I went to a public preschool, and often reflect upon the values that were shaped by attending a school where all kinds of children from my community were attending. The benefits of trendy, hyper-ambitious preschools (that sport hefty tuitions, fees, as well as long waiting lists) are well documented. Children from the affluent private schools often learn skills that will prepare them for comparable elementary schools (which will train them for prep school and then college).

The gifts of a public preschool, however, cannot be underestimated. Teaching a child that there are “different” kinds of people is one thing, but to raise the child in an environment where there are children from different racial, socioeconomic, religious and familial backgrounds is priceless. The values of a public preschool will plant saplings of tolerance in a young toddler’s mind that will stay with the child throughout the child’s life.

A Public Preschool: Also Known as an Unsheltered Shelter

A public preschool will normalize the diversity of families in our society unselfconsciously. Interracial couples with biracial children, gay couples with adopted children, couples of different faiths with children are often not well represented in traditional, private schools (due to economic, cultural, religious or societal reasons). If your goal is to raise your child to view the differences in the United States as natural, then having a child surrounded daily by such influences is the best way for the child to grow into accepting and even having affection for the different types of families that can exist.

The Economic Benefits

It goes without saying that there are economic benefits to a public preschool fees and tuition bills pale in comparison to the Park Avenue preschool. Besides this obvious asset, there is the added benefit of having the child surrounded by children of different economic backgrounds. If your child is from a particularly well-off family, then sending the child to a public preschool will also expose the child to children who may not have as much, thereby increasing the child’s gratitude for what he or she does have, as well as developing empathy for others.

There’s Nothing with the Glitz

I don’t want to romanticize public preschool, because they can be just as susceptible to incompetence. I also do not want to disparage private schools. For parents who are interested in raising their children with certain values (moral and religious), private institutions are excellent. A public preschool, however, will begin the necessary preparation of a child as a citizen in our diverse and continually changing society.