Choosing the best school for your kids

Sad to say, not all private schools on the island provide quality education for children so parents and guardians need to be wise in deciding which school is the best for their children, according to private school coalition president Scott Norman.

“I don’t want to be negative but I tell you that not every school on island will give the best education for your child. Some will not even give your child a good education,” said Norman in his remarks during yesterday’s graduation ceremony of Golden Harvest International School held at Pacific Islands Club.

He noted that parents have the responsibility to know what is the best school for their kids by taking time to look for and ask about it themselves. Sometimes, he said parents take more time looking for a new car than in choosing a school for their children.

In his remarks, he advised parents not to send their children to school because it’s well-known, well-advertised, or has the lowest tuition.

“Being popular does not guarantee quality education,” he said.

Among the top considerations that parents must do are to check the school’s teaching staff, curriculum, facilities, and the school authorities’ values on education.

Norman, who represents private schools on the Board of Education, and is the principal for Calvary Christian Academy, said parents need to check teachers’ qualification and their dedication to teaching.

“Are they in the areas they are teaching? Do they care about their students? Do they love their profession?” he asked.

He said parents need to look at the school’s curriculum prior to enrolment. “Do they follow standards and benchmarks? Do they produce good readers? Are their students reading at their grade level? Does the curriculum educate the whole child? Does the administration show you the curriculum, textbooks, and materials?” he asked.

He said parents should also visit the school and check its facilities. “Is it clean? Safe? Check the restroom, playground, etc. It’s your responsibility to check all these for your children. The school should be open to show you the facilities,” he said.

He said parents should make the school administration “ talk with you.”

Once parents have chosen the school, “keep them there.”

“Please don’t move your child from school to school. My advise, and I say this in the strongest terms, is to keep them there,” he said.

Norman said parents would be teaching their children “a bad lesson” in life: “If I don’t like it here, I can go there. If I don’t like this job, I go somewhere else.”

“You’re teaching them consistency in life,” he said, noting that education is an eternal proposition. “It’s a serious matter. You are looking at the future. Let’s make sure we direct our future right.”