Private school students must pay to attend a private school. Some are very expensive and offer scholarships to help children from low-income families. Churches or religious organizations run many private schools, which tend to have different standards than public schools. While public education is generally free, there are some fees associated with public schools, including the purchase of books, equipment, and uniforms.
These rates vary from state to state and between schools themselves. An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental schools, privately funded schools or non-state schools, they are not run by local, state or national governments. In British English, an independent school generally refers to a school that is endowed, that is, with a trust, charity or foundation, while a private school is one that is privately owned.
In Singapore, after the Primary School Dropout Test (PSLE), students can choose to enter a private secondary school. The Ministry of Education acts as a supervisory and regulatory body for all schools, including international schools. A small school, even one with lots of resources, can't support so many different programs because it simply doesn't have enough students to participate in them. There are government-owned schools, but only a small percentage of the population attends these aging structures, most of which were built in the mid-20th century.
Fees at international schools can be extremely high, so expats need to make sure that their budget can accommodate this expense before committing. Small schools also have some disadvantages, such as offering a smaller set of programs and services. Some private schools are associated with a particular religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism or Protestantism. Because state funding plays a critical role in the finances of all but one school fee, they must undergo a state inspection similar to that of schools that do not charge fees.
Unlike public schools, obtaining a place in a private school in the United States is not determined by geographical location. The Ersatzschulen are ordinary primary or secondary schools, run by individuals, private organizations or religious groups. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, public schools must provide educational programs for students with disabilities and hire teachers trained to work with those students. The Topeka Board of Education that demanded that American schools eliminate segregation at deliberate speed, local families organized a wave of private Christian academies.
In Italy, education is predominantly public; about a fifth of schools are private, attended by approximately one in 10 Italian schoolchildren. At that time there was no public school system that did not provide a basis for comparison with the quality or productivity of a school. Because public schools receive federal funding, they must also follow federal guidelines and that sometimes limits what public schools can teach. A family with an average income would pay only 7% of their income to send a child to a Catholic elementary school, but more than 50% for a seven-day boarding school.