The majority of parents on O'ahu send their children to public schools. They're convenient. They're supported by tax dollars. They include a cross section of society. Facilities are aging, but are generally in decent shape.

O'ahu public school stats: Kindergarten: 8,707 Elementary: 59,358 Intermediate: 16,362 High School: 31,342 Special Education: 22,549 Teachers: 13,017 Principals: 267 Elementary Schools: 180 Intermediate Schools: 54 High Schools: 47 Hawai'i's 10 largest private schools are: • Hawai'i Baptist Academy • Hawai'i Preparatory Academy • Iolani School • Kamehameha Schools • Maryknoll Schools • Mid-Pacific Institute • Punahou School • Sacred Hearts Academy • Saint Louis School • Saint Theresa School O'ahu's other institutions of higher learning are: • Brigham Young University-Hawai'i • Chaminade University • Hawai'i Pacific University • University of Phoenix

O'ahu's public school teachers are dedicated and well trained. Many have advanced degrees. Academically, they cover all the basics, along with programs as diverse as auto shop, drama, fine arts and vocational ed. And a growing number are equipped to provide for kids who are physically disabled.

Despite a lot of rancor, hand wringing and games of political "hot potato" during election years, most public schools seem to be working out pretty well.

After all, most O'ahu parents graduated from a public school and we turned out pretty well didn't we?

During the 2004-2005 academic year, more than 121,970 students ages 6 to 18 attended a public school on O'ahu. Enrollment figures included:

Private schools are the flip side of O'ahu's educational coin, and they attract more than 22 percent of school age children on O'ahu.

In round numbers, that's equal to nearly 24,400 students.

Even though yearly tuition costs have crept past the $10,000 mark at some private schools, parents bank on their well-earned reputations for producing students who will become successful pillars of the community.

Of course, some private schools are better than others in terms of trained faculty, facilities, endowments and academic achievement, but that's to be expected.

Getting started

Many private preschools on O'ahu take kids while they're still in diapers. Naturally, this works well for single parents or households with two working parents who can't leave their toddlers at grandma's house or with a doting aunt.

Mandatory education, however, doesn't begin until the age of 6. At that point, keiki can officially begin kindergarten. But they do need a number of documents before showing up for class. Among them are:

• Birth certificate
• Medical records
• Certification that the child is free from tuberculosis
• Certification of immunizations for childhood illnesses, ranging from measles and mumps to rubella and polio.

Students must attend a public or private school until the age of 16. If they're home schooled — and as many as 1,485 students on O'ahu are — they must still meet minimum requirements set out by the state.

If students decide to drop out of school after their 16th birthday, a number of vocational programs are available to help them develop job skills.

A+ after-school programs

Nearly 164,900 students on O'ahu participated in the statewide A+ After-School Program for the 2004-2005 academic year.

This program provided economical childcare for keiki (Kindergarteni6th Grade) of working couples and single parents who work or attend school or job training programs.

A+ isn't set up to be an academic program. Instead, it offers supervised play, arts and crafts, sports, games and help with homework. Programs vary from school to school.

Minimal monthly fees are charged, but the added time at school provides children with a safe environment to hang out with classmates. It also cuts down on the number of "latch-key kids" on O'ahu, and gives parents more of a chance to wend their way through traffic in enough time to pick their children up from school.

On to College

Higher education on O'ahu is purely optional. The largest and best-known center for advanced academic learning is the four-year University of Hawai'i at Manoa which has an average annual enrollment of more than 40,000 students.

Along with its main campus in Honolulu, UH offers classes through West O'ahu College,

Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College and Windward Community College. The University of Hawai'i is regarded as a world leader in astronomy, ocean marine sciences, tropical agriculture and Asian-

Pacific studies and languages. It has its own medical school and its colleges of Business, Engineering and Computer Science are considered by many to be among the best in the Pacific region.

Learning a trade

Technical and vocational schools on O'ahu offer a wealth of opportunities beyond the traditional classroom.

Among them are:

• Bartending
• Broadcasting
• Bus/Truck Driving
• Business
• Cosmetology
• Electronics
• Hair Design
• Massage Therapy
• Real Estate
• Travel Industry.

Skilled trade apprenticeships are available in:

• Carpentry
• Masonry
• Plumbing
• Painting
• Welding
• Air Conditioning Repair.

In addition to established schools and colleges, hundreds of adult evening classes are available throughout O'ahu in a diverse range of subjects, including