Isn't Twilight's school in competition with Cheerilee's?

[Denim&Venöm 16,517]

Think about it. Why would parents keep sending foals to Cheerilee's school house when there's a fully stocked and furnished friendship academy with more teachers and subjects across town? So is Twilight's friendship academy taking students from Cheerilee? Is there any need for Ponyville's resident teacher? 

[Goat-kun 2,498]

There's an ordinary school, and then there's Twilight's school for those with friendship needs, if you catch my drift.

[Twilight Luna 30,940]

Twilight’s school doesn’t teach ponies how to read and write, or about history. That’s what Cheerilee’s school is for.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Twilight Luna

[SharpWit 2,472]

Most of the students in Twilight's school also appear to be older, and so may have graduated from the level of education that Cheerilee provides. Many are probably from out of town as well. The few exceptions would be specialty cases.

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

Twilight's school is mainly for teaching about various forms of friendship through use of the Elements of Harmony as subject points. There are possibly some other subject types utilize to further emphasize friendship but mainly the Elements. Cheerilee's school is more towards teaching foals how to read and write, the basic subjects one needs to be able to handle the later subjects in life. Plus, Cheerilee only has to worry about a small selection of students. Twilight has to deal with a much larger amount including students from other kingdoms.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,291]

They are quite different actually. Cheerilee's school is all about the traditional school stuff, a normal school. One that is dedicated to grooming students into servants of society, into drones. Twilight's school is all about students learning the values of friendship and actually getting along and actually being good people creature things to others, something that is very clearly lacking in the real world. I'd take Twilight's school over Cheerilee's any day.

[Thrond 3,257]

Cheerilee is a real teacher teaching a sensible curriculum, for one. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

@Kyoshi, @SharpWit, @Twilight Luna, & @Ganondorf8 said it. Cheerilee's school's traditional and educates them reading, writing, math, science, and general history. Twilight's school specifies ways of teaching the magic of friendship, such as communication, the MoF's birth, methods to create and expand their friendships, the Elements, social skills, and so forth. Also, Cheerilee's school's exclusively for little kids, while TwiTwi's not age-restricted.

[Will Guide 21,325]

A school doesn't always have to teach the same thing. I saw Twilight's school as a bit more for older students. 

There are finishing schools in real life for example.

[ManaMinori 4,143]

At no  point have we seen Cheerilee's school teaching how to read and write,  but there did seen to be some pretty advanced physics on the board in one episode