How to Find A Balanced School for Your Child?

The first time I realized the true value of education for a child was when I saw this research on Brain Development. I was blown away by the fact that more than 90% of human brain development happens in the first 5 years. Another important fact from this research was that our cognitive development; broadly interpreted as the ability to reason and the ability to make decisions, is at its peak in the years 5 to 8. This was my moment of truth and since then I have always felt great to be working in such a high impact area. This blog is an attempt to help pro-parents to choose a good school for all-round development of their child. 

Ask Yourself When Choosing Elementary School

Here’s a list of some key questions, which I have addressed to help you evaluate various schools: 

1. How do I look for a balanced school, with an equal focus on academics and extracurricular activities?
2. Which education board is better? 
3. Which school has stress free education and focuses on conceptual understanding? I don’t want ‘rote learning’ for my child.
4. How do I choose a school for my child’s all-round development? 

The starting point is always discussing between you and your spouse on the core areas, which you want from your child’s school. Of all the factors, identify the ones most important for you.

How Do You Choose Right School for Your Child?

Here are 4 key factors you should discuss between you and evaluate various schools on – 

1. Philosophy in Action

I remember a discussion with a fairly well-known school chairman. I asked him, what's that you have set as a goal with your school management, and He said quite eloquently, “I have given them the goal of getting 15% of their senior class students to get selected in competitive exams”. A school’s philosophy determines the rest of the factors. In case, you don’t find a considerable focus or mention of extracurricular along with academics, then you are looking at an academic-focused school. On the other hand, if you find a clear co-scholastic calendar in action in the school with good academics, it’s perhaps a more balanced option. You could gauge this in the very initial conversations with the school staff, Principal, or even the parents whose children are attending the school. You could also find signs of these in school’s participation in various competitions like spell bees, sports Olympiads, intra and inter-school cultural competitions and so on. 

Myth #1 
It’s a myth that all schools with the same board and syllabus have the same quality standards. On the other hand, two schools with the same syllabus and board can be poles apart in their quality of education, in case their philosophy is different. 

2. Education Board 

CBSE and ICSE are the two prominent Indian education boards and have both got their pros and cons. Between the two, CBSE has more presence across the country, whereas ICSE has done better on a project-based approach to learning. While CBSE has adopted the project-based approach off late, it still is an uphill task for both, the students and teachers. Read - Comparison between boards ICSE, CBSE & IB 

If you are keen on getting your child a flavor of international studies, then you could evaluate between IB and IGCSE. IB is the more rigorously standardized body and has special emphasis on the quality of Infrastructure, teachers and teacher training through the year. IGCSE, also known as the Cambridge Board has a considerable presence in India now. It has its alignment with the international Univs just like the IB board. The early year program right from Primary year program (PYP) focuses on wonder, imagination, and concept at IB. In case you have an inclination towards Indian competitive exams and are not interested in international avenues for studies in the future, then Indian boards are more suitable than the International Boards. On the other hand, if you are looking at a global outlook for your child’s learning and development, then the International board(IB) or IGCSE it is. 

Myth#2:
It’s a myth that students who pass out from IB/IGCSE schools can’t appear for Indian competitive exams. 

3. School Infrastructure & Staff quality

A balanced school would have the right infrastructure for teaching, learning as well as sports and extracurricular. Does the school have a sports infrastructure? Is it just limited to the grounds or the equipment or the condition and upkeep as well? Is there a dedicated, qualified trainer for sports in the school? Is there a periodic engagement of children around sports or is it just limited to a sports day? Similar questions in the area of dramatics, arts, safety and school transportation are important ones to find answers to. Speak to fellow parents from the school to find out how actively is their child participating in various such activities. The same is applicable to the quality of teachers and their training by the school. Does the school have a teacher-training calendar? Is this a regular part of the teacher’s development in the school? Check whether there is a minimum qualification for teachers, both in the paper as well in actual. 

4. The first-hand Experience is Always Better than Hearsay

Speak to a few parents whose child is going to the school, preferably in an informal set up in their comfort zone. Find out their views about the school. What do they like and what are some of their concerns with the school? Each school has something amiss, but what is perhaps more important is to find whether the school has a clear feedback policy and if they act on it. This discussion could be defining and most helpful in identifying the balanced school for your child’s holistic development. 
Remember to ask for the list of schools did they consider before choosing the one in question and you may find some useful insights to their decision making and how do they feel about it in hindsight. 

Conclusion!

Education is perhaps the most empowering aspect of a child’s development, but it’s never more important than the child herself. In ancient times, the Guru chose his/her disciples. Times have changed, and I feel, each child has the right to choose her school. Hope this helps you find your child’s dream school. It would be great to know your views and experience in the comments about this and on how you found the balanced school for your child.