{"name":"SCHOOL ADMISSIONS: 10 QUESTIONS EVERY PARENT MUST ASK","content":"<strong>SCHOOL ADMISSIONS: 10 QUESTIONS EVERY PARENT MUST ASK<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>The school is a place where your child will spend the next 14 years of his\/her life.<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Is the school your child is going to, offering the best of resources?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Is it helping your child learn outside of textbooks?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>More important, is it equipped to meet the future?\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIt's the season of school admissions.\r\n\r\nNearly 226 million Indian children are enrolled in schools --\u00a090 million of these children are attending 75,000\u00a0private schools across the country.\r\n\r\nAs the months roll towards Christmas and the New Year, these\u00a0private schools around the country witness large lines of anxious parents outside their admissions\u00a0office, waiting to get application forms and secure seats for their tiny tots.\r\n\r\nFor many parents, getting admission in the school with the best facilities and a good transport\u00a0system is paramount -- after all, passing out from a good school is a ticket to future success.\r\n\r\nParents\u00a0may not appreciate the gravity of the decision they\u2019re making \u2013 after all, the child will spend the\u00a0fourteen most formative and crucial growth years in a person\u2019s life in the institute they select.\r\n\r\nFor\u00a0most parents, a choice of school for their children is driven by perception, word of mouth (reference\u00a0from other parents), and infrastructure provided by the school.\r\n\r\nMost of these are\u00a0shallow criteria, considering how important this decision is.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s not enough if the school has a great building, play areas, air conditioned classrooms, activity labs\u00a0and computers or tablets. There is more to learning than just an infrastructure and facilities.\r\n\r\nHere are 10 things schools will never tell parents, but which parents are asking of schools --\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong> How future ready is the school?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIt is more important to know how the school is prepared for the future than its past pedigree.\r\n\r\nMost\u00a0schools also talk about their credentials to prepare children for high stakes competitive examinations\u00a0like the IIT-JEE and medicine or position themselves as 'focused on holistic development'. But the truth is, no\u00a0one knows what the future holds.\r\n\r\nYour child will be in this school possibly for fourteen years. The\u00a0world will be a totally different place by the time she\/he is ready to go to college.\r\n\r\nIt is important to equip children with skills in this context -- skills that can help them navigate the\u00a0uncertain future and succeed in the jobs and workplaces of that era.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Ask the school how they will teach your child to adapt to uncertainty and change. Crucially, are\u00a0children learning how to learn?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Are they being taught to work successfully in groups and think\u00a0critically to solve problems?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Are they being taught to tolerate ambiguities? Can they learn,\u00a0unlearn and then relearn?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"2\">\r\n \t<li><strong> How skilled are the teachers?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nVery rarely do parents who go school hunting ask to meet the teachers of the school. This is a\u00a0mistake, because these are the people who will mould your child. Your son or daughter will spend\u00a0over one-third of his\/her life with them for the next decade and a half.\r\n\r\nIn addition, how many years of\u00a0experience do teachers in the school have, on an average?\r\n\r\nDoes the school encourage teachers to\u00a0undergo periodic Professional Development to keep themselves abreast of the latest methods\u00a0of teaching and learning?\r\n\r\nAsk to speak to a teacher or two, rather than spending more time with an\u00a0admission counselor who typically talks from a \u2018selling\u2019 point of view. A short conversation can give\u00a0you tremendous information on the teacher community in the school.\r\n\r\nIn this age and time, good\u00a0schools focus on having a good programme for their teachers, and make them learners as well.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What are the qualifications of the teachers?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How much experience do they have?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Do they\u00a0get refresher training every year?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"3\">\r\n \t<li><strong> Does learning happen outside the classroom?\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhat percentage of the school week is typically spent in the classroom and what percentage in labs\u00a0and sports?\r\n\r\nDo children go on field trips or visits to local museums?\r\n\r\nDo they meet achievers in\u00a0various fields?