6 Ways to Involve Your Child in Selecting Their School
The ability to select a private or international school is not something that is afforded to all Singaporean citizens, most of whom are required by Singapore’s Compulsory Education Act to attend public schools. But while expatriate families are spoiled for choice when it comes to private schools, too few may be considering their child’s perspective. Excluding your child from the process of choosing their own school could be a missed opportunity. This isn’t to say that you should go to whatever school your child wants. But by involving them in the decision, you could teach them important things about agency and empathy. Keep reading to find 6 ways to Involve Your Child in Selecting Their School.
Studies on perspective taking for children show that getting a child’s perspective is beneficial for their empathy and self-esteem later in life. It has also been linked to better control of one’s impulses and emotions, as well as cognitive flexibility. These qualities are associated with personal and professional success in a child’s adult life.
Knowing that, here are some good ways to facilitate a quality discussion with your child about their choice of school:
Do Your Research
First, you must set a good example for your child by doing your due diligence. Take the time to examine a variety of schools that may be in close proximity, whether this is houston private schools or another type of school in a different location, and let your child have an opinion, listen to what they have to say as having your child be happy in school is a top priority.
It’s worth noting that most private institutions in Singapore also have a very specific selling point. For instance, international schools such as the Stamford American International School cater to a specific community of expatriates. Other private schools offer approaches and curricula that are not taught in the regular school system. Such is the case with Catholic and Buddhist schools.
In most cases, it pays to look beyond these value propositions. For example, while your family might not be American or belong to a specific religion, your child might actually be interested in the curriculum offered at those institutions. Stamford, for example, is the only school in Singapore to offer Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), and Business and Technical Education Council (BTEC) Diploma curricula.
Depending on your other objectives, you can begin the process of narrowing down your choices of school. For each option, you’ll want to pay attention to the overall quality of the education offered, the institution’s pedagogical ideology, the course offerings, the fees, average class sizes, and the campus’s location relative to your home.
Ask Your Child What They Want
To be clear, the buck stops with you. Children are in no way prepared to make the final decision about the school they should enter. Even teens will have a limited concept of the difficulties faced by parents when enrolling them in a private school and ensuring that they meet the school’s requirements.
Outside of these practical considerations, however, your child’s input is key. It’s important to ask your child their favorite subjects and which kinds of extracurricular activities they prefer. If they’re in middle school or high school, it might also be a good idea to ask them what kind of social life they want for themselves. The answers to these questions may help further narrow down your search.
Tell Your Child About the Available Options
After you have shortlisted the schools, you’ll want to present your children with the best possible options. This gives them the chance to state their preferences, as well as the reasons behind those preferences. You mustn’t promise your child anything at this point, as you’ll want them to have a firsthand look at the shortlisted schools first.
Visit All the Shortlisted Schools Together
Next, set aside time to visit the different campuses of the schools you’ve shortlisted. Contact the school administrators beforehand and ask them if it’s possible for them to give you and your child tours of their school campuses.
This should give both you and your child the opportunity to view each institution’s facilities and get a feel for what the community would be like. In addition, having the ability to imagine themselves in their dream school may get your child even more excited about their upcoming school life.
Ask the School Administrators If Your Child Could Observe Classes
If your child is going to be a late enrollee, ask the administrators at your shortlisted schools if they would allow your child to sit in on a few classes on campus. While not all schools will allow this, the ones that do will provide a good opportunity for your child to visualize what school life is like there. This could factor into your final choice of school.
Help Your Child Understand Your Final Decision
Realistically speaking, the vast majority of children and teens lack the cognitive capacity and life experience to truly understand the consequences of their actions. While their input will be valuable, they may not necessarily understand the bigger picture.
For example, if they prefer a school that’s too expensive or located too far from home, they won’t initially think of the challenges you’d have to go through not only to send them there but also to ensure that they can get to school on time.
If you do decide to go with your child’s preferred school, it will also be important to walk them through the process of why you chose it. There may be reasons for your choice they don’t understand, and explaining your reasons clearly will help them gain an appreciation of how to make important decisions.
Involving your child in the process of selecting their school is a great idea for many reasons. It could help you discover perspectives you may not have initially considered, and it can help your child hone their ability to see situations from other people’s points of view. It also gives them an early introduction to serious decision-making—something they will have to do more often as they grow older. Best of all, choosing their school helps children gain confidence and a sense of agency, which will be vital for succeeding in all their life’s endeavors.
If you’ll be deciding on a school for your child in Singapore, consider making them a part of the conversation. As you’ll soon discover, their school life may be all the better for it.
