Private school generally refers to any school that is not controlled by government authorities and is not supported chiefly by taxes or other public funds. A private school differs from a public school, which operates under public supervision with major support from government funds. Private schools are operated by religious groups and by independent nonreligious organizations seeking educational approaches not sufficiently represented in public schools.
Most private schools operate on a nonprofit basis, although a few are run as businesses to make money for their owners. Private schools are funded chiefly by tuition, grants from their sponsors, or contributions. Some private schools also have an endowment—that is, invested money whose income is used to fund the school.
In most countries, almost all schools were private until the early 1800’s. At that time, many government leaders began to encourage development of public schools to foster national progress by making education widely available to citizens. Today, the number of public and private schools differs greatly from one country to another. In many developed countries, private schools offer popular alternatives to programs in public schools. Such alternatives include a general focus on preparation for college; a special focus on science, music, or other subject areas; and religious instruction. The Roman Catholic Church is one of the largest sponsors of private schools throughout the world. Other private schools are operated by Protestant, Jewish, and Islamic groups in many countries.
