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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What kind of a parents would let a kid that age essentially move out?
Wow.....[/quote]

I'm the person who taught at boarding school.  It was not my family's tradition -- I was lucky enough to go to an excellent public school that gave me a great education.  However, I learned to admire and appreciate the school I taught at and other good boarding schools.

As a high schooler, I had the idea that "you only go to boarding school if you have a drug problem, your parents work for an oil company, or your parents are getting a divorce."  As with many stereotypes, there is a grain of truth there that can obscure the larger invalidity of the perception.  Although some kids went to boarding school because of a difficult home situation or to get a fresh start or because of parents working overseas, many, many went because of the following two reasons: (1) the families lived in a part of the country where they felt the local secondary school options were not strong; and/or (2) there was a tradition of going away to school for high school.  As to the latter idea, I realized that I took it for granted that at age 18 I'd go away to school -- these families simply start earlier and the child goes away at 14 or 15.  The parents have done it (and had good experiences); the grandparents have done it (and had good experiences); and they simply want that great experience for their child.

What are some things boarding schools can give you?

1.  A simply superb education -- which may or may not be geographically available to you otherwise in your locality;
2.  Very strong sports programs -- this often factors in for kids from NYC who have athletic talent -- combined with excellent academics;
3.  A very, very close community -- kids get to know their teachers as "whole people" who have kids and grandkids and dogs (oh, the dogs at boarding school!) and there can be wonderful relationships not just between teachers and kids but between kids who bond in a lifetime kind of way.

It isn't for everyone -- probably not for my family -- but it's a neat educational option if it works for the child and family.[/quote]

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