12 Factors You Should Consider Before Choosing a School for Your Kids

12 Factors You Should Consider Before Choosing a School for Your Kids

by | Jun 10, 2021 | Family & Parenting

The aim of education is beyond the scope of learning to read and write. Therefore, as a parent who is still contemplating on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, you would need to realize that education helps in cultivating the mind. To gain abilities, skills, knowledge that leads to physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, moral, and social development. 

Presently, the population within Northern Nigeria states is increasing rapidly. This growth has paved the way for more educational institutions. Similarly, this change has thrown lots of parents into confusion about which school is best for their kids. However, a standard school isn’t measured by expensive fees, online presence, or the population of pupils, although there are factors to evaluate but shouldn’t be the basis. Hence, to make the right choice, consider the below factors.

How to Choose the Right School For Your Kids

1.  Consider the Learning Environment

A conducive learning environment influences your child’s academic performance. Irrespective of how talented their teachers are, the learning environment matters. Subsequently, the health of your kids becomes liable to harmful Illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, asthma, and lots more as they learn in a congested and dirty environment.

Therefore, check out the interior and exterior outlook of the school before you register your kids. This should also include having a comfortable learning table and chair for their pupils. 

2. Ensure the School has an Updated Curriculum

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world

Nelson Mandela

In essence, we only get to see our world change when the teachings our kids receive in school are competent in combating our current world’s perplexing issues. Perhaps, what is taught is still similar to the curriculum used in the 90s. I advise you to retrace your steps from such school premises. In our twenty-first century, a standard school curriculum must have Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) inculcated into their syllabus.

This approach builds your kids to be creative thinkers and problem solvers.

3. Search for Schools With Quality Teachers

Furthermore, the learning process becomes fruitless when there are no teachers to transfer the knowledge. Similarly, an incompetent teacher will impact little knowledge on your kids. This kind of teacher would always skip topics that they don’t understand, which are important to the students. In other words, skilled teachers are needed to teach your kids. 

Even as you ponder on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, be reminded that your kids only excel in whatever topics they have been taught. In addition, inquire how often the school management organizes seminars and workshops to brace up the performance of their teachers.

4. Adequate Equipment must Be Available

Effective learning is achievable as the student can practise what is taught. However, beyond the theoretical aspect of education, a standard school should make provisions for workshops and scientific laboratories. This medium makes certain courses real to the students and improves their memory retention abilities.

In addition, it must have an updated library where teachers and students can research for more information.

5.  Get the Testimonies of Others

What others are saying about a particular school tells a lot about the school. Their testimonies either positive or negative is an indicator for you to either proceed in registering your kids or reconsider your decisions. Therefore, ask questions that are centred on the relationship that exists between the school management, their teachers, pupils, and parents.

In a school where there is little or no regard for parents, the aftermath is often reflected in the way the pupils are treated—harshly. 

6. Consider Their School Fees

It’s believed that all fingers aren’t equal. This same principle applies to humans. It makes no sense to go bankrupt to send your kids to school and compete with your friends and neighbours. We’ve earlier established the fact that expensive fees don’t equate to a standard educational system.

Therefore, there are standard schools with affordable fees out there. Besides, there are other family needs to solve. Thus, balance your financial chequebook and learn to cut your coat according to your size.

7. Extracurricular Activities

A standard school always creates room to develop their pupils beyond academic knowledge. Especially vocational skills. In recent times, those who excel at vocational skills have aided the eradication of poverty and brought about national development.

Therefore, as you consider how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, inquire about a school that teaches vocational skills such as art and craft, catering, textile and design, interior design, painting, tailoring, among others. In addition, teaches soft skills like time management, stress management, communication, and listening skills. 

8. Consider the Proximity

How close is the school to your home? To select the right school for your kids, you should ensure that the school location is accessible, and its transportation fees cost less. You don’t have to go over long distances to get the right school for your kids simply look within. 

Movement over long distances can cause stress on your kids, which in turn affects their academic performance.

9. Discipline is Another Factor to Consider

The school is a medium where kids are trained on the code of conduct that is acceptable within society. This could be achieved through regular orientation for their students. Therefore, a school with no discipline is a bait to lure your kids into waywardness. Furthermore, ensure that there are set rules and regulations against violence in the school such as bullying. 

In essence, as you reconsider your decision on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, consider a school with effective guidance and counselling units where the majority of wrong behaviours among kids are addressed.

10. Schools With High Security Should be Chosen Over Others

The safety of your kids in the twenty-first century can’t be overemphasized. Therefore, avoid schools that don’t have strict monitoring and checkup policies by qualified security personnel. This is because there have been cases where strangers disguise themselves as parents to kidnap kids from school.

In essence, go for schools where there is a legit identification before any child can be released. Also, beware of isolated schools, the kids in such schools are vulnerable to attacks.

11. Ratio of Teachers to Pupils

Students learn faster when they can relate with their teachers and ask questions on things they aren’t sure about. For instance, a class of 50 pupils handled by a single teacher won’t produce excellent students compared to a class of 20 handled by a teacher.

Therefore, to avert sabotaging your resources while your kids profit less from your efforts, avoid the school with a congested class population to a single teacher.

12. Consider Their Parent Teachers Association(PTA)

The educational system is not for students and teachers only. Parents also play an important factor in the growth of schools. That’s the essence of PTA in a school. This creates a medium for parents and teachers to discuss challenging issues, likewise, solutions.

In addition, as a parent, you get to air your view about things you aren’t comfortable with within a school during PTA meetings. 

Conclusion

Education remains the fastest route to develop a child’s intellectual abilities, which leads to national advancement. That’s why it’s your responsibility as a parent or guidance to ensure they get educated in the right school. In addition, even as you reconsider the available options on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, ensure the service rendered is worth your payment. 

