What to Consider Before Transferring Your Kid to Another School

Pupils at Cardinal Academy participating in an activity
Pupils at Cardinal Academy participating in an activity on Tuesday, January 15, 2023.
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Religion News Service

January is usually the start of the new academic year, and most parents use the opportunity to transfer their kids to new schools.

There are various reasons that make a parent want to seek a school transfer.

Some of the reasons that push parents to seek transfer include; the child being unsettled in their current school, financial situation, a change of job necessitating relocation, and a change of education system.

Students of Kamariny Primary School take part in physical activities.
Students of Kamariny Primary School take part in physical activities.
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Cornell University

Before transferring your child, consider the following;

Curriculum/Syllabus

According to International School Bangkok (ISB), a curriculum is important as it supports a child with personal growth as well as academic growth.

ISB further states that a good curriculum should provide them with knowledge and skills that will help them thrive in all areas of life. 

Parent Circle (2022) education journal explains how the right syllabus determines the quality of education for your child.

“The educational philosophies of the new school, and its practices, have to align with your parenting beliefs and your child's personality.

“Depending on his needs, decide on the kind of school that is best suited for him,” the journal advises.

In cases where the syllabus aligns with your former school, make sure that your child was not far behind in the former school.

It is thus imperative to make sure that the school you are transferring your child to has the same curriculum unless you are transferring to seek a different education system.

This is because a different curriculum will make your child lag behind before catching up with other students.

Students carrying out projects in the CBC education system
Students carrying out projects in the CBC education system
File

Challenge

Will your child be academically challenged in a positive way? This is a pertinent question you should ask yourself before settling on a new school.

Heidi Grant writing for Harvard Business Review details the challenges bright kids experience when they change to a school where there are no peers.

“When a bright kid fails to find his peers, it hinders the child from attaining full potential due to lack of positive challenge,” Grant writes.

Grant further adds that underachieving students also are negatively affected when they are transferred to a school of academically gifted children.

ISB advises that the new school should be able to accurately assess students’ levels and provide an accurate amount of challenge to keep them engaged and improve on their learning. 

Transfer push factors

As a parent, you should never lose sight of what pushed you to transfer your child in the first place.

Will the issues that necessitated the transfer be solved in the new school?

According to Think Student UK (2022) education publication, “To avoid any more disruption to your child’s education, make sure the new school is ideally where they will stay until the next step of their school journey.”

For example, if you are transferring your child because of bullying, have you ascertained that there is no bullying in the new school?

Students pose to demonstrate how bullying happens in Kenyan secondary schools.
Students pose to demonstrate how bullying happens in Kenyan secondary schools.
Daily Nation

The child's preference

Your child's emotions should be put into consideration before settling on a new school.

If the child is not comfortable with the transfer, he might not put in the required effort into the new school.

According to education expert Riya Sree Kaishyap, “When children switch schools, they have to adapt to a new routine, make new friends, and also be in the teachers’ good books.”

Kaishyap opines that if the child was on board in agreeing to the transfer, they will not achieve the aforementioned steps which will make them lag behind and can also sink into depression.

Teacher - Student ratio

For effective teaching, the recommended Teacher-student ratio by the Ministry of Education is 40:1.

The reason the ministry has set such a ratio is to ensure the quality of education for your child. 

According to Kaloki Joseph Waita of the University of Nairobi, research published in the European Journal of Education Studies outlines why it is important to consider the teacher-student ratio.

“Studies reveal that academic achievement of students increases significantly in a smaller class size (lower student-teacher ratio) in the regular classes,” he notes.

Before transferring your child, make sure there are enough teachers in the new school.

A photo of teachers at a Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Conference in Mombasa in April 2022.
A photo of teachers at a Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Conference in Mombasa in April 2022.
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TSC