Ever wondered what the major differences between going to a private and public school is?

Here are 7 hilarious differences between attending a private school vs. a public school:

1. The class sizes.

I had about 20 to 25 different people in one class and when a friend of mine found out that I had “so many” people in one class she basically freaked out and said the most people she has in her class “is like, 16. I’d die with 25 people.

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Probably because people have this misconception that a full class means less attention given to all students.

Maybe in some cases but certainly not all. As long as you’re focused and listen to your teacher; you’ll do fine.

2. The programs differ

While public schools have your basic sports programs and maybe one or two extra language classes; majority of private schools in SA are giving kids the option of an array of various skills and activities.

They’re learning French, Mandarin, you name it (you probably can’t name it in those languages though lol) and sports from fencing to gymnastics to interpretive dance.

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Related Article: More than an oppressor’s language: reclaiming the hidden history of Afrikaans

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3. Teacher student relationships

When you attend a private school your relationship with your teacher is most likely *A1 because your class sizes are so small therefore everyone has this great relationship because you get “one on one” time with each student (I’m assuming since a few private school peeps I know had a whatsapp group with each teacher and student in it) and they’ll happily laugh and send memes of the school days doing.

Whereas at a public school your relationship with some of your teachers probably go like this…

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4. Uniforms

School uniforms are super expensive already but private school uniforms cost double the price because you can’t just buy the shirt with the special badge at Jet or Ackermans.

When I saw those private school guys and girls in their preppy little uniforms I felt a bit envious because they looked like they just stepped out of an episode of Gossip Girl or some teen high school series that everyone wished they were a part of…

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5. The petty lunch time fights

If you attended a public school (a REAL public school) there was a fight at least twice a month at break and everyone would just chime in…#suchanorm

But if this happened at a private school you probably spoke about the “fight of the century” for the entire year.

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6. Quality Food

I’m not sure how good your food at your tuckshop was if you attended a public school but the only good thing (and cheap) food item I could eat was a polony roll.

When we played hockey matches at private schools around Cape Town on the other hand we were amazed at the coffee shops (yes, actual coffee shops) and the fact that the tuckshop menus had options like salads, smoothies, lattes and chicken paninis…

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7. Free periods

At a public school a free period meant you basically go wild and have a class party for 45 minutes…

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Private school on the other hand= Most likely studied and finished off all homework in your class of 15.

There you have it! Some differences we all experienced whether you attended a private or public school!

– Zuhaa Isaacs

*A1- Good, excellent, on point.

Categories: Education