Choosing the right school for your child
Choosing a school for your child is a major decision. It will have a profound impact on their education and the formative years of their life. Below is a very useful article from www.rollercoaster.ie highlighting some considerations.
Factors Involved in School Selection
The Constitution of Ireland acknowledges the role of parents in the education of their children. Parents have choices in relation to the type of school they send their child to. At primary level, parents now have a wide choice of school types. In addition to making this choice, parents also have to consider factors such as the location of the school, whether the school is a single sex or mixed school, whether it is large or small, classroom size, and the cultural ethos of the school.
Consideration of the factors above can help parents make an informed choice about what school they consider will suit both them and their children best. Parents should also be aware of the benefits of speaking with parents of children who are already attending the school. These parents will be able to share their experiences in a particular school and this can be a very useful resource.
Factors Involved in School Selection
The Constitution of Ireland acknowledges the role of parents in the education of their children. Parents have choices in relation to the type of school they send their child to. At primary level, parents now have a wide choice of school types. In addition to making this choice, parents also have to consider factors such as the location of the school, whether the school is a single sex or mixed school, whether it is large or small, classroom size, and the cultural ethos of the school.
- Location is a very practical consideration when choosing a school for your child. Many parents show a preference for schools close to their home because they are the most convenient to access and require the least amount of travel time. While there are definite benefits to a school close by, if this is a priority you may find your choice of school is restricted to one school since that may be all that is available in your area.
- Parents are often divided on the issue of single-sex versus mixed-sex schools. Advocates of single-sex schooling claim that when girls are educated separately they learn in a less challenging environment and when boys are educated separately, they may be in a more active environment.
Those who advocate mixed schools tend to see it as a healthier, more natural option, believing that boys and girls draw on each others' strengths and develop a better understanding of each other. Research examining the benefits of single-sex versus mixed schooling has generally focused on older children rather than children starting school and it has yielded mixed findings. - Some studies have showed that both girls and boys benefited from studying in single-sex schools, while others have showed that while girls do better at single-sex schools, boys do better in mixed schools. Indeed, it has been observed that girls are often disadvantaged in co-educational schools because they have less opportunity to engage in questioning and discussion, whereas boys are asked for more information and are challenged more often. While the debate surrounding the advantages of single-sex versus mixed schools continues, research has demonstrated that mixed schools are associated with numerous personal and social benefits for children, including improved self-confidence and a better ability to make new friends.
- In considering school size, it is useful to be aware of the fact that children coming straight from home or from preschools in small self-contained buildings may be overwhelmed by the scale of school buildings. Children need to gain confidence in this new environment but rather than the size of the school, what is likely to be even more significant is the way in which children are introduced to their new environment.
It appears from the evidence that children may find their new school easier to settle into if the child's initial transition into that setting is in the company of one or more people from a previous setting, for example, going to school with a friend or having an older sibling in the school. - Aside from school size, a factor which may be more important is teacher/child ratio and class size. In Ireland, official teacher/ child ratios are one teacher to a maximum of 29 children. However, recent figures from the Department of Education and Science show that some schools have higher ratios, while others have lower ratios. Teacher/child ratios are a central factor that impact on the quality of children's early educational experiences, with lower ratios typically being more favourable. In the US, for example, the National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends a ratio of ten children per staff member for four-year olds.
- While Irish infant classrooms do not meet this criterion, smaller class sizes are optimal in terms of children's experiences and academic achievement. There is broad agreement from research that smaller class sizes enable teachers to provide better quality education because they allow for more time for individualised and responsive teacher attention and interactions. In fact, the Department of Education and Science recognises the importance of lower ratios and several of their programmes, which have been designed to tackle educational disadvantage, have set ratios. For example, the Breaking the Cycle scheme (Department of Education, 1997) suggests a ratio of 15 children to one teacher in the infant classes. However, in reality many schools struggle to maintain low staff-pupil ratios due to limited resources at local and national level.
- Finally, the cultural ethos of the school warrants consideration. Irish society is becoming increasingly culturally diverse, a fact that is now recognised in government policy. The National Children's Strategy (2000) states that children should be educated and supported to value social and cultural diversity so that all children, including Travellers and other minority groups, achieve their full potential. In choosing a school, it may be useful to consider whether it caters respectfully for children's cultural background. For example, the school's religious ethos may be an important issue. Many Irish primary schools are under the management of one denomination or another and the majority of these are Roman Catholic.
There is however, a growing choice of schools of other denominations and of multi-denominational schools. Schools can no longer prioritise children based on their religious belief. Children do not have to attend religion class and parents may choose to withdraw their child from such classes if they wish.
- Another area to consider may be the role of the Irish language in a school. The Irish language is a part of many children's cultural heritage and is an integral aspect of the Irish education system. Children can learn Irish as part of the curriculum in primary school, but there is also evidence of growing interest among parents in having their children educated through Irish.
Consideration of the factors above can help parents make an informed choice about what school they consider will suit both them and their children best. Parents should also be aware of the benefits of speaking with parents of children who are already attending the school. These parents will be able to share their experiences in a particular school and this can be a very useful resource.