How to choose the right school for your child

When I was looking for the right school for my son, many advised me to enroll him in the nearest school so that he can go to school comfortably.  “Why are you wasting your time in selecting a school when all the schools are teaching the same thing?” This was the continuous advice I received at that time.  But is it correct?  How is selecting the right school to become more important?

 Maybe I studied in a school that was near to my home but today is not the same as 30 or 40 years back.  Today’s children must learn how to compete in every stage of life.  Today’s learning has no boundaries and cannot be compressed inside a syllabus.  

Also, every child is unique, they learn things differently.  Ram and Lakshman are brothers and good boys, but they learn things differently.  This means all children can be filled in a classroom physically but cannot do that theoretically. 

Can the school of your choice do this?  Choosing a school is very important.  It is from here your child learns the basics of life.  It will remain the foundation of his future.  If the foundation is weak, your child will have to halt somewhere in the middle which no parents will agree.

 Points to remember in choosing a school

Stage 1

So how can I choose a school where my son or daughter can learn happily and succeed in life?  Given below are the key points every parent should understand and imbibe.

• Understanding your child

The first step will be understanding your child and his/her requirements.  Does he require more attention or is he okay with a less structured environment?

Does your child require any individual attention? Is your child looking for any help in completing small assignments? Does your child require any special learning requirements or whether he has any special learning skills etc?  This will help you in assessing their strengths and weaknesses.

•  Check out the curriculum

Different schools follow different curriculums.  The most common curriculum today is CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) IB (International Baccalaureate program), and CAIE(Cambridge Assessment International Education).

If you dream of your child pursuing their higher education abroad, particularly in the US, you should be very cautious about the curriculum, the pedagogical methodology they use, and how well they are supporting your child outside of the stipulated curriculum, etc.  Consider a curriculum that is recognized worldwide.  Leave the US, even some prestigious multinationals prefer their employees to possess education from particular board exams.  This shows how important the curriculum is.

Other than curriculum, the school you choose should provide opportunities for your child to develop physical and cognitive skills and personality development.  They should impart a range of extra-curricular activities such as sports, art and craft, literature studies, and installing leadership skills, etc.

beware of some schools that are weighted heavily on academics but have little to offer in extra-curricular activities.

Always choose the schools that have a perfect blend of curricular and co-curricular studies in their timetable.

• Student-teacher ratio

Student-teacher ratio becomes very important if your child has some learning challenges.  It doesn’t mean others have no issues with this ratio.  Ideally, a lower student-teacher ratio is beneficial for your child as it helps them to ask questions and express their opinions.

It also helps the faculty to concentrate more on every student and pay individual attention to their child.

• Teaching style

Studies reveal students can easily understand and comprehend the teaching methodology which uses more images and graphics.  Many students are visual learners.  That’s the reason some students are smarter in understanding the instructions using smartphones but find it difficult in comprehending the knowledge described in a textbook.  Best schools understand this and use more visual, auditory, and Kinaesthetic learning.

A teacher’s pedagogical style also becomes important here as it impacts the ability of the children to learn and comprehend things.

• Understanding your child’s talents 

Many of our children are true geniuses, real Einstein, or Shakespeare in life.  But their hidden talents are left unnoticed or noticed rather late.  Your child may also be one among them, tomorrow’s Marie Curie, or Sachin Tendulkar.

• Take a case study of your school.

Speak with the parents of the children there. Ask them several questions. Speak with the principal and teachers there. Ask them how far they are equipped in understanding your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

• School ranking

The Government or Board of Exams are ranking the schools and educational institutions according to their performance. This was primarily done in public schools. Many agencies give unbiased rankings for private schools as well. School ranking helps the parents to find some insight about the school. These rankings are made from the data collected and ranked according to a parent's perspective so it becomes a trustable source in painting a broader picture of the school.

• Behavioral Policy

The nightmare every parent faces is the child's safety and the fear of behavior indiscipline a child may acquire from school. In worst-case scenarios, children are subject to abuse and exposed to violence and unsafe conditions. The character of a child is molded at their younger ages and they are in school most of the day. There may be some unfortunate students coming from chaotic home lives with no discipline. But school management with good behavioral policy can correct them and impart their high standard of morals and discipline. Poorly performing schools will lag in behavioral policies and students there are prone to acquire many bad habits.

• School Safety

In recent years school safety has become a most discussed topic and a concern for every parent. Schools no longer can be considered safe as long as the management has stringent safety policies and precautions in place. Our children should be protected not only from physical but also from all kinds of emotional, mental, or discrimination of any kind.  

Check if something unfortunate happens, the school is equipped to handle the situation and take your child to safety. Most of the schools will have tie-ups with hospitals so that casualties of any kind can be handled immediately. If some behavioral problems are noticed in a student, check how the management is investigating it thoroughly without any loopholes, and corrective measures are put in place at the beginning itself.

Schools should run safety classes periodically and teach the students the difference between good touch and bad touch and the precautions a student should take while speaking to a stranger.

• Facilities and services

Check out the facilities provided by the school for your child and the parents. School facilities are important as it imparts a better atmosphere to learn. The world is undergoing innovative changes in education and your selected school should stand as an example. Listed below are some of the important facilities a school should provide.

• The classroom should be well equipped with the latest teaching tools and technologies and computer learning. It should have proper ventilation and light inside.

• Laboratory

• Infirmary and first aid facility

• Auditorium

• Library

• Dining hall

• Transport facilities.

 

Stage 2

Visit the school and observe if what you learned is correct.

If the choice of school is fixed in mind, parents should visit the school and its premises by themselves. It helps them to understand how school works from morning to evening. Parents will get first-hand knowledge of teacher-student engagement and how the management is supporting the students in improving their interests. It is also helpful in understanding the safety features of the school.

• All the best

The school you choose for your child starting from the primary level must be best for the long haul. Keep these factors in mind. Give your child the best care and these are your resolutions for this Sankranti and New year. Wish you and your little champ all the best.