Method visibility will not make difference here

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/association.rb

@@ -114,8 +114,6 @@ def self.valid_dependent_options
       raise NotImplementedError
     end
 
-    private
-
     def self.add_before_destroy_callbacks(model, reflection)
       unless valid_dependent_options.include? reflection.options[:dependent]
         raise ArgumentError, "The :dependent option must be one of #{valid_dependent_options}, but is :#{reflection.options[:dependent]}"

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/belongs_to.rb

@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ def self.define_accessors(mixin, reflection)
       add_counter_cache_methods mixin
     end
 
-    private
-
     def self.add_counter_cache_methods(mixin)
       return if mixin.method_defined? :belongs_to_counter_cache_after_create
 

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/collection_association.rb

@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ def #{name.to_s.singularize}_ids=(ids)
       CODE
     end
 
-    private
-
     def self.wrap_scope(scope, mod)
       if scope
         proc { |owner| instance_exec(owner, &scope).extending(mod) }

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/has_one.rb

@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ def self.valid_dependent_options
       [:destroy, :delete, :nullify, :restrict_with_error, :restrict_with_exception]
     end
 
-    private
-
     def self.add_before_destroy_callbacks(model, reflection)
       super unless reflection.options[:through]
     end