Choosing a school for your child can be a daunting task and it needs to be done with a lot of thought and clarity as you will be putting your child on a 14 year long winding path of learning with the institution you choose. And with options galore, it only leads to more confusion.
So how do you choose a school that meets your child's needs and helps him /her to become happy and successful?
The tips listed below will help clear the doubts that you may have and will guide you to make a good decision.
1) Social and Emotional quotient of the school
This is the most important thing that you need to look for when considering a school. Social and emotional learning is the key to a child's success. A good beginning in this content area not only determines whether a child will succeed in school but also whether a child will grow up to have rewarding personal and professional work lives. A school that focuses on teaching children how to handle disappointment, develop self control, practices compassion and kindness, teaches them to build relations and self management skills are setting your children up for success right from the beginning.
Handy Tip: Check whether the school has an explicit program that teaches them these skills. It should be a part of the schools DNA and they should teach these skills just like they would teach math and literacy.
2) Indian Curriculum Vs International Curriculum
Schools offer different boards like CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE and IB amid many others. Choosing the right board is imperative. International boards offers concept-based, hands on learning rather than learning from a text book. The teacher is simply a facilitator that guides and supports children in their learning. Most of the learning is independent, research and inquiry based and children are encouraged to take ownership of their learning. Indian boards lay an emphasis on theoretical learning more than practical learning. Teachers use textbooks to do most of the teaching. It helps children prepare for many entrance exams and lays a focus on mathematics and science.
Handy Tip: It is important to ask the schools if they incorporate technology in their teaching? Do they use research based teaching methodologies? Is the learning child centered? All these questions will give you an idea of the schools philosophy, beliefs and their view of education.
3) Teaching Faculty and School Management
Finding out about the beliefs of the management is indispensable because the school leaders are responsible for establishing the ethos of the school. They are the ones who pass down their views, thoughts and attitudes to the teaching faculty. Make sure you connect with the school directors, principals and curriculum designers of the school to find out what is the educational philosophy of the school, what specific ways do they use to teach children, is their school inclusive, do they lay stress on arts and sports? What is their approach towards discipline? Are they open to parent suggestions and views? Do they offer trainings for teachers and parents? Do they revise and update their curriculum? How do they do a quality check of teachers? Do they hand hold, encourage and support teachers to use best teaching practices in their classrooms?
Handy Tip: Don't let the school admission officer deter you from meeting the school director or principal at the time of admission. Talking to the school leaders is very important for you to gauge the school and its philosophy. Don't skip this process and insist on meeting with different faculty members on different levels.
4) Teacher Student Ratio
Fewer children in the class means that a teacher can pay more attention to each child's needs and learning styles. They can work individually with children and help bring out their abilities and potential to the fore.
Handy Tip: Check if the school follows the student teacher ratio of at least 25:2.
5) Infrastructure and Environment
According to Reggio Emilia, environment is considered to be the third teacher of the child, the first being the parent and the second being the teacher. An environment that supports children's creativity and imagination, an environment that allows them to explore, experiment, investigate and think is an environment that is crucial for learning. Schools that have well designed rooms equipped with meaningful resources, are airy and spacious help to engage children positively and also allows them to do group work and collaborate, encourages them to think, interact, and communicate their ideas with confidence.
Apart from this a library, dedicated rooms for children to learn arts, a play ground, a sports field, labs, a technology center, nurses office and an auditorium should be a part of the schools infrastructure.
Handy Tip: Ask for a campus visit at the time of admission. Examine the school premises and check if things are orderly and neat. See if they have clean bathrooms. Check out the classrooms and note if they have natural light, flexible seating arrangements, a rich array of resources and a variety of books.
Apart from the above points, don't forget to ask yourself few reflective questions about your child's needs and learning styles.
What kind of an environment will my child thrive in?
Does my child enjoy exploring and learning by doing or he like structured lessons that tells him exactly what to do?
Does by child likes to work in groups or individually?
Does my child has an interest in math or sciences or he/she enjoys the arts more?
All these questions will help you decide which school is suitable for your child and best meets his/her needs.
Once you choose a school, approach them for the application form and submit all the paper work. Keep the deadlines and age criteria in mind. It is wise to apply in a few schools, incase you don't get admission in your first choice of school.
Being proactive in choosing a school for your child will benefit him/her tremendously as your child will be spending more time in a school than at home through his/her growing years.
All the best and happy school hunting!
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