Introduction

With renewed hope and vigor, parents are once again scouting for the best educational opportunities for their children. With the primary school season upon us, it is important to discuss an issue as important as selection. 

With every school claiming to be the best in terms of education and infrastructure, how do you decide which would be the best one for your child? 

In this article, we help parents look and choose the best primary school for their child. More importantly, we speak to experts at the best international primary school in Singapore and ask them for five important things to note in this regard. 

List of 5 Things to know when looking for a Primary School for your Child

1.The Distance from the Home to the School matters- 

Most experts agree that proximity plays a major role in influencing the decision of a primary school. This is both for the parents as well as for the school. Too long a distance means that not only will the child have to travel a lot and miss time, but can also lead to delays. 

Ideally, you want your child’s primary school to be located at a distance of no more than five miles from your home. This means that the one-way time taken from the home to the school should be no more than thirty minutes. 

2.The Infrastructure of the School is an important factor- 

 How the school should play a major role in influencing the decision of parents. You want to send your children to a school that has respectable infrastructure. This means adequate classroom areas, open play areas, and the presence of extra-curricular activities. 

You also need to see that the infrastructure is not in a dilapidated condition. Cleanliness and hygiene levels should also be monitored to ensure that the kids will spend the better part of their day in a healthy environment. 

3.Student to Teacher Ratio of the Primary School- 

Many leading educationists point out how asking about the student-to-teacher ratio should be done by parents. This will directly impact the kind of attention your child would be getting in a classroom and extra-curricular setting. 

There is no shame in asking about this issue. The ideal ratio is 1:20, but it can be stretched to a maximum of 1:30. Any more than this and you can be certain that your kid will not get the kind of attention that will help them develop in the best possible fashion. 

4.The Fee Structure and Payment Formalities-

While parents usually get emotional about the one-time part of fees, they fail to see ahead in the future and assess the overall expenditures. As a parent, you will be paying for your kids’ fees not once, twice, but hundreds of times during their school life. 

You need to ensure that you send them to a school where you will be able to afford their overall fee payments. Make sure to understand that in addition to the tuition fees, there will also be several other extracurriculars where you will have to pay the fees. 

5.Is the Discipline up to the mark-

We all lament the fact how kids these days are not at all disciplined. We fail to understand why this is the case. Ensuring that the primary school is strict enough to impart discipline is an important consideration. Talk to the teachers and the heads to understand what they are doing. 

While hitting the student has been banned, there are several other ways in which discipline can be imparted. A primary school is the building block of an individual. The discipline, respect, and commitment someone learns at this stage of their lives help them in a lifelong manner. 

The Bottom Line

In the past few years, parents have started to take an increased interest in the primary schools their kids go to. Checking for the above-mentioned five points can ensure that the selection process becomes easier, especially when you know what you are looking for. If you want to know more or have any other questions, let us know in the comments below.