There is some debate about whether governments should support private schools financially, and in my opinion, that should not be the case. I believe that government funding should be directed towards more initiatives in the public schooling systems.
One of the biggest arguments to oppose funding private schools with taxpayer money, is that it benefits only those that choose to attend privately funded schools, which is a choice and not a necesssity. When such educational institutes are subsidized, the money comes from the pockets of the taxpaying population and it serves only a small section of the public. One could maintain that public schools are a service to everyone, while private schools are privilege for those that can afford it. Bearing this in mind, using public resources for private institutions cannot be justified.
Furthermore, this kind of investment would open up another can of worms about which private institution is eligible to receive monetary help, and if religious instutions would qualify for such an initiative. Goverments must not discriminate based on religion, but explicitly supporting religious institutions might make it non-secular. For instance, if the public systems support religious private schools, they might end up being associated with teachings that may or may not adhere to the government’s official stance on certain subject matters.
Last but not least, there is discussion about public schools being underfunded already, and to divert funds from such organisations that support the community would be unfair. In recent times, we have seen public school teachers protesting low wages, parents complaining about reduced quality of teaching and a lack of educationally relevant resources in classes for their children. In the face of these circumstances, it would be unreasonable to not funnel taxpayer dollars to where it is needed more.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that since public schools serve a large section of the country’s residents, while private schools only cater to the few who attend them, it is wiser to ensure the former has a solid monetary foundation, before looking to fund the latter.