In addition, tell us what other factors did you consider before selecting a school for your child in the comments.

How To Improve Your Child’s Academic Performance

How To Improve Your Child’s Academic Performance

by | Jun 2, 2021 | Family & Parenting

Research has proven that to improve your child’s academic performance, parental support is greatly needed. It tends to augment what they are being taught at school. However, most parents have neglected their responsibility and assume the teachers must ensure their children are stable academically.

This mindset has caused a lot of havoc to the academic life of most children. In essence, a child with little or no parental support struggles to keep up academically.

How To Improve Your Child’s Academic Performance

1. Build a Winning Mindset in Your Kids

Are you the type of parents who regularly criticize their kids and address them with harsh words? If yes, you need to have a second thought about that. That kind of behaviour affects their self-esteem. The moment you give your kids reasons to dislike themselves, they become destabilized. 

Similarly, their concentration at school will diminish drastically. Therefore, as a parent, your primary responsibility must be centred on building a confident mindset in your kids. Constantly remind them that they are brilliant and are destined for greatness.

2. Minimize the Level of Distractions Your Kids are Exposed To

As a parent don’t hesitate to cut off all unnecessary activities that don’t add quality value to your kids. Oftentimes when kids come back from school, having done their assignment the next agenda is spending the rest of the day in front of the screen, others on social media platforms.

Too much of these activities weaken the alertness of the brain. Therefore, as a parent keep all unnecessary activities under check to improve your child’s academic performance.

3. Assist in Doing Their Homework

To improve your child’s academic performance you need to assist them in solving their homework. It isn’t enough to tell them what to do—instead, join them.

However, beyond assisting step further in revising what they had been taught at school. This approach keeps their memory refreshed and improves their memory retention abilities.

4. Get a tutor for Your Kids if Necessary

The rate of assimilation differs from one individual to another. Hence, not every child understands what’s been taught immediately. If your kids happen to be in one of these categories, you would need to hire a tutor who would simplify the topics taught for easy understanding for your child.

In addition, unanswered classroom questions are solved during extra classes with their tutor.

5. Provide the Necessary Learning Tools

Expecting your child to perform excellently will be impossible without the right learning tools. Studying with the appropriate tool facilitates the learning process. This includes updated textbooks, a dictionary, mathematical sets, a conducive study environment, a comfortable reading table, and a chair among others.

You should create a mini home library for your kids where they can go to read and research.

6. Read, Read and Read

As a parent, inculcate reading habits into your kids by reading with them because you’re their main and first role model. This gives them the assurance that you value their academics. However, this period must be free from every form of distraction. In addition, you can create a book club or join one with your kids.

Book clubs are an effective medium to improve your child’s academic performance because educational and informative books are reviewed at book clubs.

7. Healthy Routine Boost Academic Performances

A healthy lifestyle boosts a child’s immune system. Just as a sick child wouldn’t be able to learn. This is because the whole body system is shut down. That child becomes committed to taking all kinds of treatments to feel better.

Therefore, it’s better prevented than cured. The necessary healthy routine includes:

Physical Exercise

Engaging in exercise pumps up endorphin hormones (feel-good hormones) in the brain and also disengages the mind from daily worries. Ensure you go with your kids for exercises that are suitable for them either running, walking, swimming, dancing, or climbing. In other words, once their brain is thinking right they can perform well academically.

Healthy Diet

The types of meals you feed your kids influence their reasoning ability. Most especially their breakfast before going to school in the morning.

As a parent, your kids shouldn’t go to school hungry or overfeed. Instead, give them a meal containing proteins, fibre, whole grain, and has low sugar content. These kinds of meals are a good starter before they go to school.

 Adequate Rest

Kids need at least 8-10 hours of sleep to refresh their bodies and brains before going to school the following day. Don’t allow your kids to stay up late at night, busy with unnecessary things.

Similarly, you should not overburden your kids with house chores that result in extreme stress. Excess stress causes mental breakdown.

8. Use Incentives to Motivate Your Kids

Everyone is motivated to give their best when rewarded. Likewise, your kids will do better academically if there is a reward attached to their performance. Rewarding your kids inspires them to give their 100% attention to what is being taught at school. They begin to go the extra mile to beat the best and become the best just to obtain more rewards.

In addition, always praise your kids when they perform excellently well. Similarly, show and tell them how proud you’re of them.

9. Engage Your Kids In Brain Teasing Activities

Brain Teasing activities are sets of training that are mentally challenging and involve critical reasoning. Brainteasers improve your kid’s intelligence quotient and make them think through life challenges including their academic works. As a parent, keep your kids occupied with such activities. That includes puzzles, quantitative reasoning, quizzes, watching educational TV programs, and more.

10. Build A Healthy Relationship with Your Kids

The way you relate with the members of your family most especially with your kids is pivotal to their academic performance. Is the home hostile or peaceful? Do you employ violence means to discipline your child? All the above-mentioned activities inflict fear into the hearts of children and disorganize them emotionally and mentally. 

They lose their concentration when this occurs. Therefore, your home should be welcoming and conducive. Every form of violence should be eradicated from the home. Instead, activities that increase the love bond should be craved after.

11. Master Effective Communication and Listening Skils

Furthermore, effective communication bridges the gap between you and your child. However, listening to them will improve your child’s academic performance. This approach makes it easier for them to relate their academic challenges with you. Subsequently, they become free to ask questions they are unsure about.

Therefore, avoid needless interruptions during those times.

Conclusion

Parents, do take out time to evaluate your kid’s academic performance and study pattern. This will guide you on what method to apply to improve your child’s academic performance. In addition, other aspects of their life mustn’t be abandoned such as their emotional quotient. Having a high emotional quotient augments other aspects of life including academic performances.

Also, endeavor to share your views in the comment section below.