Difference Between Public and Charter Schools

Public vs Charter Schools

One of the basic needs of children which parents and the government are responsible for is education. While there are some who can afford to send their children to private schools, many cannot and so public schools and charter schools are established to provide education at a lesser or no cost to parents.

Public schools are schools which are required by the local, regional, or national government to provide kindergarten, primary, secondary, college, and technical education to all children. Although they are designed to be conducted in typical classrooms in a regular school environment, they may also be provided to those who have special needs and have to be taught at home. They are paid for by the government from the state taxes collected. It is compulsory to send children to public schools, and they need to undergo and pass standardized tests which are required by the state.

All public schools are required by the government to accept children who live within their district. Another type of state-funded school wherein students are not required to pay is called a charter school. While public schools must accept all children within their district, charter schools require students to apply for entry into the school. They are designed as alternatives to public schools, but they are not subject to the rules and regulations applied to public schools.

Charter schools usually have a special curriculum in fields such as the arts, technology, and mathematics, and they provide a better education than what is provided for by public schools. As such, many students vie for a spot in a charter school. They operate as autonomous public schools to give them more freedom to provide students with a culture that will give them the motivation, discipline, and guidance that they need. They are still subject to the educational standards set by the government, though.

Charter schools are also responsible for student achievement, and the students’ performance is assessed regularly. The survival of charter schools depends largely on how their students fare in these assessments. While public schools are opened by the government, charter schools are initiated by parents, teachers, and private organizations which also provide funding aside from the funds given by the government. For this reason they are also accountable to their sponsors.

Summary:

1.A public school is a government-funded school while a charter school is also a government-funded school but also receives funds from various sponsors.
2.A charter school is designed to be autonomous but is still subject to the regulations of the government like a public school.
3.Attendance in public schools is compulsory, and it is open to all children in a particular district while students have to apply for acceptance into a charter school.
4.The survival of charter schools depends on the students’ performance in assessment tests which are regularly conducted by the government while public schools are more stable and exist for years.
5.Public schools are established by the government while charter schools are established by private organizations and individuals such as parents and teachers.

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