Private religious institutions have been around for a very long time. It is long known that a private education is better than a public education. This means the people with more wealth have a better education and that should not be the case.

I had gone to a private Catholic school my entire life. I would not say that my education was any better than my peers who went to public schools. While they were learning sex ed and how to safely have sex, I was learning to not have sex, and that was all. While they were filling their class schedule with beneficial courses to help them in college, I was taking a religion class. I am not saying that my private education was bad or that a private education is bad. I just know it might not be better like we are told it is.

I would not trade my private education for the world. I liked my school and I liked my community, but I still don’t think I had the most well-rounded education. Important topics like sex, consent and evolution were not taught at all. We were sheltered from the world and any opinions that did not align with the church.

  There is no research that says one is better than the other; it’s purely an opinion. Whether your child goes to the private school or public school does not matter. Maybe in some communities the private school is better and maybe in some communities the public school is better. There is no one way to do education.

Private education systems keep those in poverty down while uplifting the wealthy. If it is true that the private education is better that means that we are rewarding those that are wealthy with a better education and telling those below the poverty line that their education isn’t as important. This negatively affects BIPOC. Our country has already pushed BIPOC into redlined districts with little funding, and private education systems further this by not giving them the same education as a rich white community would get.

Private educations also regularly have dress codes which limit creativity and individuality. Dress codes force students into boxes and don’t let them express themselves. Dress codes also teach young girls that they need to cover their bodies and should be ashamed of their bodies. The LGBTQ+ community is forced in binary options in their uniform, pants or skirts, but it has to be in line with their assigned sex.

  When you think about where you want to send your children to school someday think about the effects it might have. Think about more than the title of private and public and the cost of attendance. While all of those things may matter what your child or you might need probably isn’t a label and a giant bill each year.