As a parent, you have to make decisions regarding your children’s lives every day. However, one of the most important decisions you'll ever make in shaping your child’s future is the type of school they attend.
Considering the importance of education in everyone's life, selecting a school for your child is a very personal decision, as all children are unique and individual.
Therefore, it is very common and normal for you to feel anxious about getting this decision right. However, if you are looking to choose a school for your child, whether public or private, evaluating the quality could be challenging. Here are some tips you could consider in the process:
Performance of the School
Before you look at anything, consider the performance of the school you are considering your child to join for Grade 4 or 6.
With the introduction of CBS, performance in schools is increasingly judged on the basis of effective learning outcomes. Information regarding the school culture and how effective it is at meeting student needs is critical to know whether the school system is delivering good outcomes.
To simplify the school choice process, you will need to learn what to consider and how to evaluate your options.
Consider your Proximity to the School
Once you have considered the performance of the school, turn your attention to how close the school is to where you stay.
You do not want your child waking up at 5 a.m to walk for miles before arriving at school at 7 a.m; neither do you want them to leave school at 5 p.m and arrive in the house when it is already dark.
With the Ministry of Education abolishing boarding schools from Grade 1 through 9, having a school that is closer to where you stay will help your child settle in faster.
Therefore, make sure the school is not far away from where you live. Alternatively, if it is far, ensure it has a school bus that can pick and drop off your child within reasonable hours.
Consider Your Family Values and Preferences
The following questions should guide you in this regard: Do you prefer public or private education? Are the facilities of the school and their subject choices a consideration?
Do you want your child to attend the same school that you attended or have a different school experience? Do you want your child to have a particular faith-based or multi-denominational education?
Do you want to send your child to day or boarding school? and are you interested in a particular curriculum?
Consider your Child’s Performance
Choosing a school for your child can at times be tiresome depending on the child’s performance in the previous school.
Some schools are very competitive and the chances of acceptance to a new school are high when the child's performance is good.
It is also important to ensure that your child likes the new school and gets actively involved in school activities. don’t force your child into joining a school that they won’t like.
Plan a Visit to the School
Sometimes, the best decisions are made from personal experiences. Therefore, plan to visit the school and get a feel of the environment there.
By paying the school a visit, you will be able to know its achievements, the affordability of the school fee, the level of commitment they have to the success of your child, and whether it offers the best environment for your child’s education.
You can also talk to other parents who have their children at the school to get more information.
