Top things to keep in mind while choosing the best fit school for your child...
School is the second home to a child because in a day they spend most of the time in the school. Choosing the right school for your ward goes a long way in helping them grow to be disciplined and confident students.
As a parent, it requires a lot of research and thought process to select the right school for children. With a number of categories in schools available today like the public schools, government-run schools, international schools, private schools, etc. it becomes a roller coaster rider for us to choose the right one.
Schools play a very important role from when the child is 3 years old. Nursery and primary education are the foundation that build the basis of the future of a child. From inception a child should be encouraged for a quality education system. It’s not like you heard this school is good and let’s go ahead and admit our ward in this school. You need to understand and keep in mind various things before you make a final decision.
As a parent, you would have a lot of questions running in your mind and would do your bit of research by asking a few parents or friends about the schools, would visit the school website for more details or personally visit the schools, know about the reviews on the school and more. To ease your problems in how to find a school that best suits your child, below are a few suggestions.
Top things to keep in mind while choosing the best fit school for your child:
Location
The location of the school is very important considering the present traffic conditions. It’s better to find a school that is in the close proximity of a child’s home as this will save time and energy of the children that can be potentially used in enhancing their capabilities and creativity. If you are looking for residential kind of schools, then look for the location in which the school is located so that it is in a convenient location and offers the best of facilities.
Fee structure
With an exorbitant fee structure, it is important to check on the fees each school offers. It is not necessary that the higher the fees, the better will be the facilities. Schools that charge lesser fees also offer quality education, good amenities and infrastructure. Understand the breakdown of the fee structure and what are the things included in the fees.
Infrastructure and Facilities
A good school needs to have a sports ground, lab facilities, library, etc. Many schools offer excellent infrastructure and facilities like modern technologies, skill labs, sports infrastructure for different sporting activities, after school extra-curricular programs, literary clubs, drama clubs, etc. International schools offer excellent infrastructure for the holistic development of students.
Choose the right curriculum
There are various curriculums offered today. Check what kind of curriculum the school offers and select the one which best suits your ward’s requirements. The curriculum you choose should not only be academic oriented, but should bring out the best in the child. Below is the list of curriculums available today:
· SSC - State Board
· ICSE - Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
· CBSE - Central Board of Secondary Education
· IB - International Baccalaureate program
· CIE - Cambridge International Examinations
· IGCSE - International General Certificate of Secondary Education
IB, CIE and IGCSE are international level curriculums offered by international schools.
Ethics and Discipline
As a child spends most of its time in school, it is important to see how the child is moulded. Ethics and discipline play a very important role today as most of the students lack it. Choosing a school which gives utmost importance to discipline that adds the right values and ethics to help them become responsible students.
Stress is the major factor that devastates the capabilities of students and parents must wisely choose a school which nurtures a sense of happiness and positivity in children.
Clean environment and Hygiene
The health of a child is the most important criteria. Parents need to visit the schools and check on the amenities available which are clean and hygienic. See to it the toys/ games used are neatly maintained, washrooms are clean, clean drinking water facilities are available, outdoor and indoor activities give priority to the safety of children.
It is important for schools to have first aid and medical facilities in case of emergencies and they have trained staff who are equipped with conducting safety measures.
Teacher to student ratio
It is best for a child to study in a classroom that caters to a lesser number of students as there can be better bonding with the teachers and a child can concentrate and learn better. In classrooms with a greater number of students, the teacher will not be able to give individual attention to a child which affects the learning capabilities of them. Parents must check the capacity of the classrooms and whether their child can get individual attention.
Choosing the right school is one of the toughest and most important decisions, but keeping these few things in mind would help in making a better decision for your child. Kindly share your thoughts and feedback on this blog in the comments.
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