My children are attending private school since 2006 and I see a difference in the quality of education they are receiving. I think that it's primarily a result of the motivation of the faculty - which is more pronounced in the private system. Two points I'd like to share:
1st: There hasn't been a single strike in the private school my children attend while there have been numerous disruptions in the public system during the same period. I, as a user of the service, appreciate that.
2nd: The expectations set by the faculty are much higher in the private school than they are in the public system. The difference in the amount of homework is truly enormous... which isn't always easy to deal with. But at least we have the impression that our children are being prepared for their future.
Finally, all my 3 kids seem to appreciate going to school more than they did while they were in the public system.
My personal experience, was spending a year in a "private" school, and afterwards going to the local "good" public school ; and life was better for me, and the teachers much better, at the later school.
It strongly depends on what exact neighbourhood you are in ; for example in Neuilly many go in public schools, since those are already socially segregated for all practical purposes. Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
In the former case, the solution is to pay them fair wages - then they won't strike. In the latter case, some kind of political compromise must be struck so the teachers do not feel compelled to use such an expensive tool to make their case.
Either way, the blame is not solely - or even, IMHO, primarily - with the teachers.
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
I certainly agree that staff delivering public education services in France are not paid nearly what they deserve to be paid.
Regarding the comment about social segregation which comes automatically with the neighborhood you live in, I actually live in a city with perhaps the highest family income level in the Yvelines (Viroflay). Does that mean that public schools in Viroflay are better than in... Les Mureaux ? From what I understood, French schools are neither managed nor financed at the local level - as they are in the US.
