Best school fit
WHAT makes a good school great? Years of history and our own schooling experiences would perhaps contribute to the idea that academic performance is the sole indicator of excellence.
However, many schools have moved further away from this one- track measure of success. Parents too are increasingly recognising holistic education, as more and more actively seek options outside traditional public schooling when choosing the best school for their children.
Parents and schools also want to see students graduate as physically, emotionally and socially stable beings ready to contribute not only to their own secure future, but also to society and the world at large.
As a result, many are looking to enrol their children in private and international schools, which offer the right tools to produce more than a paper qualification.
The ideal school- teacher- parent cooperation in such schools involves timely feedback and concerted efforts to solve students’ challenges, execute lesson plans with expected results and keep track of performance and achievements.
Sunway International School guidance counsellors Sherry Wyse and Nathan Shier share that while parents and older students are often on the same page when it comes to seeking a prestigious and recognised programme or school, parents are usually the ones with long term educational pathways planned.
Students often only think of subject areas, while parents help to give context for career options in that subject.
The counsellors also highlight geographical proximity as an important aspect when choosing a school, as dealing with homesickness or culture shock could affect students’ performance.
That is why sending your children to boarding school, for example, is not a decision to be made lightly.
Enhanced cooperation and mutual understanding are trademarks of 21st century schools, parents and students.
Though education has greatly evolved in this sense, there are also many aspects of traditional education that remain in today’s schools – use of tools and modes of assessment, for instance, are merely a couple that have been improved and updated over the years.
Principal of UCSI International School Alexandre Trespach Nenes points out that assessment has come a long way from being a standardised test for every student.
“It is very common today to see students engaging in projects, carrying out research in collaborative environments and integrating technology with their subjects,” he says, explaining that criteria or norm- based assessments are more effective than simply calculating an average score against other students.
Besides that, the use of technology as teaching and learning tools in schools is viewed by many as the future of education.
“Students today have instant access to vast amounts of information as technology is used to motivate them as well as facilitate ongoing assessment and feedback,” says John Mackle, principal of Sunway International School.
“As a result, they have a much more global perspective and relate to the idea of being a global citizen.”
This philosphy has become the new benchmark for quality education – to nurture students who not only excel in the classroom, but also out in the real world.
For this to happen, children have to be placed in an environment where they can mature emotionally and socially, deepen personal values and demonstrate social responsibility and global awareness.
Mackle shares the words of a parent, which sums up this notion nicely: “It is alright if my son does not get an A in every subject as long as he gets an A in life”.