Unlike Public Schools in America, in Britain, a public school is a school that is not run by the Government. Before a child can attend, the parents must pay a fee (set by the school) and often the child must pass an exam to show that he or she is intelligent enough to enter. Public schools in England usually have higher standards that State schools (the equivalent of American Public schools), and pupils usually perform better in exams. However, these schools can also be called Private schools.