
60%
51.9%
47.3%
50%
40%
26.3% 23.7%
30%
20%
16.3% 13.4%
10.1% 10.9%
10%
0%
(Not at all
important) 1
2
3
BC
(Very
important) 4
Canada
Sibling in the school - Importance in choosing the school your
(youngest) child currently attends
38.6%
40%
34.9%
34.5% 33.6%
35%
30%
25%
17.2%
16.2%
20%
14.5%
10.5%
15%
10%
5%
0%
(Not at all
important) 1
2
BC
3
Canada
3
(Very
important) 4
Met our religious views - Importance in choosing the school your
(youngest) child currently attends
68.4%
70%
52.7%
60%
50%
40%
22.9%
30%
15.1%
20%
11.7%
12.7%
7.3%
9.2%
10%
0%
(Not at all
important) 1
2
BC
3
(Very
important) 4
Canada
Had a special theme or teaching method - Importance in choosing
the school your (youngest) child currently attends
33.4%
35%
30%
28.8%
29.6%
25.6%
24.1% 22.4%
25%
17.5% 18.6%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
(Not at all
important) 1
2
BC
3
Canada
4
(Very
important) 4
Friends recommended this school - Importance in choosing the
school your (youngest) child currently attends
43.0%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
38.4%
24.0% 22.6%
20.6%
17.1%
15.4%
(Not at all
important) 1
2
3
BC
19.0%
(Very
important) 4
Canada
School has a good academic reputation - Importance in choosing the
school your (youngest) child currently attends
60%
52.3%
46.1%
50%
33.0%
40%
25.4%
30%
19.5%
20%
10%
9.7%
9.1%
5.0%
0%
(Not at all
important) 1
2
BC
3
Canada
5
(Very
important) 4
Have you ever checked school academic performance reports in
newspapers or on education websites
70%
63.9%
49.8%
60%
50%
49.8%
36.1%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0.0%
0.4%
0%
Yes
No
BC
DK / Refused
Canada
Have you ever used such information to choose a school
78.4%
74.4%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
25.0%
21.0%
20%
0.7%
10%
0.6%
0%
Yes
No
BC
Canada
6
DK / Refused
There should be a greater variety of academic programs in public
schools
53.0%
60%
47.3%
50%
40%
32.1%
26.6%
30%
20%
10%
6.5%
7.3%
14.1% 13.1%
0%
(Strongly
disagree) 1
2
3
BC
(Strongly agree)
4
Canada
The amount of school choice available in my district is sufficient
43.6%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
28.3%
30.0%
26.1%
22.3%
19.4%
15.9%
14.5%
(Strongly
disagree) 1
2
BC
3
Canada
7
(Strongly agree)
4
All parents should have the right to choose their child’s school
78.5%
80%
70.8%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
18.2%
14.4%
20%
10%
2.5%
4.9%
4.6%
6.1%
0%
(Strongly
disagree) 1
2
BC
3
(Strongly agree)
4
Canada
School choice matters little because all schools are pretty much the
same
50%
45.2% 44.4%
40%
29.6% 29.2%
30%
17.7% 16.2%
20%
7.5%
10.2%
10%
0%
(Strongly
disagree) 1
2
BC
3
Canada
8
(Strongly
agree) 4
Top Ten Reasons Parents Choose Private Schools
An article appearing in Atlanta Parent Magazine (date unknown)
(http://www.atlantaparent.com/schools/top10private.html)
1. Stronger Academics: Most parents believe that private schools provide a higher
quality education. With smaller teacher-to-student ratios and more individualized
attention, students are better able to learn. Some parents are convinced that a
private school education will make it easier for their child to get into the college
of choice.
2. Religious Principles: Many parents want an education that offers a particular
set of religious teachings and tenets along with the ABCs. They seek an emphasis
on spiritual values, morals and faith development throughout the whole
curriculum.
3. Personalized Learning: Every child has his or her own academic timetable as
well as talents. Parents may find that a private school can better address the
child’s needs – whether he or she is a late-bloomer, gifted in math, a budding
artist, or proficient in foreign languages.
4. Innovative Teaching: Some parents may have strong feelings about teaching
methods employed by the public school system or the content of public school
curriculum and textbooks. Private schools offer more options and flexibility. One
parent may request a more innovative approach for their child, while another
might demand more traditional teaching techniques.
5. More Control: Parents may hope that a private school will be safer for their child
– a place where they know their child and the other students will be closely
supervised. Stricter discipline and a no-nonsense approach to learning are just
what some parents are looking for.
6. Early Admission: Under Georgia law, a child must be 5 by September 1 in order
to start public school kindergarten. Some private schools still follow the old rule
of December 31. If parents don’t want to wait another year, they may opt for
starting a child in private school.
7. More Responsive to Parents: Private schools have no one to answer to except
the parents of the children enrolled at that school. As a result, parents feel more
confident that the issues and concerns that are important to them are not only
taken seriously at a private school, but can be acted upon.
8. Nontraditional Groupings: Many private schools offer alternatives to the usual
grade groupings. These frequently cater more to individual abilities in different
areas, or they may allow students more fluid movement between grades,
regardless of age.
9. Extended Hours: Many private schools offer extended care programs or afterschool extracurricular activities. These extended hours fit in with many working
parents’ needs. After-school programs can include tutoring and homework help,
play time, and structured activities such as intramural sports.
9
10. Special Needs: A child with a learning disability or a behavioral problem may
not do very well in a traditional public school classroom. Private schools,
however, especially those designed for these types of students, provide
professionals who have the necessary credentials to teach and care for children
with special needs.
10
2004 Australian Study on Reasons for Private School
Choice
A report prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for The
Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Age newspapers.
(http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/17/1092508439581.html)
The analyses indicated that a number of family background factors appear to
influence the selection of a Private or Public school. These include:
1. Political persuasion – Liberal/National Party voters are more likely to send
their children to an Independent school, compared with Labor voters who are
more likely to send their children to a Government school.
2. Occupational status – families with high occupational status are more likely to
send their children to an Independent school, compared with those with lower
occupational status who are more likely to send their children to a
Government school.
3. Family educational levels – families with the highest levels of education are
more likely to send their children to an Independent school, compared with
other families who are more likely to send their children to a Government
school.
4. Family income – families with high income are more likely to send their
children to a Private school.
5. Family socio-economic status – families with high socio-economic status are
more likely to send their child to an Independent school (but not a Catholic
school) compared with Government school parents.
The most common reasons given for changing from a Government school to a
Private school were there to be no additional costs included:



