Steps to Choose the Right School for Your Child

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Choosing the right school for your child is a crucial and monumental task. The reason: schools have a massive influence in deciding the future of a child. There are numerous aspects that need to be considered before zeroing in on your final selection. But numerous suggestions coming in from all directions and buzzing in your head only make things difficult.

Planning to select the right school for your child? Relax and think the criteria that you need for choosing the right school. We have put in a few aspects that you should keep in mind and look into, before enrolling your child into the right institute.

Pick the Curriculum

First things first. Before anything else, decide the curriculum that you want your kid to study. Numerous curricula are offered in the UAE schools, such as:

• British
• American
• Arabic
• Indian
• Canadian
• Australian
• International Baccalaureate system (IB)

Many schools offer GCSE after the 11th and 12th standards. So, you already are spoilt for choice. Hence, instead of splurging, try this. Find out about each one, learn what it includes, and other specifications. Check which one matches your requirements and tick the corresponding institutes that you like, so that you can go over them again once you have verified all the other points in your checklist. While choosing, keep in mind that your choice justifies further educational pursue of your child and doesn’t hinder his future prospects.

Look Into the School Environment

Your child will spend the maximum part of the day in school. Therefore, his character and personality will develop along with his education there. A wrong environment will result in bad values and it would harm your kid’s overall development. You could arrange for a quick tour or a visit to the school, have a talk with the teachers or administrators or the principal, and look into the curricula, educational programs, holidays, and so on before deciding anything. You should also try to find out:

• The teacher to student ratio
• How the students are treated
• Lunch break
• Transport arrangements
• School policies in dealing with discipline, bullies, examinations, and so on.

Try to scratch the glitz off the surface and get as much information as you can about the school.

Find Out the Quality of Education

The quality of education a school imparts matters to a great extent. You do not want your hard-earned money to go to waste if your child does not get a good-quality education at the back of that. Remember that her school education will determine her future educational endeavors. At this age, your child is not capable of choosing a career path. So, you have to put her in such a school that would keep the maximum number of options open for her in the future, along with creating a strong educational foundation for her. Keep that in mind before making your decision.

Fees are Gravely Important

Fees for a school in the United Arab Emirates vary hugely. It could range from AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 and higher, depending on a whole bunch of factors. Therefore, before getting carried away by the glamour, determine your budget and segregate schools accordingly. Find out the best one that would fit your budget. Remember that the school fees generally go up every year and you would also have to provide for other amenities as your child grows up. Compare fees of different schools and choose one accordingly.

Find Out about Extra-curricular Activities

Your child could be musically gifted or have a knack for basketball. You need to select a school that would provide for her extra-curricular needs when she realizes them. These activities encompass numerous advantages for your child. Many schools offer extra-curricular activities after school hours. You might find some of them to be beneficial for your kid. Some of them are free, while some need to be paid for. Determine the ones you need and select accordingly.

Location Matters

You might want a school that is not very far from your house, so that not much time is wasted in transit. Traffic jams in rush hour is a hateful thing for everyone and results in loss of valuable time. While this is not as critical as the previous ones, you might as well want to keep this factor in mind while choosing the right school for your child.

Take your child with you on the tours that you have decided to take for choosing the right school. Ask her if she likes the environment. Allow her to ask questions and listen to her concerns and expectations. Get hold of the prospectus of each school and go through it thoroughly. Plan ahead and take time to go through the school website as well. Do not delay. You do not want a waiting list slapped on your child’s dreams. Get a clear idea of what you and your child want, make a checklist of the criteria that you wish to include to the above list, and go through the school details calmly. You choice is bound to unravel with minimal distress.