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School sector

What kind of school you choose: neighborhood public, public school of choice, charter, or private. Religious schools exist but are outside the scope here.

Should we choose public, private or religious school?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Neighbourhood public; Public school of choice; Charter (US); Secular private (religious schools exist as a category and are out of scope). Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: preschool.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
Preschool
Part of
Learning & the wider world

School sector: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Neighbourhood public

    The child attends the local public school assigned by address.

  2. 2. Public school of choice

    The child attends a different public school you apply to, such as a magnet or specialty program.

  3. 3. Charter (US)

    The child attends a publicly funded school run independently of the district.

  4. 4. Secular private (religious schools exist as a category and are out of scope)

    The child attends a non-religious school that charges fees.

School sector: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

Private advantage mostly reflects family background; charters show modest average gains, larger in cities

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Schools differ in who runs them, who pays and who can attend. Public schools are free and assigned by address; some places offer choice programs or charter schools; private schools charge fees. What is available depends heavily on where you live.

Questions to ask each other

  • What do we want from a school?
  • What do we think the differences are between public and private?
  • What would we sacrifice to get the school we want?

More in School and academics

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.