Parental attitudes and school choice: the public/private distinction

This study examines the decline in public school enrolment in Vancouver. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, the study examines differences between parents who choose public school and those who choose private school. The primary source of information is a survey examining differences between public and private school parents’ educational priorities for their children. This is supplemented with a literature review and key informant interviews. The data reveal that public school parents have low levels of satisfaction with respect to both academic and non-academic characteristics of their child’s school. The study assesses policies for reform of the public system. It recommends that Vancouver’s public schools introduce a wider range of specialized academic and non-academic programs, expand the function of the community schools network and engage in a stakeholder discussion regarding the division of public school spending responsibilities between the Vancouver School Board and individual schools.