This week in my Multiculturalism in the Helping Professions class we discussed the topics of Social Class and Classism. Social Class directly impacts one through access of education, housing, food, clothing, affordable health care, and in many other ways. What does this actually look like, though? Here is an example of how social class can impact a child’s educational experience.
Some families have the financial means to send their children to private schools, starting at a young age. The reason parents send their children to private schools vary, but often they want their child to receive the best education possible and they believe the private schools will offer a better educational experience for their child than public schools.
What does the actual cost of sending your child to a private school look like? Let’s take a look at the prices of a private school in the area, Montessori School of Iowa City. Montessori School of Iowa City is for children ages 3-12 and charges $8,000.00 of tuition for one academic school year to enroll one child full-time. This school has a teacher to student ratio of 1:10. Local public schools in the area have a teacher to student ratio closer to 1:20. Looking just at the teacher to student ratio, can you see the benefits of attending Montessori compared to a public school? Students are likely to get a lot more attention from teachers which can help immensely with learning.
For many families of middle to low socioeconomic class, spending $8,000 to send one child to school for one year is out of the question, the option does not even exist. Families considered middle to upper class are more easily able to make proactive decisions in their child’s education in the sense that they have more options of where they can send their children based on their income.
I know a family who chooses to send their son to Montessori School of Iowa City because he has a learning disability that is not yet diagnosable. The teacher to student ratio is very beneficial to their child who may need extra attention and would have a harder time getting it in a public school. This family has the money available to pay tuition for their son without a problem. If their family did not have the resources he would likely be attending a public school. Because of their socioeconomic status they can afford to send him to Montessori. Other families, who have sons or daughters with similar problems but do not have the same financial resources, do not have the option of sending their children to anywhere but public schools where education costs are limited.
Here is a podcast from NPR called “Public vs. Private School Report Spurs Controversy” that I found to be an interesting listen.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5584516
Some families have the financial means to send their children to private schools, starting at a young age. The reason parents send their children to private schools vary, but often they want their child to receive the best education possible and they believe the private schools will offer a better educational experience for their child than public schools.
What does the actual cost of sending your child to a private school look like? Let’s take a look at the prices of a private school in the area, Montessori School of Iowa City. Montessori School of Iowa City is for children ages 3-12 and charges $8,000.00 of tuition for one academic school year to enroll one child full-time. This school has a teacher to student ratio of 1:10. Local public schools in the area have a teacher to student ratio closer to 1:20. Looking just at the teacher to student ratio, can you see the benefits of attending Montessori compared to a public school? Students are likely to get a lot more attention from teachers which can help immensely with learning.
For many families of middle to low socioeconomic class, spending $8,000 to send one child to school for one year is out of the question, the option does not even exist. Families considered middle to upper class are more easily able to make proactive decisions in their child’s education in the sense that they have more options of where they can send their children based on their income.
I know a family who chooses to send their son to Montessori School of Iowa City because he has a learning disability that is not yet diagnosable. The teacher to student ratio is very beneficial to their child who may need extra attention and would have a harder time getting it in a public school. This family has the money available to pay tuition for their son without a problem. If their family did not have the resources he would likely be attending a public school. Because of their socioeconomic status they can afford to send him to Montessori. Other families, who have sons or daughters with similar problems but do not have the same financial resources, do not have the option of sending their children to anywhere but public schools where education costs are limited.
Here is a podcast from NPR called “Public vs. Private School Report Spurs Controversy” that I found to be an interesting listen.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5584516
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