Many private schools use a higher standard of education for their students. Often after a student has attended a private school for a period of time before switching to a public school, he finds that the public school classes are easier. In addition, the requirements for graduation are also higher among private high schools versus their public counterparts. Some private schools even require that their students complete customer service projects or other extra activities that help them complete a better rounded education.
Because of the way private schools are structured, the goal in mind is often a continued education through the college years. Therefore, the academics at a private school are aimed toward college. The requirements for graduation are often the same as the requirements for admission into many colleges. Since college is the ultimate goal, students may feel more pressure while attending a private school to do well in their classes and to complete classes that will earn them acceptance into college.
Many private schools are not designed to help with those students who have special needs. This either means that the school will not accept a student who needs extra help or that child will not receive the extra help she needs. This creates a challenge, especially for families in which one child has special needs and the others do not. A family must decide whether to split the children up between schools or send them all to the same school to the disadvantage of one or the other. However, with a little extra work on the parents' part, a child with special needs can still succeed in a private school environment.
Since private schools do not receive funding from the government, they are not held to the same curriculum restrictions that a public school is. For instance, while music and arts programs are being eliminated from public schools due to funding, these same programs thrive in private schools. These schools can add different class offerings that students may not find in the public schools. These additional areas of academics can give private school students an edge over public school students when applying for colleges. Private schools can also set the level of academics they teach to students, further raising the bar.