Choosing school about balance
THESE TIPS CAN HELP PARENTS SORT OUT SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOICES, WRITES DR JUSTIN COULSON
SUCCESSIVE governments have told us that school choice is good. It allows parents to have options in selecting the environment that will be most enriching.
While school choice has some advantages, school choice can also be anxiety-inducing and divisive. Many families simply lack the resources to make any choice at all.
But even for families who stretch to find the cash, research has highlighted that many parents experience anxiety as they fret over which school will be best for their children to attend.
They experience fears of missing out (some schools “have”, while others “have not”).
It leads to pressure on parents who worry that their child may not get the best start in life without the “right” educational opportunities.
It can cause financial strain for parents who are stretched beyond what is wise as they sacrifice for their children’s education. It’s really hard to know how to make the “right” choice.
We rely on what other people say about the school and how we see the students behave in the community (reputation), how nice the school looks and the facilities it has (resources), how the school fared for NAPLAN or Year 12 scores of recent students (results). And we wrestle with whether these are the best metrics upon which to base our big decision.
Our children often clash with us about which school will be best. While we worry about reputation, resources, and results, our kids are focused on friends and the fit or feel of the school. They want to fit in.
Regardless of a school’s reputation, when we get this wrong we can increase our child’s anxiety, reduce their motivation, and turn school into a painful experience with far-reaching consequences for everyone.
As I’ve reviewed research, spoken with countless families, and worked in and around hundreds of schools and educators, I’ve formed the following view: friends, fit/feel and philosophy are typically more important than results, resources, and reputation when it comes to choosing a school for your child.
FRIENDS ARE LIKE OXYGEN
Parents may sometimes undervalue their child’s friendships at school, particularly when weighing it up against academic opportunity. But research shows that friends are vitally important to a child’s wellbeing.
According to international research, a sense of community and belonging increases our children’s engagement in both academic and non-academic activities. When our children have strong peer relationships and positive teacher/student relationships they engage and achieve more. Furthermore, research emphasises that students who feel like they belong typically score higher on motivation and effort.
FIT “FEELS” GOOD
Finding the right fit is the next step. This has two parts. First, does the school fit the needs of your child? Second, does your child fit in at the school? Both things have to be right for your child to be successful.
You can assess whether or not the school fits the needs of your child by looking to see if they are being adequately challenged. Or, if they are struggling, how the school supports them.
Does the school offer classes and enrichment opportunities that engage your child?
If your child loves sports or drama but the school doesn’t have a strong program in those areas, it might be good to look around. You’ll also want to ensure that your child fits in at the
school. As long as they enjoy going to school (for the most part!) and have an active, healthy social life, you can be pretty confident they are fitting in.
PHILOSOPHY
What is the school’s policy towards discipline, technology, respect, homework, academic expectations, sport, participation, mentoring, school representation, wellbeing, and more? Do you want a school that nurtures “the child” or a school that nurtures “academic excellence”? (Yes, they can do both, but what is the focus?)
What do you value in a school? Philosophy is crucial in ensuring a good fit between home and school life for our children. REPUTATION, RESOURCES, AND RESULTS Parents will often be tempted to go to a school because it looks so good. The reputation may be strong.
The resources will likely be impressive and aspirational.
The results may be the best in the area. They may have many students who were accepted into the most competitive courses at uni, or achieved results in other ways that build reputation.
Yes, these things matter, but not as much as we might think.
While half of parents factor reputation into school decision making, basing a decision on where to send your children on such numbers can lead to decisions that are not always in the best interests of our children, regardless of our best intentions.
Why? First, reputations, both good and bad, are often based on inaccurate, out-of-date information. And they can change very quickly.
For example, if a new principal comes on board a school’s philosophy may be overhauled. Staff changes will ensue. Culture will change. A reputation will be redundant in a short period of time. Results are also unhelpful. About 25 per cent of parents look at test results online but relying on a single test (NAPLAN) to tell us everything we need to know about the quality of the school is fraught with potential for problems.
Such scores tell us nothing about the school culture, wellbeing, relationships, enrichment, approaches to disciplinary issues, and so many other factors that matter.