How Do You Choose A Good School For Your Child?

Sina Adelaja-Olowoake

It is September and the school gates will open to students again. Some of these students will be attending these schools for the first time while others will be returning to a familiar environment.  For a number of parents and guardians, the holiday period and even before that had been dedicated to  finding  “ a good school”  for their children. 

So how does one go about finding a good school?

There are those who will choose a school based on the national and international examination results. There are others who will choose a school based on the fees it charges believing in the unsubstantiated saying that ” if it’s expensive then it must be good”.  Yet there exists another group  who will only go by testimonials from parents who already have kids in these schools.  Some will however adopt a mix to help them arrive at a decision.

As a parenting skills strategist and youth mentor I believe your child is the most important factor and therefore should be at the centre of your decision making. But first, this will entail that you know your child very well. Then and only then can you start looking at schools that will support him or her in his learning process.  Are there any particular needs that may affect learning? If so which school  offers the best support ?

If your child is about to go to nursery or preschool, what you want to consider most is the relationship between the teacher and these little children most of whom are leaving their parents for the first time.  Is the classroom a loving, caring, environment? Do the children feel safe and secure?   Does the teacher demonstrate an understanding of the needs of these little ones?  The worst thing that can happen is to get this foundation wrong and throw the child into a harsh learning environment where their self confidence and emotional well being suffer terribly.  In really bad cases this has been known to affect some children right up to their teenage years.

For all the other age groups, the factors we listed earlier will come into play.  You are better off considering a number of factors rather than looking at one factor alone. For example if you based your decision on just examination results  alone,  a good score could mean that the school only teaches the students just  to pass examination . I remember investigating certain secondary schools in the UK and in Ghana. Apart from all the other factors I had earlier stated, I would then drive around the school location at closing time to see how the students behaved when unsupervised. To me this was a great opportunity to assess the students and see how they behaved in the real world.

Teachers qualifications, training and experience are also some of the things you may want to consider when looking at individual schools for your wards.  A school with high turnover rate of teaching staff is definitely one to treat with extreme caution. Are the teachers happy? Or are they being treated badly by the school’s management? Today in the developed world many schools are providing teachers with mentors just to get them to perform at their optimum. What sort of resources are available to the teachers in these schools?

Will your child be eating lunch provided by the school? Then you may want to know who the caterer is and if possible sample the menu.

Lastly ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by the management. Look out for subtle threats or sarcastic comments meant to dissuade you from probing further.  When you speak to the Head Teacher what kind of feedback do you get? Do they seem genuinely interested in education or to them its just another form of business? Remember it’s your child and you can never do too much to ensure they get the right footing in life. 

Pictures courtesy of Atlanta Black Star

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