Private or public school: Where would you educate your child?

Although it is the primary responsibility of parents to instruct them, the school environment also contributes in moulding their character. Every parent wants the best for their children hence they send them to school. But the question is where would you prefer to educate your children; in private or public schools?
There have been several debates about the preferred school environment for children. Some people argue that they prefer the private school system because of its organised environment but others say they prefer the public school because children who attend them become more responsible than those who go to private schools. A cross section of respondents who spoke to Life Xtra expressed varied opinions on the issue.
Elsa Obidi’ya Mere, an events-planner, said she would rather send her children to a private secondary school: “I’ll send my kids to a private secondary school. Gone are the days when government schools were good. Now they are filled with thugs, drug addicts. Some people feel government schools are a dumping ground. Gone are the days when teachers in government schools were so dedicated to their job.” She adds that some graduates of government schools can barely communicate fluently in the English language with their peers because their teachers hardly come to class so they learn little or nothing while in school.
Ogoro Godday concords with Mere, stressing that he too would rather send his children to a private school: “I attended public primary school but had my secondary education in a private school and I saw the difference. In private schools, they encourage the speaking of good English language which is in contrast to public schools where they speak vernacular and nothing is seen in it.”
Tipijah Zinna-Owu also told Life Xtra that she will take her children to private schools because of the endless strikes by public school teachers: “Teachers are not well paid in public schools so they are not devoted at all.”
Like the other three respondents, Nkume Ogechi, an insurance officer, says she would also send her kids to private schools because public schools are not well organized: “They have poor facilities and training in and out of classrooms.”
But Mrs. Franklin, who runs a provision store in the Life Camp area of Abuja, holds a different opinion; she would rather have her kids go to public schools because of the level of discipline there: “The students are well-disciplined and they have morals. And most of them are intelligent too.”
Stella Okoli, an NYSC corps member, who is in agreement with Mrs. Franklin, said she attended a public secondary school and she came out with good grades: “The secondary school I attended was a government secondary school and they taught us very well. I had good grades in my WAEC and NECO exams. Because of my experience, I’ll send my own kids to a government school.”
Sharon Sams, an undergraduate of the University of Jos, concurred with the last two respondents, saying: “All secondary schools have their advantages and disadvantages irrespective of their statuses as private or public. But I’ll always go for a government secondary school; when the time comes, I’ll send my kids to government schools.”