May 2007 Ontario’s Private Schools: Who Chooses Them and Why? by Deani A. Van Pelt, Patricia A. Allison, and Derek J. Allison Contents Executive Summary .............................................. 3 Introduction: Growth in Private Education .............................. 6 Approach to Inquiry .............................................. 11 Characteristics of Private Schools ..................................... 12 Characteristics of Private School Families ............................... 14 Parental Reasons for Choosing Private Schools .......................... 23 Private Schools as “Effective Schools” .................................. 27 Conclusions ..................................................... 30 References ..................................................... 32 Acknowledgements ............................................... 33 About the Authors................................................. 34 A FRASER INSTITUTE OCCASIONAL PAPER Studies in Education Policy are published periodically Ordering publications: For information about order- throughout the year by The Fraser Institute, Vancouver, ing The Fraser Institute’s printed publications, please B.C., Canada. contact the book sales coordinator by e-mai at [email protected]; by telephone at 604.688.0221 Our vision is a free and prosperous world where indi- ext. 580 or, toll free, 1.800.665.3558 ext. 580; or by fax viduals benefit from greater choice, competitive mar- at 604.688.8539. kets, and personal responsibility. 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Date of issue: May 2007 The Fraser Institute, 4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6J 3G7 For find out how you can support The Fraser Institute, please contact the Development department: in Vancouver 8 via telephone at (604) 688-0221, ext. 586; via fax: (604) 688-8539 8 via e-mail: [email protected] in Calgary 8 via telephone at (403) 216-7175 or, toll-free at 1-866-716-7175 8 via fax: (403) 234-9010 in Toronto 8 via telephone: (416) 363-6575, via fax: (416) 934-1639 Executive Summary rivate school attendance in Ontario has grown run directly by churches or other religious organi- Pover recent decades from 1.9 percent of the stu- zations. dent population in 1960 to 5.6 percent in 2006. What are the characteristics of private schools? Why are par- Characteristics of Ontario’s Private ents increasingly choosing them over public schools? School Families What kinds of parents are choosing them for their chil- dren? This study is the most recent and comprehensive Our parent survey identified several differences be- attempt by researchers to document the characteristics tween the average parent of private school children, of private schools and the characteristics and motiva- and the average Ontario parent with school aged chil- tions of Ontario parents of private school students. dren, as reported in the 2001 census and in a 2003 Sta- tistics Canada social survey. Our study is based on a survey of parents (from 919 households) whose children attend private schools in • Higher levels of parental education: Ontario. We considered two major groups of private schools: academically- or pedagogically- defined day þ While a little over a third of the comparable schools (ADS) and religiously-defined day schools adult population had attended university, (RDS), schools which together served over 107,000 three-quarters of private school parents had. students in 2005-2006, or almost 90 percent of Ontario • Higher status occupations and more private school students. We did not include schools self-employment: with a more specialized mandate: those specifically for special needs students (11%), schools that cater almost þ Private school parents tend to be twice as likely exclusively to international students, or publicly (49%) as other parents with school aged chil- funded First Nations schools. dren to be employed in management, health or teaching, and only half as likely to work in con- struction, trades, transport, manufacturing or Private School Characteristics as labourers. þ Of those that reported lower status occupations • Mission: All of the schools saw their mission as be- almost all (89%) were parents who send their ing the provision of a superior education. children to religiously-defined schools. þ Fully 40 percent of private school families iden- • Size: The schools range in size from a reli- tified self-employment as a major source of in- giously-defined school enrolling 24 students to an come, while only 7 percent of comparison academically-defined school enrolling just over families did so. 1500 students. • Wide variety of household incomes: • Governance: The majority of the schools (70%), including all of the religiously-defined schools, are þ Almost half of private school households sur- non-profit schools governed by elected boards, al- veyed reported incomes over $120,000, though a few of the religiously-defined schools are whereas only a quarter of comparable census The Fraser Institute 3 Ontario’s Private Schools STUDIES IN EDUCATION POLICY, MAY 2007 families report similar (inflation adjusted an- Various features of private schools were positive rea- nual) incomes. sons for choosing private schools: þ Even so, 21 percent the private school families reported annual incomes below $50,000, com- • Dedication of the teachers, emphasis on academic pared to 37 percent of comparison families. quality, and safety were rated as very important þ Parents choosing religiously-defined schools re- features of their private schools by almost all par- ported notably lower income levels than those ents. choosing academically-defined schools • Parents who chose religiously-defined schools fre- • Civic participation: quently rated features concerned with morals, val- ues, religion, family and character development as þ Parents choosing private schools are more being very important to them. likely to vote in federal (98% vs. 61%), provin- • Parents who chose academically-defined schools cial (93% vs. 59%), and municipal (82% vs. consistently rated as highly important the quality 49%) elections than other Ontario parents with of the teachers and classroom instruction, individ- school aged children. ualized attention, and a motivating, supportive, þ Private school parents are three times as likely nurturing educational environment that instilled to be members of a political party (9% vs. 3%, confidence and independence in the students. respectively). • þ They are almost equally likely to be involved in Parents in religiously-defined schools were much local sporting, cultural, or hobby organizations; less concerned about class size and individualized attention than parents choosing academically-de- þ They are less likely to be involved in a union or fined schools, but they were significantly more in- professional association (20% vs. 27%, respec- terested in relational and identity opportunities tively). offered by the school community. • Importance of religion: Experience in Private Schools þ Fully 90 percent of private school parents (of both academically-defined and religiously-de- fined schools) say their religious or spiritual be- Parents were also asked to indicate the extent to which liefs are important or very important to the way various features were present in the private school of they lead their lives, compared to 75 percent of their choice. the Ontario parents of school aged children re- sponding to the 2003 social survey. • The majority of all parents strongly agree their pri- vate school has the following characteristics: Reasons for Choosing Private þ safe (ADS 71%; RDS 74%), þ Schools dedicated teachers (ADS 71%; RDS 73%), þ emphasizes academic quality (ADS 66%; RDS 66%), Disappointment with the public system: þ educates the whole child (ADS 63%; RDS 63%), • Disappointment with public or separate schools þ and develops student character (ADS 61%; was a factor in choosing their private school for 94 RDS 62%). percent of surveyed parents. 75 percent said this disappointment was a very important factor in • Parents at academically-defined schools strongly their choice. agree that their school has: Ontario’s Private Schools