This factor may represent the most significant qualitative difference between a decent public school and a good private one. Often such factors are governed by tax base and funding issues rather than by any educational strategy. Since there are many fine teachers in both private and public settings, I can think of no more important element than the mentoring, instruction, and guidance potential generated by more face-time with the teacher. This is only possible in small classes where the teacher can spend more time with each individual child. Parents often consider private schools because they believe that their children will be exposed to higher academic standards and more stringent expectations of conduct and development.
Private schools do place a premium on academic performance.
Ostensibly, children attend private schools because their families care deeply about learning and are paying for something above and beyond what is available in the typical public school environment. However, such pressures may not always be useful for a particular child when examined more closely. Homework pressure and standards of measurement in private schools are often directed at the top ten-percent of children, a pattern that can have the stunning effect of making otherwise bright children feel stupid or slow. This can be particularly true in the middle school years where learning moves from rote response and information gathering to a more analytical and inferential level. When accrued knowledge serves as a basis for insight, students who may be developing at a slower but acceptable pace can feel overwhelmed even if their abilities are strong.