According to the National Center for Education Statistics at the turn of the 21st century, public schools made up 76 percent of all schools in America. Public schools are funded mostly by state funds and some federal dollars. Private schools, for the most part, are funded through tuition fees and private donations.

Public schools accept all children who come to register irrespective of their academic potential or needs. Private schools are selective about who attends. Therefore, when we compare, remember we are comparing apples with pomegranates.

As a parent you want what is best for your child, and some decisions you make have broad ramifications for your child's future.

Here are some key factors you should weigh when determining your verdict: Are private schools worth their tuition cost? Is your local public school safe? Is class size significantly higher in public schools? Which has the most highly qualified teachers? What about access to cocurricular or extracurricular activities?

First, let's look at class size. Class size is an important factor in students getting the necessary attention and feedback they deserve. California has mandated a 20-student maximum in at least three of the primary grades. This is usually an acceptable class size--although the research indicates 15 to 1 is significantly better. Unfortunately, when California instituted lower class size for primary grades, the state did not have a pool of highly qualified teachers to take the new positions. In fact, the quality of education your child receives is more closely related to the quality of the classroom teacher than class size.

Intermediate grades usually average around 30-plus students; middle schools and high schools are staffed typically at 30-plus students for every section, although physical education and elective classes are staffed at much higher ratios.

How do these numbers compare with private schools? One very popular parochial school in San Jose, St. Christopher's, has 35 students in each one of its first- through fifth-grade classrooms, and Challenger Schools have a national average of 25-30.

How about the cost factor? You are paying for your public schools through your tax dollars, so if you send your child to public school there is no tuition or charges for books. At private or parochial schools you pay a tuition fee, in addition to the taxes you already pay. At Challenger Elementary in Palo Alto, the cost is $9,830 per year; at Los Gatos Christian, the tuition is $6,225 per year.

Quality public schools are a great bargain, particularly if they employ highly qualified teachers that meet California's and the nation's No Child Left Behind credentialing requirements. Public school teachers must be college graduates; they must be credentialed and pass the CBEST test. There is no fixed requirement for teachers in parochial or private school.

Safety is often the deciding factor for many parents trying to choose between public and private schools.

A school that is run well by the administration with a school climate that discourages bullying behavior and encourages success for all, has a strict dress code, clear discipline standards understood by all, and a faculty that contributes to the emotional and physical safety for all children can be found in equal numbers whether public or private.

Most public schools provide as safe an environment as most private schools. There are exceptions, however, for both public and private. Since children are fragile beings, parents must determine if a school promotes a respectful environment and encourages student voice in governance. And do remember that public schools by definition must be inclusive, and private schools by definition can be exclusive.

All schools should place a focus on academics, the primary mission. That said, it is paramount for students to shine in all their intellectual and physical strengths whether it be music, art, drama, athletics, foreign language, technology, etc. Unfortunately, too many public schools in Silicon Valley must cobble together programs that emphasize these areas. Private schools might have more funding to compete in these areas, yet many public schools do an outstanding job here as well.

All children should be able to sing, draw, act or play a musical instrument. These right-brain talents are as important as the verbal and mathematical ones, and, in many ways, they enhance the learning of the academics. Perhaps, in Silicon Valley we should have an Arts Performance Index, too, so all public schools would compete to balance the academic curriculum with the arts.

My wish is for all of us to send our children to a quality neighborhood public school, where teachers are highly valued and paid, where safety abounds, the arts are emphasized, and all children succeed. We strengthen our public schools when we keep our children there and demand high quality.

El Camino Hospital