Did Someone Say "Private..."

Private in Costa Rica has a 'privileged' connotation to it. Private hospitals, private school, private doctors.... you only afford 'private' if you have money. Or in our case, extra money to spare.

A private school education was pretty much impossible for us back in Boston. It was just something I could not have afforded for my kids. However, you could pretty much pick and choose from one of the many upper crest public schools and know that your child would fare just fine. Don't get me wrong, there were some 'not so great' public schools too. And depending on where you lived (class separation, anyone), greatly affected the type of education you got. However, some public schools were so good, they were on par or far exceeded a private school education. Private school, in some cases, was just that... not better schooling, just 'private'.


However, from my experience, it seems to be different here in Costa Rica. Private school tends to mean a better, more privileged education. Not that I have much experience with the public school system, but from what I've read, in many areas, it's not that great.

For starters, most, if not all, public schools alternate between two different shifts. A morning and an afternoon. Your child will go in the am one day, then switch to the afternoon shift the next. How can a child establish routines like this. Up early one day, sleep in late the next. It seems odd to me. And if the schools are only half a day long, how much learning can they get done?

Boobie , my 9 year old son, goes to school from 7 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. By contrast, my friend's daughter, who is also 9, goes from 7 until noon on the morning shift and then noon until sometime after 4 on the afternoon shift. They are both in 3rd grade. Boobie gets TWO extra hours of 'learning'. TWO. So much can be done in 2 hours. And so much can be missed.

Now while I believe they are both getting a good education (Costa Rica has a pretty high standard of education), I just fail to believe that her education is on par with my son's. People like me who pay for their kids' education expect to get a lot for their money. And many private schools deliver on those expectations.

Trust me, I am no snob. But I just refuse to go the public school route, if I can help it. We are VERY lucky we're able to afford a private education for Boobie. And although the school he attends now is VERY inexpensive, it's still a luxury we are very thankful for. While I am not IN love with my son's school (they are lacking in a few areas)... I have to say, for us, it's a better fit than public.

Costa Rica offers a variety of private schools, each with it's own distinct style and price. Some teach in English, some only in Spanish (with an English class or two... this is Boobie's current school, which is also Christian based ), and some are bilingual (this was Boobie's last school). And prices vary anywhere from $100 to $600 and beyond. While some Americans spend that much on daycare or pre-school, keep in mind, the average Costa Rica takes home about $500 a MONTH. How could they afford private school AND pay for basic necessities too?

I am still searching for the 'perfect' private school for Boobie, but wouldn't it be nice if I had the option of sending him to a public school that was equal to or even similar with the private schools here?

Ideally, they would overhaul the public school system and bring it up to private school or semi-private school standards... starting with regular, everyday, school hours. Then people who cannot afford private (or don't want to spend the money) would still have the same opportunities for their children that private schools offer.

Now I'm just speaking from my experience... what I've read and what I know, which might not be much. I know there are great public schools out there. But someone has got to speak out against the ones that aren't. Children deserve better. And all children have the right to a proper education, private or otherwise. Can I get an "amen"!