Choosing a secondary school is an important decision, especially since the offer is more and more diversified and the choice is even more difficult to make. The watchword to help your child in this stage: inform yourself!
The first thing to do is to sit down with your child and talk about his needs, what he expects from his school. Some parents tend to want to repeat their experience by sending their children to the same schools if they have good memories of it. However, it is necessary to consider the personal interests of the child, to take the time to discuss them. Remember that although you have a say in it and you must coach them in their choice, in the end it is their decision.
Often, the criterion that supplants the others is the concentration programs and extracurricular activities offered by the school. Find out about the offer of each of the neighboring schools. Which ones offer cultural activities, book clubs, theatre, music concentrations? Also, which schools offer sport-study programs? These programs may be particularly important for studentswho have difficulty staying motivated. The daily and intensive practice of a sport can encourage them to surpass themselves in their schoolwork. All of these activities are particularly important because they allow your child to blossom, to develop passions that will follow them all their lives.
Other criteria to consider
But what if your child passes all the entrance exams, if all the schools they want open their doors to them? If indecision persists, further details may be considered:
- Travel is an important issue whose impact on daily life is often overlooked. Do you want to bring your child to school every morning? Is the school located in an area with heavy traffic? Is the school accessible by public transport? Does it offer a bus service and how much does it cost?
- The structure of a typical day: the length of the lunch period, the number of periods and their duration.
- The number of students per class is a concern shared by many parents. However, as surprising as it may seem, studies show that this ratio is not as decisive as we think in academic success.
- Related services: What are they? Is there a vocational guidance service, is there a drug addiction counselor on site, a psychologist, a sexologist, a homework assistance and tutoring service, a remedial teacher? Again, ask yourself the question: do theservices offered by the secondary school meet the needs of your child?
To conclude, we often forget to consider a detail that is fundamental to making a good decision. This criterion is that you have to feel good in the physical environment of the school. We are talking about a sensation, what in Chinese is called a “feeling”! The visit is therefore the perfect opportunity to take the pulse of what will become of your child's environment over the next five years.
For more information on secondary school choice, you can listen to the School Success webinar. If you want to prepare your child for the private school entrance exams, a preparation program is available here.
