The present study was conducted at 2 primary public schools and 4 Private Examination Centres (PEC) in Istanbul, Turkey, including three hundred 8th grade students. The survey investigated students’ attitudes towards science education in public schools and PECs. The questionnaire contained 48 questions assessing understanding of the concept of “Force” in science lessons. The survey results were analysed using the SPSS package program. The Cranach’s Alpha coefficient ranged from 0.713 and 0.821. Contributions of the PECs in elementary science were examined. Reasons behind lower student performance in science education in public school settings were investigated.