Background Introduction

Schools grow up children on the way to be scholar. Education is the backbone of every nation. School sector reform is an important part of government. However, the great issue is here that which school is better public or private?

To develop the nation both private school and public school give great contribution. The aim of both types of school is to support children by giving quality education.

According to the government's survey for the fiscal year 2021-22, the number of total schools in Nepal is 34,368. Among them 26,454 are public school and 6,760 are private schools and other are religious schools.

Private Vs Public Schools in Nepal

A private school is run by own funding policy like students tuition fee. But public school is funded by governmental fund. Sometime for the quality improvement, government funded public school also demand fee from students. Various notions about private and public schools are exist in the society. In the society, private schools are often assumed more elitist, expensive, well-managed, well-disciplined and caring rather than public school. Are all the assumption developed by societies true? Let's discuss about the issue here.

Curriculum and book selection

In private school the curriculum are applied accordingly to the school founder team and principle. So sometime, it may be harder or may be easier than the students' need and interest. Thus the curriculum or book selection decision is danger and harmful for kids instead of life skill developing.

Public schools' curriculums are designed by National Curriculum Development Center. A huge group of scholars, businessmen, political and religious leaders, social workers have engaged.

The discussion, selection, for its validity and reliability, pilot test executed. Some students and teachers also involve while selecting the texts. National goals and objective and level wise subjective goal also addresses such type of curriculum and text books. A group of writer and editor work to finalize the curriculum.

Public school's curriculum and syllabus are designed and selected through the participatory approach. It can cover much more subject matter than private school. Because of sequence and integration text books look attractive, articulated and interesting than private school's unilateral curriculum. In the real sense, curriculum is a ran way to reach a goal. So that the way and vision of public school is clearer than private school in case of applying curriculum and developing text books.

Goal and objective

Private school and government school both have same goal and objective. However, there is little bit different in focusing area. Private school focuses English language whereas public school highlights extracurricular activities i.e. quiz, sanitation program, debate context, sports etc. To sum up, public school's goal and objective are for holistic development of children.

Private schools are conducted as the business where the founders and shareholders need to look for the profit that automatically leads towards the profit and growth of the business. Government funds public school as it is non-profitable organization for national development.

Fund and Investment

Getting admission is easier in public school in comparison to private school. Government invests lots of money for public school in every fiscal year. The Government of Nepal in educational sectors invests more than 24% budget out of the National Budget. Most of the students having less privileged background are simply benefited from public school.

In private schools, students are the source of fund for all expenses at school. The teacher's salary, school's infra-structure, maintains all are arranged through the students' tuition fee. Therefore, high cost affordable family are benefited from private schools. Private schools are more costly than public school. There is no any rules and regulations on how much money for admission, monthly fee, sports, library and so on. So many private schools abuse parents in case of admission and tuition fee till today. It is the most significant difference between public and private school. Thus, government funded public schools are blessing for those students who can't afford high cost.

[Children of a Private School]

Infra structure and Physical Environment

For the holistic development of children, every school attempts to provide facilities such as library, sports grounds, lab, primary first aid, school garden as well as swimming pool. In private schools, there may not be the sufficient buildings and materials to make equipped those facilities but in public schools, the government gives every year fund for the school improvement to equip schools in all round growth and development.

Most of the budget, government gives fund as per the demanded title that should be spent on the directions and guidelines. Thus, public schools have been becoming more attractive than private schools according to infrastructure and physical environment.

a. Classroom Size

The ideal number of students in school's classroom is 25 when we talk about the primary level. In case of lower secondary and secondary level, the number of students is 30 to 35. In renowned school, this size may be lower but it is the standard size for students' population which a teacher can care one by one in the class.

Many of private and government schools could not adopt this model yet. However, some famous private schools in Kathmandu has adopted it. Large number of students gets competitive environment to flourish their talents.

b. Chair/Bench and Desk Model

According to the age and class the bench and desk model should be different. Primary level students need small and low size of desk whereas higher class students need large size. Desk should be designed according to average height of students. In many schools, there is double functioning model of desk where students can put their bags inside. Anyway, suitable desk and bench makes students feel comfortable while studying and writing. Most of the public schools adopt medium quality of furniture made up iron and wood whereas, most of the famous private schools use high quality and fascinated desks and benches.

