According to a recent study published by Cardus, an increasing number of parents in British Columbia prefer to send their children to an independent school, instead of one managed by the government.
There are several main conclusions from the study, and some of them are curious.
The first pattern researchers found was that most parents had not attended an independent, or private school themselves.
It appears that eighty-four percent of respondents (84%) stated that they had attended a public school at some point during their education. What is more impressive is that sixty-five percent (65%) of all respondents say that they have only attended a government-run school.
Another interesting finding from the study is that most parents initially sent their children to a public school, and later decided to turn to a private educational institution.
Independent schools
It is no secret that independent schools offer benefits, which are rarely available in public schools. However, to provide a better school environment and an abundance of out-of-class activities, private schools charge substantial tuition fees.
A key finding in the study was that most parents have trouble covering the tuition fees and costs associated with their children going to an independent school. According to the survey, only fifty percent (50%) of all parents stated that they had to find an alternative source of income, or make a drastic change in their lifestyle, to cover all school expenses.
Sometimes a private education is worth the investment, considering the fact that parents around the world have to pay tuition for some classes, even if their children are attending a public school.
There is a widespread myth that independent schools are available only to the privileged. Statistics show that parents in British Columbia are increasingly leaning towards sending their children to a private institution, as the benefits are significantly more than the drawbacks.
In case you did not know…
British Columbia (BC; French: Colombie-Britannique) is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. The name Columbia already existed for the region which is the name of the river located at its southern section, the British added “British” to it.
To avoid confusion with Colombia in South America and the island of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean, Queen Victoria named the area British Columbia when it became a colony in 1858.
The University of British Columbia is a global center for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world.
