There are an increasing number of parents in India choosing private schools to get their wards educated. Most of these schools are very expensive to some of the parents. Even those cannot afford private education also send their children to these schools due to peer pressure and assuming the private schools will equip their children to come out of their financial difficulties one day.
Very few parents have an insider view of the service this school provide or the quality of education except being influenced by the marketing by these schools. Parents do not even realize whether core curriculum and extracurricular activates, goals and objectives of these schools are in line with what the parents and the family is looking for.
Many of these educational organisations (difficult to call them as institutions) are promoted by petty business people. Some of the promoters themselves do not have even basic education to understand the objectives of education and use these organisations as another business – Remember in India education by the law is a non profit social service.
It is very difficult to believe that most of these schools even satisfy the basic requirement laid down by the rules to get permission to run schools; yes but such permissions are managed.
The writer has nearly twenty years experience as the principal of private schools and suggests parents may consider following points before taking admission for their wards in private schools
Background of the promoters – if the school is promoted by educationist or business house as part of corporate social responsibility the chances are greater that the school will have education as the central objective of the school. This does not mean if the promoter advertise the name of a few educationists in the advisory board of the school, then school has educational objectives. Most of the schools have a few educationists in the managing committee to gain respectability but these educationists are never consulted by the management of policy decisions.
Principal of the school: - Is he/she is professionally qualified; he/she knows education policies and regulation; if management give the autonomy in the day to day management to principal. In most of the private schools principal is not even allowed to have any say in the school management – appointment, admissions, financial management, selection of teaching learning materials, pedagogy. It appears that some of the management prefer principal who does not even understand these things.
Teachers: - are they really paid as per government rules, if not at least a decent pay enough for subsistence. Are these teachers qualified, do they have the skill, are they coming to school teach or spend some time for gossips. Check the staff stability – if the staffs are not stable your child's future is at stake, most of the private schools have nearly 35% turnover of teaching staff.
Infrastructure: - not only that the school has building, does it has sufficient space for physical development of the child. Is the building and the location is safe. Does the school building is approved to conduct school activities by local government authorities and fire department.
Distance: - A child must go to neighborhood school, not a famous school which is 30 or 40 km away from residence. If the school has a transport department; if yes, how well they manage the fleet of vehicles. Consider how much you will have to spend on transport for 14 years of your child's schooling. Find out the discipline of transport staff else you are compromising with your child's safety.
Fee and Other expenses:- No private school can function unless it is funded by someone. In private self financed schools, parents are expected to pay fee; but the question is do we have any idea how often the fee will be revised; even if it is revised every year, is there any rationale for the same. Find out from the date of entry till your child exit from school how much will you be paying.
A parent must find out if they have to spend additional money for private tuition. Most of the parents shell out additional amount for private tuition – fault may be schools & some time the parents over expectations/peer pressure.
Most important point, can you sustain paying this high fee for 14 years. Often the same service you get from government schools/government aided schools paying a nominal amount.
Extended curriculum: - good schools expose he children to learning beyond the expectations of the text book. It is essential to know if he school program will provide the child with feeling of self worth and self esteem. The programs may be music, dance, art, sports, camps, IT education, creative writing, public speaking, social service, school events etc. Always do not believe the school web site.
Admin and support staff – whether this staffs is qualified, trained, supervised and decently paid.
Teaching method:- Many schools do not even understand the difference between curriculum, syllabus and text book. Most of them consider the Index of chapters in the prescribed (prescribed in 95% case without reading) as syllabus. Teacher often ask the students to read these books in class, so the teacher can explain it then!. Good schools follow methods experiential learning and TFU
Consult a parent:- It is always good to talk to a few parents, visit the school unannounced or collect feedback from old students
Let me also request parents – you are sending your child to learn, not to a center for entertainment, school staff is not expected to entertain and pamper your wards. Do not expect your child's school to teach values unless you can be a partner in the process.
It is too much to expect your child to accomplish everything you failed to achieve in life. In the last two decades earning of an average Indian citizen has go up considerably but do not have the impression that everything can be brought by money.
Similarly it is good to remember that just because you pay fee, you do not have any right to misbehave with school staff. Low paid school staff, not protected by law and management may suffer in silence; but you will pay a heavy price when your own child does the same to you in your old age.
Even if the school is best, if the child does not have the potential, appropriate family environment and aptitude for learning, a child may not succeed in academic. But parents must love the child for what the child is, not for his potential to bringing money and fame.
When I compare the ten points mentioned above, I feel government schools are much better than private schools – low fee, neighborhood advantage, and stable staff, qualifies teachers, better systems & processes and more play area. But they give inclusive education (true education) and do not advertise with cute children learning with beautiful young teacher on cover page of leading print media.
