A private school teacher claims students are 2 years ahead of public schools

"As an ex-public school teacher, I have thoughts as to why," the Aussie woman exclusively tells Kidspot.

Anonymous writer

3 min read

December 13, 2023 - 4:32PM

High School

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When it comes to parents and their kids, we all have opinions. One at the top of this list, especially as they get older, is around high schools, specifically the debate around public versus private education.

As an ex-teacher, who is also a parent, my views on this topic are even stronger than many others because I have first-hand insight into the public and private spheres, having worked in them both.

While there are distinct differences between many (not all), what I can also say without a doubt is that there are also similarities and very big misconceptions that seem to spread wider and further as time goes on.

So, a few weeks ago, I chatted to a teacher who works at a private school about this very issue; but rather than have a constructive or meaningful conversation around it, her response left me not only reeling... It also left me with a very clear indicator as to why these misconceptions and downright incorrect views around the standards of the two education systems are so extensive - they are very obviously inherent within the system itself.

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The simple way she made her evaluation

This teacher let’s call her *Paula, told me that in her experience (which has only been working at one private school), is that the difference between Year 8s at her school, compared to public schools is very obvious- hers are at Year 10 level, while peers at government schools are not.

How did she make such an evaluation? By calculators.

Yes, you see, her Year 8s are bringing in calculators that are usually only used for senior mathematics and are only on booklists at most government schools from Year 10.

According to Paula, this means the students at her school, who haven’t been asked to buy these pieces of equipment but have them and have brought them into school and use them, means they are at least two-year levels more advanced in maths than kids at public schools.

In other words, her assessment of all government school students is based solely on this specific action of some of the students at the private school she teaches at.

There is no quantitative evidence, no research; just unsubstantiated claims and judgements, judgments that position private school students as more intelligent, and in a much more superiorly educated category than those who attend public schools.

"All teachers are qualified to teach based on the same tertiary degrees"

To say I hadn’t known these sorts of attitudes existed would be incorrect, of course I did. The pitting of private versus public schools is always present - in the media, between kids, parents and even broader society.

But when it comes from the actual mouth and thoughts of an educator who should know better, well, that makes me feel sick.

The fact is, all teachers are qualified to teach based on the same tertiary degrees, our practice is assessed and overseen by the same organisational bodies and I had thought that we all shared the same mission - to educate students to the best of our ability regardless of their backgrounds.

Instead, as Paula has demonstrated, there is something far less beneficial occurring, perhaps not by all teachers or staff that work at private schools but clearly by her and I’m going to go out on a pretty safe limb and say, others at private schools too.

This view? That they are superior, that they provide better quality teaching, that they expect more and that they get more, and that their students are smarter, better, and stronger than those from public schools.

While I know this issue is far more ingrained than the opinion of some teachers; the issue is, as a teacher you are there to teach but also to model behaviour, values and attitudes and this view of being better than another student solely based on what school system they are enrolled in, that is not the one to model because it is toxic. Not to mention wrong.

These views are picked up on by other staff, students, parents and then other people (like me). While some will dismiss the view, or get outrightly angry at it (yes, me again), others will be influenced by it, they too will adopt this attitude and before you know it, you have an entire school culture sharing an ‘I am better than you’ belief.

Ultimately, whether one system has proved to have better academic results than the other, doesn’t even matter, what matters is this harmful attitude that doesn’t serve those who have it in the long run, especially when they enter the workforce with their public school peers, they were superior to and it especially doesn’t serve other students, who regardless of where they attend school, deserve to feel deserving, of equality, of respect and as a teacher you should know this.