\r\n\r\nMaking real world connections to what children learn inside the classrooms are\u00a0becoming very important. Classrooms are the most artificial of places in the real world.\r\n\r\nMany\u00a0schools have started designing programs to ensure children see the purpose of their learning, by\u00a0being exposed to the real world.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What is the breakup of learning within the classroom and outside?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How many field trips\/community activities\/excursions and visits are scheduled in the\u00a0school year?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"4\">\r\n \t<li><strong> Does learning happen outside the textbooks?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWe live in era where a typical person is bombarded by information from a variety of sources.\r\n\r\nIt\u00a0would be a sad commentary on the school if learning were confined to reciting lessons from\u00a0textbooks and answering questions from the lesson.\r\n\r\nFind out how much of the learning happens\u00a0outside textbooks -- are children encouraged to look on the Internet and visit the school or local library, and to use the information they find in their learning?\r\n\r\nHow are questions from children handled?\r\n\r\nAre children engaged via hands-on activities or experiential learning methods?\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What are the sources of information and learning like project work and hands-on\u00a0activities for the child other than the textbook?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"5\">\r\n \t<li><strong> How safe are the learning spaces?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nLearning spaces have evolved from the old benches in a row, teacher on the dais model. Children\u00a0nowadays inhabit bright and cheery spaces with charts, maps, cartoon characters and more. Desks\u00a0and benches nowadays come in child-friendly and safe sizes and shapes. Play zones and jungle gyms\u00a0have morphed similarly as well. It is vital that children inhabit learning spaces that deter physical\u00a0injury. But ask the school\u2019s admission counselor about the emotional safety and well-being of children in\u00a0the school.\r\n\r\nAre questions encouraged?\r\n\r\nDo children learn in a positive atmosphere where no one\u00a0is humiliated, castigated or belittled?\r\n\r\nAre background checks conducted on all employees,\u00a0including the non-teaching support staff?\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What is the school\u2019s policy on punishment?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Talk to teachers on how they discipline their students? How do they deal with\u00a0troublemakers?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What is the school\u2019s system of surveillance, background checks and chaperones to ensure\u00a0safety of the child?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"6\">\r\n \t<li><strong> How is technology used in the school?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMost schools have a computer lab at the very least. Classrooms fitted with digital and ICT aids\u00a0(smart classes) are fast becoming the norm.\r\n\r\nIn these classrooms, teachers use a variety of digital\u00a0aids -- images, video, and PPT presentations to augment their teaching.\r\n\r\nThis kind of usage just\u00a0normalizes teacher inefficiency by masking the bad teaching styles and methods with bright pictures\u00a0and flashy videos.\r\n\r\nHow are children using this tech? Usually, children are taught to learn usage of tech tools and\u00a0answering questions about them in a Computers paper, while they should be guided to use the\r\n\r\nInternet as a source of research, create content for the web via blogs and videos and use technology\u00a0as a tool for learning and creating.\r\n\r\nAre children being exposed to application of technology as\u00a0opposed to just being taught features and functions?\r\n\r\nHow a school uses technology and involves\u00a0your child in this realm can be a big differentiator for life and careers in the 21st century.\r\n\r\nParents feel frustrated with the Computers curriculum in schools.\r\n\r\n\"Computers have become another subject where children are dumped with a lot of note-taking and rote learning.\r\n\r\nShouldn\u2019t a new topic like ICT be taught and learnt in a new way, instead of\u00a0the same old?\u201d They questions.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Request to have a look at the Computers textbook.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How are children being taught about computers -- to use features of applications or to\u00a0create with computers?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"7\">\r\n \t<li><strong> How are children assessed?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAsk to look through a few textbooks. What will children learn in the different subjects?\r\n\r\nHow are they\u00a0assessed for what they are learning?\r\n\r\nDo assessments consist of observations, interviews,\u00a0journals and anecdotes beyond the usual battery of pen and paper tests?\r\n\r\nAre guidelines for assessment still mired in marks for different subject silos?