[Some children of a Public School]

Quality of Teachers in Public and Private Schools

One of the most significant differences between public and private school is quality of teachers. In public schools, most of the teachers are from teacher service commission (TSC). They are trained, well-educated with high educational qualification. But in private schools, the school gives very low salary and no allowances at all. So the teachers in private schools are not qualified in comparison public schools.

Gaining good salary, allowances are motivational factors for a teacher. Public school allows varieties of teacher training for the quality improvement. But in private schools such types training are not available for the teachers. Teacher should teach most of the time as they stay in school. The private schools' teachers rarely get free time for rest and refreshment because the number of teacher is few and they must go to class one after another according to the ring bell.

But in public school the work load of teachers is well managed. There is free time for the refreshment. Private school manages the duties of teachers according to their degree, experience, interest and funding capacity. Some people claim that the teachers can get job in private schools on the basis of the connection and relation with the founders and share holds. That make school environment polluted. But in public school such types of practices hardly enter.

Punctuality and Discipline in Public and Private Schools

Classroom becomes automatically disciplined if the teachers are punctual. They can confidently ordered students when teachers are punctual in school and classroom. In the case of punctuality, private schools' teachers are more punctual rather public schools' teacher. If they come late the principal or founder needs to punish. There is rarely excuse for them. They managed school through punctuality. In public school, teachers seem lazy and sometime ignore the time table. There is one famous saying in Nepalese context, if someone becomes late it is called "Nepalese time" that could not left such tag till today.

Supervision and Monitoring in Public and Private Schools

Both public and private schools welcome various teachers from different cultural background. School supervision makes school environment more controlling, disciplined and well-managed. In public schools, there is government's networking how to supervise the school.

There are school supervisor to monitor the school and classroom teaching. The headmaster can supervise the class from two methods by liner method and non liner method. In the same way, school chairperson can also supervise and monitor the school. All the parents should work as school supervisor to make school with better performance. They are authorized for public school supervision. But in private school, principal and founder are the main authorities.

Parent's Expectations from Public and Private School

Parents always expect positive and progressive report of their children both in public school and private school. Parental involvement and participation makes school's climate progressive. If children don't walk in right way, parents change school. When children cannot pass the exam, they search for next school. Is the changing school solution?

Absolutely not behavioral change, habit formation, life skill development policy of school, practically and self confident students are the actual expectations from the parents and society. However, private school's parents expect high position in exam result of their children. This is a narrow concept of education. Only high scored children are not jewels of school but all the children who are self-motivated, positive thinking, nation-loving are the outcomes and expectations of the society.

Problems of Public and Private School

Most of the public school headmasters accused parent's meeting is not fruitful because of less attendance of parents in school. But in case of private school there are not such problems. The main problem of private school is hard to receive tuition fee from the parents which highly affects teacher's attitude.

The salary is not given in time, low salary-scale, over work load are the problems of teachers. This problem highly affects teacher's continuity in school, their working capacity, motivation. They resign the school and search for new one. But all the private school's common problem is same. Different teachers teach in a different style which it is harmful in perception of students learning process in a single academic year. Sometimes teacher became passive in public they ignore their duty and responsibilities while taking each-other.

English Performance in Public and Private School

English is one of the most important showcase for private schools. It is often claimed that English language performance and competence is a piece of cake for them which is almost a big bone to the public schools. The medium of instruction in community schools is Nepali where boarding or private schools the medium of instruction is English. In the context of Nepal, English is very popular. Majority of parents want their children speaking English in their study as well the in daily life.

Conclusion

The quality of education is itself indefinable word. Teaching is tri-polar activity- curriculum, student and teacher. If teachers teach from their core of heart teaching will be fruitful everywhere. Teachers are the vehicle of school. Who drive school seriously or not, it depend on their perception towards their profession. Public school teachers get more salary and facilities than private school teachers. They have good experience, qualification, training and support program from government side. So they became sharper and sharper day by day. Because of handsome salary on the specified time, the livelihood becomes easier than private school teachers.

They get allowances and extra income from the school if they do extra load. In this way, the life of teachers in public school is more comfortable than private school. Positive attitude makes them behaving positively with both students and school administration. However, in private schools because of small class size students get individual care that makes children more eager to learn. Some private schools use latest teaching technology in classroom which makes lesion easier to learn. In conclusion, public schools focus education for all slogans and support government program continuously. Thus, public school is far better than private school for the holistic development of students and nation.