Education experts call on schools to focus on child retention over growth
Demands on schools increased during the pandemic, with parents concerned about their children’s well-being, remote learning and safety measures, an international education conference has heard.
Parents are deciding what schools to send their children to based on these factors and the school’s ability to respond to a crisis, as well as more traditional considerations, said ISC Research, an education data provider in the UK.
Last Thursday, the group held an online conference to address the disruption and change international education has faced because of the pandemic.
During the event, teachers and education experts discussed the crisis in the global education market caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Education experts shared advice for schools on how to attract pupils in an increasingly competitive market.
David Harkin, chief executive of online learning service 8 billion ideas, urged school officials to make retaining children a higher priority, rather than focusing on enrolling new pupils.
“Parents’ demands will continue to change. We have seen industries destroyed and some created in the past 16 months,” Mr Harkin said.
“Show your parents that you are going above and beyond. Think about every part of the pupil and parent’s journey.
“Make retention a much higher priority. We always talk about getting pupils into the school but we don’t hear of retention strategies.”
Mental health and well-being was high on the agenda for schools in the UAE throughout the past school year.
In April, Gems Legacy School in Dubai started a mental health curriculum for pupils in Grades 3 to 6, while mental health and well-being studies will be part of the curriculum when Brighton College Dubai launches its sixth form in September.
As part of the Brighton College programme, teenagers at the school will be taught about food and nutrition, exercise, communication, leadership, resilience and positive relationships.
Alan Williamson, chief executive of Taaleem, which runs 13 schools across the Emirates, said parents and pupils were “looking for security”.
“Schools should also offer a clear USP [unique selling proposition] in a very competitive market,” he said.
“We looked after our staff, especially our teachers. They stayed with Taaleem and, unlike other schools, we have an average departure of only 15 per cent and 10 per cent in the British Schools. This is amazing given the pandemic.”
Tim Barker, business development director at English UK, the national association of English-language centres in the UK, said school authorities needed to listen to pupils and not simply focus only on teaching them.
“We need to listen to what pupils have to say. The young people at our school will tell you what’s important to them,” he said.
Schools must be willing to push back against parents, he said.
“Sometimes young people need space to form their own bonds and craft their own spaces while parents may want hands-on attention all the time,” Mr Barker said.
Most schools around the world closed in March last year, with some reopening, fully or for online or blended learning, in late summer.
Other schools reopened their classrooms for the 20202021 academic year.