Day schools vs. boarding schools
Day schools vs. boarding schools: which is a better option for your child? To find the best private school for your child, it's first a matter of understanding the features of day and boarding schools.
Day school students enjoy an enriching education and strong relationships with their parents, who can more effectively support their academic success, says Mary Hebert, former head of school at The Study, a day school for girls in Quebec.
"Families are very much part of their children's ongoing daily education," she says. "They are part of the school family and they support learning, and education is part of the students' lives, whether they're at school or home."
Parents get to play a hands-on role in helping with homework and projects, which can contribute to their children's academic success, Hebert says. Volunteer opportunities for parents at day schools allow them to make a difference and feel connected to their child's school.
Day school students are also better able to build roots in their home community and take advantage of local career opportunities when they graduate, she adds.
While there's little research to reflect the concrete advantages of day school, it's clear that day school families enjoy a unique bonus—the "we" factor, as Hebert puts it. "When children are in day school and families get to spend more time together, there are fewer divides between parents and children—it's not them and us, it's we."
As your child gets older, he or she may develop the maturity to handle the independence that comes with boarding school, which typically starts at middle or high school. This more immersive route of education offers ample opportunities for kids to grow as human beings, build meaningful relationships with peers and teachers, and realize their full academic and life potential, says Peter Upham, executive director of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), which represents about 300 boarding schools across the U.S., Canada and abroad.
"When kids enter high school, the relationship with the teacher is as powerful as the precision of the curriculum or the structure of the school day, and the intensity of boarding school allows for teachers to be a powerful motivating force in kids' lives," Upham says.
In 2004, TABS commissioned a study called The Truth About Boarding School, which compared the experiences of current and past boarders, including 2,700 private boarding, private day, and public secondary school students, as well as post-college graduates and mid- to late-stage professionals. In the study, significantly more boarders than a private day and public school students reported having satisfying and challenging academic experiences, high-quality teachers, and leadership opportunities. The study also found that boarders felt better prepared for college, were more likely to earn advanced degrees, and enjoyed greater career advancement.
"Boarders also learn how to become independent, have more time to develop broad extracurricular interests, and tend to have friendships that are deeper and last longer," Upham adds. "They are also more involved in their local communities and tend to be more philanthropic. So there are a lot of lifelong benefits that come out of the boarding school experience."