BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF ZAGREB

WHY PRIVATE EDUCATION

We live in an age where the world is more dynamic than ever. People are constantly moving and travelling for personal or business purposes where adjustments to life need to be made. Children, who are the essence of a family, require a proper education which prepares them for the future. So why private education? Nowadays, many families opt for international private education and spend five to ten times more than the cost of a degree. Why is this so?

Certain factors differentiate public to private schools. Public schools are government funded and can be limited in where to spend their finances. In contrast, private schools are sourced by private tuition and such schools are rarely influenced by external factors such as local politics. Therefore the leadership team can pinpoint where and what to spend their money on. Private schools can consider the best ways to reinvest into the school whether it is in technology, the buildings, teacher seminars and upgrades, and so on.

Private schools are free to set their own vision, their own ethos and values. They can pick and choose programmes, are flexible and not regimented as is often seen in public schools where they have to fit norms and attain levelled standards. Private schools, and in particular international private schools, offer a global focus which reverberates around its own mix of multicultural classrooms, where a set standard is met, where programmes can be individualised to certain groups or individuals based on needs and curriculum.

Teacher/student relationships vary according to class time and size. Private schools often have fewer students in their classes (8 – 15) in comparison to government schools that often reach over 30 students per class. This lower number is beneficial in that teachers have more ‘one on one’ time students, they are able to work closely with their pupils identifying specific needs and reaching pre-established targets, they are able to assess students more often and set future objectives.

International primary schools often cater for certain clientele who travel or work abroad, work in diplomacy or are important figures in the community. This is a reflection of the students in the classroom who may also follow in the footsteps of their parents and work in an overseas country, or will need to speak several languages and become internationally minded. Therefore, preparing your child for the challenges of life should begin from an early upbringing. Healthy living, studying foreign languages, resiliency, showing respect for self and others, learning life, social and communicative skills and the many other factors in ones childhood are paramount and private schools are geared towards a more cross-cultural curricular from Year 1.