How to choose the right school for your child?

Every parent faces a difficult question once in their life and that question is…what school should they send their child to? You see, children are very impressionable. They only mimic what they see and eventually, that turns into a habit. That’s why parents are always concerned that their children get the best school and the quality education that can contribute to their development. Schools are one of the very first interactions of a child with the real world apart from his/her own parents and therefore, it becomes a formative part of their life. This presents the child with various opportunities to grow and learn more about the outer world. Although, it can be quite a task to search for a good school which is genuinely good for your child. 

And that’s why Admissify brings you the Parents Guide to Choosing the Right School For Children 2023. 

Schools focus on the social side of development by exposing the child to similar age group children who may belong to a different culture, caste or religion of the society, hence deepening their knowledge on various sections of our society. 

Then comes the education side, where the child learns the basic fundamentals of various subjects like Maths, English, Science etc. These help the ward increase their knowledge and create a base to understand complex problems and find solutions. 

The skill side is where the extracurriculars and activities come in, which help the child in identifying their area of interest, and hobbies. This helps them hone their skills and contributes to overall development since just studying is not the way to deal with life. Sometimes some important skills like sports, painting, dance, and music can help the child find the area they find intriguing and may bring them more joy. 

But how do we know our child gets the best school and gets all the benefits? For that, you will have to first look at certain points before jumping right on the wagon to fill out admission forms for schools. 

How to Find The Right School For Your Child?

Know your child 

By this we mean, try to understand what kind of environment your child will thrive in. What are their needs and wishes? What is something that will suit them and their temperament? Every child is different and one thing that works for somebody may not work for somebody else. To narrow down what will best suit your child, you will have to understand their requirements and what can help them. 

For example, your child may be somebody who likes to study at their own pace while the teacher might want to hurry up to complete the syllabus so they start only to finish the syllabus and whether students understand the concept does not really matter to them or maybe they don’t focus on children individually which makes for a lack of clarity on topics in subjects. 

Therefore, you would want a school and class where children are the main focus and classes are small so that the teacher gets to see every child’s progress and is able to help them with their issues. 

Research 

Research would involve getting out a list of schools and gathering details about facilities, activities and reputation of the schools. You can also talk to parents regarding their experiences with school, however, this may not mean that what schools suit their child will also suit yours. But it is also a step you can take. You can also look at the reviews and ratings of the schools. 

Visit the school

After making a list of desirable schools, you can pay them a visit and talk to them to understand the school and its environment. It will give you insight as to how children are treated in the institution and how friendly people are there. 

What factors to keep in mind while looking for schools for your child?

Faculty

Faculty make or break an institution because they are the ones who will be responsible for supervising your ward. So, it’s important to make sure that the faculty is well-qualified and educated. The number of students per teacher also makes a huge difference in the quality of education since a large group of classes will hinder the teacher from paying attention to every child individually but with a smaller class, it would be easier to manage things. 

Culture of Institution 

The culture of a school will reflect what values they are trying to instil in their students. It becomes important to look at their vision, mission and core values to understand their foundation and where they are headed. 

Sometimes, parents may want their child to be in a coed setting so that it will increase their exposure and will be easy to gel with people of different genders. Many times, parents also want institutions with a certain religious bend or no bend at all. This all depends on you and it will affect their decision-making process. 

Cleanliness and Hygiene

Cleanliness plays a big role when looking for schools because a lack of hygiene can lead to diseases or illnesses, which no parent wants. So, be sure that the school you are choosing has clean drinking water, food and proper tidiness. In general, lack of sanitation also shows a lack of discipline whether it is caused by students or teachers. Both are bad, of course. 

Accessibility

To make sure that your child is regular and happy to go to school, make sure it’s not too far away because the long commute can suck the joy out of the fact that they are getting a sports period. Travelling too long and too far to school can drain the child and make them not so excited to go back. Therefore, the closeness of school is very important. 

Budget

Of course, if a school fee is too expensive, it would be difficult to get even the most ideal school in your neighbourhood. To make sure you get one, check whether the fee aligns with what you can afford and how flexible you can be regarding your finances.

Security

Checking the level of security and safety at a school is necessary to make sure no trouble touches your child but also if some arises, the school takes accountability and takes actions to control the damage. Security guards, swipe machines at entry gates etc are some measures that a school can take to create a safe environment for their students. 

Curriculum

Many schools have different boards and committees that create a syllabus and these can differ, depending on the institution. For example, India has ICSE, CBSE, NIOS etc. Their teaching method, complexity of topics, number of examinations and projects etc vary. So, again, you will have to see what works or has worked for your child and how it adds value to his/her life. 

Extracurriculars and facilities

These are equally rewarding as much as the studies. Extracurriculars help in developing the personality of a child holistically. Therefore, facilities like a sports room with proper equipment, well-maintained musical instruments and a music room, proper functioning art labs and so on are key in supporting improvement in a student’s performance at their skills. Not to mention, guidance in such areas can also lead them to fully understand their interests and themselves. 

Infrastructure 

If a school has a very shabby-looking building, it is because of a lack of maintenance. This means that they are not putting effort into their own school. As a parent, you would want your child to go to schools with a good infrastructure since having broken desks and stairs can lead to unwanted accidents. Apart from that, it leaves a negative impression on you and the child. 

A school is next to home to a child and it should provide value and feel like a happy place where they can study, enjoy and make blissful memories. We understand that finding a school that enriches your child can be a difficult task but with proper guidance and vision, you can easily spot the ideal school for your child. Admissify can help you find the right fit for you without any hiccups, making it worthwhile. 

FAQs

What type of education is best for my child?

It really depends on your child. You have to understand what your child’s needs are and how they can be fulfilled through being in an institution. If your child usually take time to understand concepts? Then maybe you should choose a school which will cater to that detail. If your child is someone who has a lot of energy and loves to do many things, then a school where co-curricular activities are given equal importance to studies should be near ideal.

How to judge a good school?

There are various ways to judge a school to know whether it will be a good long-term investment for your child. Some things to consider can be: 

1. Teachers: Are teachers well qualified? Do they have a polite and generous attitude towards children in class? How do they conduct themselves? Such details gain supreme importance/
2. School Premises: Know if the school is well maintained and hygienic with clean water and a tidy cafeteria to ensure your child is not getting unwanted complications, be it any injury or disease. 
3. Curriculum: Knowing the kind of syllabus that is provided for children and how it is balanced with co-curricular activities is very important. If the course is way too advanced for kids of a certain age, what subjects are taught? These questions become important. 

3. Reasons for choosing a primary school?

A primary school should always focus on the well-being and holistic development of the child. How are studies and creative activities taken care of to make or break the deal? Primary schools should teach the basics properly since they are the building blocks for coming knowledge and should foster and encourage creative outlets of children and help them navigate the new world they have stepped into. 

4. How to choose a private school for your children?

A private school seems to be the optimum choice for many parents because it provides better facilities than government institutions. You can choose the best private school by understanding the curriculum your child will be exposed to, the activities the school hosts and what kind of teachers there are. Visual presentation of a school is also very important. What kind of children are studying there, what is the environment around the school premises and how things are maintained are also some points based on which you can judge school for your child. 

5. Questions to ask when choosing a school for your child?

Schools are one of the places where a child will be spending most of its time. So, questions you should be asking can be: can my child be happy and safe in this school? Is the education on par with the child’s aptitude and capability? Is the curriculum too hectic or balanced? Where is the focus of the school, the studies or extracurriculars? How is the school presenting itself and is it as good as it says it is? Do they have enough facilities? What is the fee structure and distance of the school from the house?