Depends on the school, their philosphy towards teaching and learning, the policies, the child... DD starts Prep in 2014, and after all the research into curriculum, pedagogy and policies, of all the rivate and public in a 20km radius, we've chosen a public school to be the best place for her. Haven't looked into high school yet but we'll go through a similar process, and chose what is best for her. I don't think either is better or worse, it just depends on what your child needs and what the schools can give them.