In Britain, a public school is a private school that provides secondary education which parents have to pay for. The pupils often live at the school during the school term.
He was headmaster of a public school in the West of England.
...the boy from the streets who went to public school.
2. variable noun
In the United States, Australia, and many other countries, a public school is a school that is supported financially by the government and usually provides free education.
...Milwaukee's public school system.
public school in British English
noun
1.
(in England and Wales) a private independent fee-paying secondary school
2.
(in the US) any school that is part of a free local educational system
3.
in certain Canadian provinces, a public elementary school as distinguished from a separate school
public school in American English
1. US
in the U.S., an elementary or secondary school that is part of a system of free schoolsmaintained by public taxes and supervised by local authorities
2.
in much of Great Britain, any of a number of endowed, private boarding schools, generally not coeducational, which prepare students for the universities
Examples of 'public school' in a sentence
public school
Speech day at many public schools is a highly coveted networking opportunity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Write an essay in which you argue in favor of bilingual education in public school systems.
Goshgarian, Gary Exploring language (6th edn) (1995)
My son has just finished his education at a public school.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It probably planned an onslaught on their public school education and their juvenile social activities at university.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
An increasing number of public elementary and secondary public schools have adopted policies requiring the vaccination of students.
Christianity Today (2000)
He runs the sport like a public school headmaster with a mix of encouragement and the threat of the cane.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Let's hear it for a public school education!
The Sun (2008)
I suppose this sort of brass neck is what a public school education gives you.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
When Radical governments set up public school systems, they condoned de facto educational segregation.
Divine, Robert A. (editor) & Breen, T. H & Frederickson, George M & Williams, R. Hal America Past and Present (1995)
The headmaster of a public school was dismissed after insisting that an under-performing pupil should leave, his personal assistant told an employment tribunal.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Word lists with
public school
America, school
In other languages
public school
British English: public school /ˈpʌblɪk skuːl/ NOUN
In Britain, a public school is a private school that provides secondary education which parents have to pay for.
He was head teacher of a public school.
American English: private school
Arabic: مَدْرَسَةٌ خَاصَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: escola particular Inglaterra
Chinese: 私立学校
Croatian: privatna škola
Czech: soukromé gymnázium
Danish: privat kostskole
Dutch: particuliere kostschool
European Spanish: colegio público
Finnish: sisäoppilaitos
French: école privée
German: Privatschule
Greek: ιδιωτικό σχολείο
Italian: scuola privata
Japanese: パブリックスクール
Korean: 사립 중고교
Norwegian: offentlig skole
Polish: szkoła prywatna
European Portuguese: escola pública Inglaterra
Romanian: gimnaziu privat
Russian: частная независимая платная средняя школа