Factors to consider while choosing a school in India

Edited By: Mukund

Fact Checked By: Santhan 12 Dec 2017

In the landscape of our Indian families, after ‘who to marry?’ and ‘when to have kids?’ another question that falls in the same category of “life-changers” is ‘which school should my child attend?’ With new “international” schools mushrooming in every part of the city, we know this is a tough nut to crack. If you are faced with this dilemma, worry not, we are here to help.

In this post, let us take a look at some of the most important factors to consider while picking a school for your child. Affordability, location, and facilities seldom slip our mind. But what if we tell you that there is so much more to this game? Confused? Read on!

Your child’s temperament:
Is your child strikingly creative with his hands? Does your daughter sing beautifully? Can your son recite all math tables up to 20 without even attending school? Is your son unusually quiet for his age? All these traits give important clues about your child’s natural aptitude and temperament. If you manage to identify this talent and nourish it, your child might shine out more than he would if he attends a regular school like every other kid. This is why the most important factor to consider while selecting a school is whether the school fits your child. Enquire and observe whether the school you pick can provide a conducive environment for your child’s natural talent to flourish.
Faculty and peer group:
Whether we approve of it or not, our children are going to spend more time at school than in your presence. This time also happens to be the most crucial time of their formative years. And since “one is the company one keeps”, it goes without saying that faculty and peer group play a large role in shaping your child’s personality. If necessary, visit the school and interact with the teachers and students at your child’s school. This is a factor you just can’t afford to ignore.
Student to teacher ratio:
This is an important, and often ignored factor. A class of medium-strength is always better than a class stuffed with children. You children need their teachers’ attention to flourish. If the teachers are over-worked, they may not have the time to talk to each child and clarify individual doubts. Also, in an overly-populated classroom, the teachers may not have the scope to observe, correct, and appreciate the behavior of each child. Appreciation is as important to growth as criticism.
Environment:
As mentioned, your children spend some of the most important years of their life at school. It is therefore, necessary that the school must be a convivial, and joyful place as opposed to an overly-strict, somber place. Remember that your children are beautiful bits of life and that they need an environment conducive to their growth, not a military camp!
Curriculum
Unlike old times, educational institutions today are coming up with new and better curricula to accommodate student-centric learning. Make your choice based on how often you ward needs to change schools, and how widely accepted a curriculum is.
Attitude towards the disabled:
A school is a child’s first brush with the society. It is at school that your child gets to meet people outside his family and friends. This is where he develops tolerance for ideas and people other than his own. This is why choosing a school that best reflects the diversity of our society is undeniably important.
Education experience:
It goes without saying that education is so much more than what is summed up in your child’s report card. Look for a school that accommodates your child’s physical, moral, social, creative, and even spiritual needs. What you sow today is only what you get to reap tomorrow.

In addition to the above mentioned, you might also want to consider a school that offers student counselling and communicates with parents regularly. But above all, choose a school that wouldn’t take the fun out of your child’s childhood!