How to wisely choose the right school for your child.

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          As parents, it is very hard to wisely select the appropriate perfect school for your child. Thus, it is very important to keep on mind these main questions while searching: "will the chosen school provide my child with a good foundation for better preparation; therefore better future by better SES, thus a suitable environment in which they can thrive, develop, and progress".  In fact, no one can have a clear cut answer for this question and no one school is the best. Many parents feel that their responsibility to wisely select the right school weighs heavily on their shoulders especially if they felt that their choice was wrong. The parents have a wide range of chances where they can choose from the public governmental schools to the private sector schools that offers a variety of education choices. So how can the parents think wisely to make an informed and confident choice about which school would best suit their child abilities and needs? Thus, as parents keep these guidelines on mind while doing your search.

        The first guideline to keep on mind is to carefully know and understand the child's needs and personality. This will in turn allow us to consider the key characteristics to search for in the expected ideal learning environment. That will be suitable for his/her personality to progress and thrive. After knowing the child's characteristics, we should consider the fact of what are the educational preference and values to be provided by the chosen one because schools usually offer a wide range of philosophies and practices. For example a strong philosophical (open-mind) or religious (Christian or Muslim) views will for sure highly influence our child developing cognitive process toward these different theories that we might not support. Thus, parents should be highly aware and do their homework while searching, looking for all details; the obvious and the hidden ones. Therefore, understanding the type of school we prefer for our child isn’t enough but we should also to be able to match the chosen school with the child needs and the desired qualities.  

        The second guideline is to start the actual homework by gathering information available about the surrounding schools. Start by collecting brochures (if available), check out the ministry of education website or the schools own website (if available), ask other parents for their own feedback according to prior experience, and visit the school campus to take a tour, meet with principal and the teaching staff to understand more about the school policy. While doing the research think and ask about the following aspects. The schools' location because the daily long and inconvenient travel arrangement will make our children very tired, unable to continue studying the tasks and required material. The school philosophical and religious as said previously. The educational curriculum offered whether it’s the national one or special for the schools own philosophy or whether the school provide different educational options for the child to choose from. The schools fees and associated costs whether it meets the expected budget or it is too expensive. The predominant emphases of the school regard the academic achievement and how the student failure or success is dealt with. The social-emotional well being balanced environment available for the learners. The facilities offered by the school starting from the academic ones like the science laboratories and libraries to the extra curriculum ones sports and performing arts. The class size and structure including the number of students in each class and its' effect on the child's processing information. And finally, the schools' own reputation in the official exams.

        The third and last guideline in the process of selecting a school is the evaluation-match step. Parents must evaluate all the gathered information regarding what cultural capital a school can provide to the child. Comparing the different school offers into lists of the good-bad and advantages-disadvantages of each. Then match the schools at the top of the list with their own preferences, values and desired SES level. The ones that pass this stage of matching and eliminating the unwanted schools must be further matched with the child needs and quality, and finally with the desired outcomes. At this stage the wide range of schools is diluted into just one or two best. Thus the choice is easier.  

        When parents are searching for a suitable school for their own child, they have to be aware to all the terms mentioned in the following list because it's one of the most important decisions parents take for their child, where the child have to spend around 14 years in school from KG till high-school graduation. Thus, be careful and aware for all details and don’t take the easy choice that seems already made to meet your needs because some may deceive you by the look.

A list to help you in your research:

• Assess your child’s personal qualities. 
•  Determine your education preferences and values. 
• List your education goals for your child. 
• Match your child and your preferences to the school. 
•  School location. 
•  Philosophical or religious focus of the school. 
• The education curriculum offered. 
• Elective courses offered. 
• School affordability. 
•  Welcoming and open. 
•  Student welfare and wellbeing. 
• Assess the facilities and environment. 
• Class size and structure. 
• Reputation. 
• Education performance and achievement. 
• Handling of health issues. 
• Student engagement or assistance. 
• Diversity or conformity. 
• Individuality or student body. 
• Representation of student body. 
• Disciplinary.  
• Homework policy. 
• Student support systems. 
• Computer and technology policy.
• Parent concerns resolution.