Deciding to enroll our child in a public vs. private nursery school requires some thought process. Sometimes, it could even be overwhelming!
In the past, choosing between a public and private school system was largely determined by income level.
While that’s still generally true today, there are more nuances to consider.
For example, how do the facilities of the two systems compared? Who are the caretakers and what are their qualifications? What is the price difference between the two systems (and hence, value)?
As someone who had attended public school all her life, I’m intrigued to find out the differences between public vs. private schools.
Even though it’s a blessing to have a choice, I would much prefer that all school systems are comparable in quality so that we don’t have to choose.
But as our world becomes more complex, so does the nuances of education.
Today, I’ll share some of my experience while visiting public and private nursery schools here in Switzerland. Hopefully this could give you some insights as you make an informed decision for your child.
Note: Even though these nuances can be different amongst countries or territories, the thought process of researching as a parent could still be relatable.
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Figuring Out What’s Important
When it comes to choosing between a public vs. private nursery school, figuring out what’s important is a crucial first step.
For instance, the criteria we look for are safety, proximity, educational value and price.
Once you figure out what your criteria are, it becomes easier to make an informed decision.
Does it feel safer at a private nursery than a public?
Going through public school my whole life, I’ve never felt unsafe inside a school. Sure, some bullies might make you feel unsafe if you walk down the hall alone, but generally speaking, there’s no imminent danger.
Today, we have to worry about more things like terrorist attack, intrusion, and now the infamous pandemic.
You certainly want to put your child in a safe environment above all else! And if you don’t feel safe, then there’s really no point of going to a nursery school.
Luckily in Switzerland, it feels very safe in almost any neighborhood.
So the only thing that I’ve found which was slightly different were the facilities between the public and private nurseries.
For example, the public nursery school we visited was somewhat smaller. Because of this, social distancing is non-existent.
On the other hand, the private nursery we visited has more room to roam around. We felt slightly more comfortable as a result.
Cleanliness is also an important factor when it comes to being in a safe environment. Looking at the two schools we visited, they both seemed equally clean.
Overall, I would say that the private school has better facilities.
How close is it to home?
Proximity is an important factor for us when deciding between public vs. private nursery school.
The best school would be one that’s close to where we live so that we don’t have to commute.
The public nursery school we visited is just 5 – 10 minutes walk from home. We had been eyeing this nursery for sometime now, but it’s often full. We got ourselves on the waiting list with the school’s network for over a year until we finally got a response.
Similarly, the private school system also has a waiting list, albeit a much shorter one. The one in which we visited is about 30 minutes by bus with one transfer. In Switzerland, the bus transportation system is excellent so we don’t really need a car.
But 30 minutes (or 1 hour round trip) commute is not ideal. If there’s ever an emergency, it’s definitely better to not have to take two buses to get to the school.
For this, the public nursery school was a better choice.
What are the activities between public vs. private nursery schools?
Educational value is the next criteria on our list. We’re not looking for some extreme learning, but just a mix of play and learn approach would be ideal.
I was very curious to find out if there’s a difference between the public vs. private nursery schools when it comes to learning.
And lo and behold, this is where the two systems diverge.
When we visited both schools, they each have a designated director who gave us a tour and explained to us the toddlers’ day-to-day activities.
At the public school, the director emphasized on play and letting the children have fun. They do not teach any alphabets, numbers or the like. “This curriculum is reserved for pre-school,” the director informed us.
Instead, they’ll sing together and will allow the children to have their own individual activities. But the main focus is just to have fun.
On the other hand, the private school system seemed a lot more disciplined. When we entered the school, the children were all sitting down politely around the table having meals. They would wave hello as their caretaker told them to say bonjour.
It was so sweet and cute!
At the private nursery school, the director showed us each activity room which has its own special purpose for learning, playing or sleeping. In one of the rooms, the toddlers learned their alphabets and numbers. I was utterly impressed.
Comparing to the private nursery school, the children in the public one seemed a lot more carefree and played randomly.
The caretakers in both school systems were nice and friendly. They definitely seemed qualified and competent to do their job. But the organization of the activities are quite different between the two nurseries.
For this criteria, I find that the private school offers more educational value than its public counterpart.
Is Private Nursery Much More Expensive Than Public?
In Switzerland, the public school system is subsidized by the government based on income level. This means that the less income you make, the less you pay to attend a public nursery school.
Here in Switzerland, children over the age of four can attend public schools for free. But any age below that is considered childcare.
To find out how much we’d need to pay, we have to submit last year’s earnings with the previous three month pay stubs. We were surprised to find out that we’re at the maximum of income level which means we don’t get any subsidy.
And we decided three full days a week would be a good start for our baby, so for that it’ll cost about $1,500 a month (or about $115 per day) at a public nursery school.
On the other hand, the tuition for private nursery varies. The one we visited cost about $135 per day. This equates to about $1,755 a month for three days per week’s care.
But, the private nursery also charges a monstrous subscription fee of $500. Meanwhile, the public one only charges $50.
So all in all, the private nursery would cost us about $21,560 a year whereas the public nursery would cost about $18,050. That’s a $3,510 in difference per year.
But when taking into context, it’s only $22.5 differential a day which is not too bad.
So What Did We Choose?
Based on the factors mentioned above, we’ve decided to go with the public nursery school.
The facilities of the two were quite comparable even though the private nursery was more spacious. They both felt equally safe and have friendly staffs.
The proximity to home was a huge difference though. Instead of an easy 5-10 brisk walk to the public nursery, We’d have to take a 30-minute bus ride to the private one. I’d much prefer the nursery school to be closer to home.
Even though I was a bit disappointed to learn that the public nursery does not emphasize on learning at all, it’s still acceptable given my daughter is still just a toddler.
Perhaps the director was right that they have a lifetime of learning ahead of them, so why rush it?
Finally, because of our income level, the price difference between a public vs. private nursery school is not dramatic. For $22.5 more a day, I wouldn’t mind to enroll my daughter into the private school if it were closer to home.
So with all these factors considered, we’ve decided to give public school a try.
What do you think the differences are between public vs. private nursery school? Did I miss anything that should be taken into consideration?
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