Are You Ready for the Start of the School Year? Here Are 5 Guidelines to Help Before Enrolling Your Child

As a new academic session beckon, getting a new school for your child is a huge task and could prove to be very challenging. It is every parent’s dream to bequeath his or her child with qualitative knowledge that will lead to the fulfillment of their potentials for the betterment of themselves, family and the society at large; this has become more imperative considering our world has become highly competitive.

Before arriving at a decision, it is important that we practice some of the detective films we are accustomed to by carrying out a little personal investigation and stop relying on advertisements (don’t hinge your child’s future on a 3 minute video clip or a sweet radio jingle) or word of mouth, these are some tips to guide you as you make such an important decision.

The School’s Administration
You’re about to entrust your child to some people, so it is important that these people are in the right frame of mind in terms of character, intelligence and teaching methodologies. Teachers can make or mar your child’s future, while a good teacher will bring a child closer to fulfilling his potential a bad teacher can go a long way in killing your child’s chances in life, stories of teachers abusing their students or teaching them bad habits have become more rampant and makes headline news almost every day now.

Where you have “Ogas at the top” that are nonchalant about the interaction and dealings between the students and teachers then there’s a problem. The overall admin staff has to be vigilant and active in tackling all issues concerning the school especially one that affects the safety and social wellbeing of a child. You should investigate this area thoroughly.

The School’s Facilities
This area also deserves a close look because no parent will smile at the idea of having your child back from school with a disease he got from the school’s toilet or injuries sustained from the playing ground, as you go about your “Magnum P.I” investigations, it wouldn’t be complete unless you inspect the school’s facilities, make sure the toilet is fit for children’s usage, clean for human use, classroom sitting arrangement, ventilation not forgetting the laboratories and library, this will give you a comprehensive view of what awaits your child in such an environment.

Proximity to Home/Office
Having a school that is very accessible to either your home or office has many advantages, in the case of emergency, parents-teachers meetings or open days it is always easier to dash in, to see things for yourself instead of sending your eldest child or brother who can’t wait to leave the place to go see what Big Brother Africa’s Beverley Osu will do next.
When the school is close you’ll feel more obliged to attend their activities and you’ll be more tempted to send a representative when the school is out of reach, you’ll also find it easier to visit unannounced which sometimes is the best way to come to grip with real happenings in the school because on school arranged visit days everything is air brushed to look perfect so as not to discourage the parents.

Extra-curricular Activities
As we all know, education encompasses more than classroom teachings, outdoor activities play a vital role as well, so get a school that take this seriously. The importance of debating, French, cultural etc. contribute immensely in moulding our children’s characters and minds not forgetting Sports with its good health and mental strength benefit, it’s always a sweet getaway from academics for the children, you should surely put this on your investigation list.

School’s Motto
As funny as this may sound it’s actually important and necessary, let me give you examples of some of the mottos I’ve seen inscribed on school walls and billboards and maybe you’ll understand why this made the list
“We make your child bright for future”
“Education is light and power together”
“The brains is number one”
It’s not funny, stop laughing for God’s sake but why should I enroll my child in a school that can’t get it right in the simplest of things? The motto is an advertisement for the school and why would someone buy a product that advertises itself in bad light? It’s like a soft drink company saying in a jingle “drink and you’ll get diabetes”

Some might argue it’s the handwork of the painters or labourers, okay, but a school that doesn’t see it necessary to replace something like that shows they are only after your money, so make sure the school’s motto sounds right before you even go in to assess other things.

Photo Credit: thegazette.com
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Mansur Abubakar is a freelance writer and blogger. He published the first mainstream northern Nigeria sports newspaper BALLSPORTS and can be reached via [email protected] and @mansur_112 on Twitter