Which school is the best for my child in Bangalore is probably the most happening question which parents ask themselves and discuss the same in the parent community. It is an overwhelming question though, which seeks a concrete answer in the right sense of direction. However, the answer to this question is very subjective, with some elements of objectivity hidden in the essential criteria of choosing a school.
In fact, there is no bad school. Why should a school be bad? Every school endeavors to be the best in performance. Nonetheless, comparisons exist. Parents scout for some best choices in the school expo.
While the choice of the best school is completely subjective, there are some standard parameters that define the robustness of a school as a meaningful learning ecosystem.
What makes the best school for my child?
Mission and vision- the most significant block on which the entire philosophy of a school is laid. It is the foremost yardstick of introspecting whether the motto of the school matches your beliefs
Learning environment- a concise term commonly used as a heuristics in the brochure of a school to define the pedagogy, curriculum, teaching, and learning. However, the term means way beyond that. It is the surrounding of connectedness that your child will befriend. The more congenial and informal the surroundings, the more easily the budding mind will blossom. It is the comfort that a learner seeks in the environment to express his or her feelings, emotions, thoughts, and ideas. The learning environment is the greatest window of creativity for a school to determine whether it is going to let its students spread their wings of new ideas or cocoon them in the predefined known setup.
Human asset- it is all to do with the stakeholders of the school. Covid has really taught us that the most significant component of a learning institution is its human assets. It is the effort put into these assets which make them sharper every day and the best fit in adapting to a new learning environment. More than a school’s physical infrastructure, focus on the intellectual infrastructure.
Happiness Quotient-we often try to highlight the IQ building of children. However, more than IQ checks on their HQ-how happy they are as learning agents.
Self-regulated agents-it is a traditional practice to check how much content a teacher teaches in the class. In fact, the most progressive checks should be on the initiative of a student-led inquiry system, where children are to be given the freedom to take up the lead in initiating a discussion.
Pedagogy-it is the tailoring mechanism of spinning the creative threads of any curriculum Curriculum matters-but what really matters is how the content is delivered. In fact, the curriculum is a set of age-appropriate concepts and content. But it is the metacognition of how to learn what children learn-makes or breaks.
Approaches to assessment- the most salient component of infusing the belief in every child to compete with ownself.
Sustainability in learning- a very BIG concept that encompasses learning about the attainment of sustainable and futuristic goals, transferable skills, and the ever-evolving growth mindset.
Design thinking-the art of simulation is a sure shot toolkit in experiential learning which manifests through the most successful learning outcomes by connecting lessons with real-life scenarios.
These are some of the key fundamentals in choosing the best school for your child. It is important to be empowered in understanding every aspect of a meaningful learning journey for your child. Hence, do not go with jargon, walk every learning pebble with confidence. If you stumble, ensure that you check then and there with The Green School Bangalore often known as the parents’ favorite TGSB team.
