The elementary school a child attends plays a huge role in their life. This is because school is usually a child’s first contact with society after leaving their family’s comfort.
Children learn more social skills at school as they constantly communicate with their teachers and fellow students. Also, it is often believed that elementary school lays the foundation of a child’s academic intelligence.
Thus, as a parent, you shouldn’t joke about the quality of your child’s elementary school.
Important factors in choosing a school for your child
There are several factors to consider when choosing a school for your child. The first and most obvious is to look for a school close to your home. This gives your child plenty of time to spend with you after school as they are still growing up.
Some other things to consider are:
1. School curriculum
This is an extremely important thing to take into account. Every school has a curriculum. You should check each school’s curriculum to ensure your child will be taught according to high standards.
Ask questions like ‘is this curriculum in line with the primary purpose of sending a child to school?’. A good curriculum should focus on academics and activities that promote good social skills and teach great manners.
2. Environment
The school environment is another vital thing to consider as it directly affects children’s learning.
Children should be in a safe, comfortable and warm environment. Teachers should be friendly and approachable.
Check the classrooms and play area to be sure they are safe and free of hazards and sharp objects.
3. Distance
As earlier said, looking for a school close to your home is important. It is rather inconvenient for a child to keep going on a long journey from home to school and back.
It not only takes out the time you should spend together as a family, but it also makes your child tired every day.
4. Teachers and educational personnel
You should ensure the teachers and education personnel are people of high standards and training.
Your child will spend many hours in school with these teachers. Thus, you want to be sure they are in good hands.
Also, asides from being great teachers, you should ensure that they are people with good characters. Children are too vulnerable to be left with people who may hurt them physically or emotionally.
5. Tuition fees
While your child must go to a great school, you should remember to pick a school whose tuition fees are well within your budget.
Your financial stand should be taken into consideration when making a decision.
Differences between boarding and normal day schools
Boarding school
In this kind of system, your child is always at school and only comes home during the holidays. This means your child lives in school under the strict supervision and guidance of their teachers and educational personnel.
A child who goes to a boarding school learns all their life and social skills from school. They are always around their friends and can share knowledge and memories together.
The downside to staying in a boarding school is that your child will not get to spend much time with you as a family. In fact, they will be much more dependent on their teachers and friends than you. This may cause you to not have a personal relationship with your child.
Normal day school
For a normal day school, your child only goes to school during school hours and comes back home after school. This means you can spend time as a family and do activities together.
This way, you can monitor your child’s academic performance and maintain a personal relationship with them. Remember not to pick a school too far from your home.
What kind of school should I send my child to?
This is a question that every parent has to ask themselves at some point. The answer depends on what kind of school you are looking for. One thing to always remember is to do things in the best interests of your child.
Make sure that your finances are taken into account when making a choice. If your family is one where both parents are extremely busy, it is highly recommended your child goes to a boarding school. However, be sure to make up for a lost time during the holiday. You could go on a family vacation or do various activities together.
However, if your jobs are just regular with closing hours, you should put your child in a normal day school. This helps you build a close family relationship with them.