\r\n\r\nUsually learning within\u00a0schools focuses on subjects (90 per cent or more) and every other element of reporting consists of cursory\u00a0reporting of several 'co-scholastic' parameters.\r\n\r\nNext time as a parent you are at the Parents Teachers Association meeting, ask your\u00a0school, how they scored your child on co-scholastics.\r\n\r\nWhat are the means of assessment?\r\n\r\nSchools have evolved their assessment systems, making observations and feedback to parents an\u00a0integral part of assessment.\r\n\r\nA child\u2019s school gives his parents a very detailed report on what Vipassna\u2019s\u00a0participation and progress in co-scholastics. It helps them have a conversation with her\/his teachers on\u00a0what she\/he has an aptitude for an interest in, and how to help her improve\"\r\n\r\n<strong>ASK<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>How are the children assessed for what they learn in the classroom?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How are co-scholastics encouraged and assessed?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"8\">\r\n \t<li><strong> Different learning speeds<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMost schools usually have counselors to address learning disabilities.\r\n\r\nHow are slow learners taught\u00a0to cope with the curriculum?\r\n\r\nDoes the learning slow down to suit the pace of such students and is it\u00a0individualized to cater to their needs?\r\n\r\nOn the flip side, how does the school cater to gifted children?\r\n\r\nHow are gifted children identified,\u00a0engaged and assessed?\r\n\r\nAll classrooms have 2 to 3 students who are learning at a faster pace than the\u00a0rest of the class. Unless such children are engaged and their needs addressed, they display problem\u00a0behaviors inside and outside class.\r\n\r\nVery few schools address gifted children and if you believe that\u00a0your child is one, you should be proactive in addressing your child\u2019s needs.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>How much of teaching is personalized to cater to different learners -- slow or the gifted\u00a0ones?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What kind of engaging learning activities exist which allow for diversity of speed and\u00a0skills?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"9\">\r\n \t<li><strong> Are involvements and achievements outside academics encouraged and\u00a0supported?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nChildren who participate in tournaments and competitions outside school -- especially children who\u00a0are gifted in sports or performing arts -- often miss school regularly.\r\n\r\nWhile schools are willing to give\u00a0them 'attendance' credit, the children are still expected to play catch-up with their peers upon their\u00a0return and ace the required tests and exams.\r\n\r\nThis can be demoralizing for a child excelling in a sport\u00a0or art that has to always play catch-up and rarely manages to.\r\n\r\nCan the school individualize academics (differentiated instruction) for such students so that their\u00a0calendar is not as full as a child who attends school regularly?\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>If my child takes part in activities outside school regularly, how does the school tailor\u00a0academics for him\/her?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ol start=\"10\">\r\n \t<li><strong> What is the value system of the school?<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nMany schools incorporate orphanage visits or community drives or a weekly 'Value education' or\u00a0'Moral science' class to help children imbibe a good value system.\r\n\r\nValues must be practiced day in\u00a0and day out within the school -- from the management and principal who address the children at the\u00a0podium, to the teachers who interact with the children for one-third of the child\u2019s day, to even the\u00a0support staff.\r\n\r\nUnless value education is driven in a well-structured programme in a\u00a0consistent manner, values will not become integral to the character of the student.\r\n\r\n\"The time my children spend in school is very important\", observe parents.\r\n\r\n\"As we live in a\u00a0nuclear family, children don\u2019t get the regular guidance of elders like grandparents. Parents look for\u00a0schools to provide moral guidance to children, in addition to education.\"\r\n\r\nSome preparation beforehand and due diligence with the admission counselor can go a long way in\u00a0ensuring the school is the best fit for your child.\r\n\r\nChildren will inhabit a world that we all know\u00a0nothing about -- the best we can do is to ensure they are ready take on whatever comes their way.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ask<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>How values such as kindness, politeness and giving are practiced at school?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Are children encouraged to help those who need it?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Are children taught the values you as a parent, deem important?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","post_date":"2018-03-16 09:58:32","post_status":"publish","slug":"school-admissions-10-questions-every-parent-must-ask","meta_title":"","meta_description":"","meta_keywords":"","featured":"Blog-Admission-Open.jpg"}