The view that there is better discipline in Private schools.
The view that there is better education or better teachers (paid more or
properly screened) in Private schools.
The view that there are smaller classes or more individual attention given to
students in Private schools.
The largest differences between those parents who would not send their child to a
Private school and those who would (were there no additional cost in doing so) was
the frequency with which they referred to the following reasons:



Better education or better teachers (paid more or properly screened) in
Private schools (commonly given as a reason for changing to a Private school,
was rarely given as a reason for not changing).
The parent or their children had attended Government school with positive
results (commonly given as a reason for not changing and never given as a
reason for changing to a Private school).
Religious beliefs/values or morals (commonly given as a reason for changing
to a Private school, but rarely given as a reason for not changing). This last
finding suggests that if Private education was more affordable, the drift away
from Government schools would continue.
11
These aspects of schools were seen to be important in shaping selection of school by
parents:









Discipline (for selection of a Catholic school).
The range of subject available (for selection of a Government school
compared with an Independent school).
The religious or moral values of the school (for selection of a Catholic or
Independent school compared with a Government school).
The location of the school (for selection of a Government school compared
with the other sectors).
School traditions (for selection of a Catholic school compared with a
Government school).
Having a school uniform (for selection of a Catholic school compared with a
Government school).
Being a school of the same type as the one attended by a parent (for
selection of a Government school compared with a Catholic school).
Having a cluster of traditional values (very high for selection of a Catholic
school, high for selection of an Independent school, and relatively low for
selection of a Government school).
Having a cluster of concerns about the social and cultural familiarity or
security of the school (for selection of a Government school compared with an
Independent school).
Using multiple regression it was found that the strongest effect on the selection of a
Private school was the importance of traditional values. This effect was strong.
The following findings were made about a range of factors not directly associated
with the research questions:




All parents, irrespective of the sector to which they sent their child, had high
levels of involvement in choosing the school.
All parents had high levels of satisfaction with the school, however, those with
children at Catholic and Independent schools reported higher levels than
those parents with children at Government schools.
Extent of choice perceived to be available by parents varied between sectors
with parents of children at Catholic and Independent schools perceiving they
had more choice than parents at Government schools.
Most parents plan for their child to leave school at the end of Year 12. This
did not vary between sectors.
Overall conclusions:
In so far as this research was able to pin down the reasons for the selection of a
Private or Public school, one factor stood out: the extent to which the school
embraced traditional values to do with discipline, religious or moral values, the
traditions of the school itself, and the requirement that a uniform be worn.
There was some evidence that family socio-economic status also influenced the
selection of a school, with higher socio-economic families more often selecting
Independent schools.
Perceptions of the academic excellence of a school had some effects, as did concern
for the security and culture of the school environment.
12
Article Abstract: Journal of Education Policy,
Reasons for parental choice of urban schools.
Title: Reasons for parental choice of urban schools.
Authors: Goldring, E. B.
Hausman, C. S.
Source: Journal of Education Policy; Sep99, Vol. 14 Issue 5, p469-490,
22p, 7 charts, 1 diagram
Document Type: Article
Subject Terms: *SCHOOL choice
*SCHOOLS
Geographic Terms: MISSOURI
SAINT Louis (Mo.)
UNITED States
NAICS/Industry Codes: 611110 Elementary and Secondary Schools
611699 All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction
Abstract: Much of the discussion around why parents choose certain
schools focuses on parents who choose an alternative to their
attendance-zone school, usually a magnet or private school.
However, in reality, many more parents exercise choice. Parents
who seek information, look at alternative schools, but then decide
to choose their assigned attendance-zone school are also
participants in a system of school choice. This study explores
differences in race, socioeconomic status, and reasons for choice
among four groups of parents in one urban school district with a
controlled parental choice plan: (1) magnet school choosers; (2)
integrated non-magnet school choosers; (3) non-integrated nonmagnet school choosers (i.e. 98% or greater African-American
enrolments); and (4) non-choosers (i.e. those parents who do not
seek information to engage in the decision-making process
regarding choice of school). The results of the analysis indicate
that parent background characteristics, parents' reasons for
choosing a particular school, satisfaction with public schools, and
distance between the home and school differentiate between
parents who choose magnets, parents who choose nonmagnets, and non-choosers.
13