Private boarding schools are educational institutions that provide education along with room and board for students. Students live on campus during the term, and then go home for holidays. The boarding school experience is paid for by students’ families, although financial help may be available.
While most of the best private boarding schools are all male or female, there are also coeducational schools, which provide a fuller social experience for teens. Many schools also promote diversity, giving students a wider cultural perspective and training foreign students for success.
When you learn about private boarding schools, you’ll find there are three types. First are academically-focused schools where students participate in intense programs to prepare them for higher learning. Another kind of boarding school is the religious-based one. At these schools, the emphasis is on balancing secular learning with spiritual training. Finally, therapeutic boarding schools are institutions where students learn to control behavior problems or addictions.
There have been private boarding high schools in the United States since before the Revolutionary War, but the history of these schools goes back much further. In fact, in early mediaeval times, the practice was to send boys to monasteries to learn from literate monks and clergymen. It is commonly believed that the first boarding school was the King’s School in Canterbury, England, founded in 597 AD.
The United States developed a policy in the late 1800s that built government-run boarding schools whose purpose was to assist Native Americans in assimilating into western society. Sadly, the policy was meant to rid them of their native culture and values.
Today there are private boarding schools on nearly every continent in the world. While the boarding school experience began in Great Britain, the number of private boarding schools in the United States now exceeds the number of schools there. Not surprisingly, the states with the most private boarding schools are Massachusetts and Connecticut.
When choosing a boarding school, first decide which kind of private boarding high school is best and how far from home it should be. Think about whether you want your student to attend a coed school or a single-sex one. You’ll also want to consider the size and amenities, since they vary widely from school to school.
The final stage in determining the right school for your student is to learn about those on your narrowed-down list. Reading comments online, talking to other parents and former students, and making a visit should round out your decision-making process.
