Education, especially school education, has changed radically in the last decade. With the inundation of digital technology, and the inception of policy reforms (especially the National Education Policy – NEP 2020), awareness about quality education is at the forefront. The notable aspects to focus on are: emphasis on skill and entrepreneurship education, changes in assessment methods, focus on inclusive education, and rise in global exchange programmes. While there is so much written and spoken about the ever-evolving best education practices, in this age of information overload, there is considerable and understandable confusion among parents on how to decide which school would be the most suitable for their child. This 12-point checklist will help simplify the challenging task of selecting the best school for your child.
- Accreditations and Certifications: A school that is recognised/accredited/affiliated with a national or international board or body definitively ranks higher than the others. These stand as a testimony to the credibility and dependability of the institution.
- Curriculum and Pedagogy: Choose a school that offers a wide range of programmes to enhance your child’s performance in academics and extra-curricular learning and open opportunities to diverse career paths, including competitive exams, and international education. Gain awareness regarding the pedagogical approach or the teaching methodology, whether it offers academic rigour, or experiential based learning, or both. For younger children, a dedicated focus on holistic development and exposure – academically, physically, emotionally, and intellectually – ensures long term benefits.
- Teacher Quality: Ensure that the teaching staff is qualified and experienced in delivering the curriculum in a nurturing, interactive, and engaging manner. Ascertain whether Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a norm in the school. The teacher-student ratio also plays a vital role in getting your child’s unique needs addressed.
- Co-curricular Activities: A well-rounded and holistic education is possible only when all areas of growth are blended proportionately. Integration of sports, performing arts, cultural, technological, scientific, literary, and academic events into the curriculum is an indicator of the focus on holistic development of the child.
- Outcome Focused: How a school tracks a child’s progress in learning and how it is communicated to parents are important criteria to zero in on a school. National Policies on Education have been encouraging continuous and comprehensive assessment with distinct learning outcomes at each level of school education.
- Parent-Teacher Communication: Schools that offer regular parent-teacher communication make it easier for parents to remain informed about their child’s progress as well as address and alleviate any parental concerns. Apart from the regular PTMs and events, the VIBGYOR Group of Schools has a dedicated parent portal for parents to stay connected to teachers regularly.
- Safety and Hygiene: Check if the school has appropriate safety, hygiene, and emergency measures in place. This starts right from the entry-exit point of the school to the classrooms, corridors, lifts, staircases, washrooms, play areas, and other common areas of the school. It is important that these areas are not just clean but also safe for your child and equipped to deal with any unforeseen emergencies.
- Values and Ethics: Find out about the value system of the school, as this goes a long way in instilling the right personal, family, and social value system, like ensuring inclusivity and celebrating diversity. Personalised Learning Centres in schools support teachers to address gaps, if any, and foster connections.
- Infrastructure: Make sure that the school has all the required facilities, apart from spacious and well-lit classrooms, comfortable furniture, a library, the laboratories, and sports facilities, which together create a conducive and encouraging learning environment for the child.
- Technology Integration: Integration with technology is the need of the hour in this digital age. A seamless integration in terms of the availability of digital resources and using updated and integrated content for teaching is in place at the VIBGYOR Group of Schools.
- Accessible Education: Offering extracurricular activities and amenities in addition to the curriculum guarantees that a school is providing an inclusive, high-quality education to all its students.
- Alumni Success: Gather information on the achievements of the school’s alumni. This will help assess the impact of the school on the child’s future success. Furthermore, you will learn about the school’s local, national, and global network of learners.
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