Public or Parochial?

I remember when I first started at my local Christian school, Faith Heritage, the bus driver asking me, "Public or parochial?". I had no idea what in the world she was asking and I'm sure she could tell by my half-confused, half-nervous facial expression. By the way, I was only 5 or 6. But I digress.
A friend of mine asked me via Facebook what my thoughts are concerning public school and Christian school. I think she asked me because I went to Faith Heritage (from here on it will be referred to as FHS)from kindergarten until I graduated. From there I went on to Philadelphia Biblical University for my undergrad and I'm currently in seminary. Basically, my entire education has revolved around Christian institutes. Did I mention that my dad is a pastor so I was at church all the time? Well I was and in many ways I still am. My wife and I have been a part of planting two churches; one in Philly and we're currently part of one here in Syracuse.
My connections with public school have come by way of my employment. I have worked for the Liverpool Public school system for 4 years as a special education TA. I have worked at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. It has been interesting and informative seeing that I never stepped foot in a public school when I was actually in school. OK, enough with the background, now my opinion.
Christian school definitely has some benefits but, as with most things, it has its downfalls as well. I truly enjoyed my Christian schooling at FHS but it was all I knew. My class stayed at around 50 kids all the way through. This allowed me to get to know everyone although I didn't hangout with everyone. We all knew each other and to a certain degree were all friends. So in that aspect it was nice. Athletically, we competed against the public schools and fared well. Academically, it was challenging. I recall many times talking with "public school kids" and being amazed at their lack of school work. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like they didn't do the same quantity or quality of work. I don't mean that in a negative or arrogant way, it just seemed like we wrote more papers and whatnot.
Obviously, the most differentiating factor for a Christian school is the fact that it's Christian. We had chapel every Wednesday where we sang and listened to a sermon-esque message. The boys wore ties and the girls wore dresses. We were very spiritual in our attire (that's sarcasm, to a certain extent). There were mandatory Bible classes and annual retreats. Almost every class began with prayer as its foundation. Overall, Christ was at the center of every facet of school. When done correctly, it was a great thing.
But here's the catch. At Christian school the assumption is that everyone is a Christian. And by Christian I mean one who is living correctly, doing their devotions, praying regularly, and going to church (these aren't the only benchmarks of Christianity). Unfortunately, this is/was not the case and it was continually left unchecked. The same was true at PBU because you assume everyone must be "doing alright" spiritually or they wouldn't be at Bible college. In short, there isn't always a great emphasis on accountability which easily leads to a mere adherence to an outward set of rules. The leap to hypocrisy is an easy one since everyone can see your external actions while you hide your inner attitudes. I don't want to sound like Debbie Downer but Christian schools tend to breed apathy in a world that laughs at religion in general and Christianity in particular.
Conversely, I have worked in the public school system for almost 4 years and it has been an eye opener. Not necessarily in a negative light but more along the lines of a mission field. The apathy that is characterized in Christian schools (and in Christianity in general) is contrasted by the wanton need for firm belief in public schools. It seems to be me that it's either sink or swim in public school. There is not much middle ground of belief because of the constant pressure to stay close to Jesus. The blatant disregard for religion and religious people [read Christians] should be pushing our teens toward a deeper faith. They must have a firm belief or they might be relegated to a group of fools. Overall, it seems like public school either pushes you toward a submitted life to Christ or to complete disregard for him. For those who strive towards maturity in their faith, public schools, both in their education and polity, will challenge and engage every facet of their life. To me the public school system offers a refining and profitable environment for the Christian that will produce the faith needed for life. This is definitely more so than in the Christian bubble.
These aren't all my thoughts on Christian and public schools. There are many benefits for both but this blog is merely based on my experience and the need for missional intellectual Christians.