Parents might choose to send their daughters to an all-girls boarding school for a number of reasons. Among these are perception that the boarding school will provide a better educational experience than local commuting schools, and concerns about the culture at local schools. The reasons can also stem from girls having social difficulties at their current schools, especially during the post-pubescent middle and high school years.
The reasons parents have for sending their sons to a boys only school mirror some of the reasons for sending girls to girls-only institutions, such as perceptions of the boarding school offering a superior academic program. Many boys-only boarding schools also have a military theme, with JROTC programs and a military style uniform policy and discipline. These programs can be used either as preparation for attending a military academy for a college education, or just as a more structured educational environment.
Some boarding schools are geared towards behavioral issues, others are prestigious academic institutions with rigorous admissions standards and application processes. Tuition for boarding schools can be very expensive. As of 2010, the residential fee for sending your children to boarding schools can be as high as $30,000 or more. Many boarding schools also have a day time program, in which students only pay the tuition fee, and more limited summer programs.
J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" book series features students who learn magic in an environment akin to a boarding school. After the first book was released in 1997, enrollment in boarding schools increased dramatically. Nick ward, the chairman of the Boarding School Association of Great Britain, attributed the increased interest in boarding schools to children reading the books and dubbed the increase the "Harry Potter Effect." This increase ended a ten year period of a ten year decline in boarding school enrollment.