THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD

Choosing the right school for your child can make all the difference in his or her successful academic career. The good news is that there are many options beyond the conventional practices in education. The bad news is that the abundance of options often leaves parents in a quandary over how to choose the right school for their children. It is important to know what to look for in a school to ensure your child receives the best education for his specific needs.

Although parents often tend to focus their attention on the uniforms, land space and buildings which is not a misdemeanor, core values such as the curriculum, extracurricular activities and the quality of the teachers should be prioritized. Parents should ask questions like, "How does the school blend the three important components of education that my child will benefit from?" We recommend starting with the steps we have outlined here.

Finding a Good Fit: To find the best conducive learning environment, a parent needs to set the following four criteria: what you want your child to learn (specific subject matter, level of academic difficulty), how your child learns best (particular learning style, challenges), your child’s social needs (level of contact with peers), and other practical matters (scheduling, extracurricular activities, etc.).

Quality and qualification of the teacher: This is an essential factor in choosing a school, knowing the fact that the teaching sector is easy to get into. Parents should ensure the school has engaged and well-trained teachers who can bring out the best in their students—including those with learning and attention issues.

Values of the Owners and Leadership: When looking for a good school for your child, who is the best to look at in terms of values other than those who founded the school as well as those who have been appointed leaders in the school? This way, you know exactly what you are getting into in terms of your child's young mind and the values that will impact it from the Leaders of the school. What values should you look out for? A strong mental and practical approach to life, reputation in society, religious orientation, mental health, kindness and a host of other life-changing indicators.

Bullying: After the saga in recent times, who wouldn't want to protect their young child? It is imperative for every parent to be conscious about the safety of their young ward whether male or female. It is important to ask the school you are about to put your young ward if they operate a "No Bully" policy and what it entails. Are bullies punished whether or not they are children of influential members of the society? How would the victim of bullying be treated? What is the chain of command in which this case should be passed? Are kids encouraged to speak up? What are the identifiers to know a child is being bullied? Do the kids have access to a psychologist, therapist or counselor in the school premises in whom they can confide in? We can assure you as a parent that not only would we answer these questions but we will also ensure the safety and mental well-being of your ward.

These are some of the steps parents should explore when choosing a school for their children. At Distinct Star Schools, one of the best schools in Magodo neighborhood, Lagos, we tick all the boxes, providing a blended British and Nigerian Curricular which expose our students to a wide range of knowledge. This helps them compete with their peers anywhere in the world. As a school, we build a friendly and caring community which accommodates everybody and our teachers are very proficient and not rigid with their approach or method of teaching. We understand that students have various ways of learning and we are committed to discovering each student's strengths and weaknesses and work on them.

Our Director of Operations, Mr. Dapo Adaramewa shares his opinion on how to choose the right school for your child.