Saturday, June 2, 2007

What makes a Good School

What makes a Good School .....

The answer differs depending on the age of the children and also based on what as the parents you want the pupil to focus on. Simply put, Good School is what provides good education and Good education depends on how you percieve it as a parent. Good education starts from the parents. I am undermining the fact that a Good School provides the environment for any student to excel in their Studies and Conduct.

Evaluating a school : Some of the points I picked up from an article provide a good list of parameters in evaluating a School.

Teacher : student ratio (total strength of school, number of teaching and non teaching staff, class size).
Quality of teachers (Qualifications, experience, levels of motivation, training and development undertaken, competency).
Academic and administrative support available to the teachers.
Access of staff to contemporary research and development and pedagogic trends.
Curriculum design (academic and co-curricular activities).
Hobbies and spare time activities.
Involvement of every student in different aspects of the curriculum.
Study tours and outings undertaken.
Academic options available to students.
Provision for remedial classes.
Non-denominational or denominational nature of school.
Organisation of the school day.
Discipline.
Separation and supervision of younger and older children.
Admission policy and procedure.
Age group is the same of different children in the entry class.
Mix of students from different backgrounds.
Student assessment system and records.
Past school results.
Attitude of the students and staff.
Grooming standards, deportment and bearing of students and staff.
General awareness and communication skills of students.
Affiliation and memberships of the school.
Infrastructure available (land, building, laboratories, play fields, library, other facilities) and its quality.
Use of technology in delivering the curriculum and in general administration.
Cleanliness and neatness of campus : maintenance of building and other facilities.
Overall atmosphere and cheer of campus life.
Landscaping, greenery, vegetation and foliage of campus - closeness with nature.
Location of school in terms of accessibility, environment, availability of community services, possibility of networking with other educational institutes / agencies.
Information on Notice Boards.
Other sources of funds.
Availability of financial assistance to students.
Information regarding alumni.
Philosophy and mission of the school.
Concern, competence, credentials and leadership of Governing body members, Principal and other key resources.
Constitution, objectives, public image of owning body (Society / Trust).
Functioning of Parent-Teacher Association and its role.
Visits by external luminaries and speakers.
Integration of school with local community.
Participation of school in competitions and tournaments.
Career and college entry of school leavers.
Transportation arrangements to and from school.
Comparative standards of other schools in the area / region /country.

7 comments:

Geetha said...

Hi,

I did'nt hear any positive comments on Chettinad. Seems, they are thrusting lot of homeworks on kids and also the punishment is very severe. How far is this true ?

Unknown said...

Hi, i am belongs to a middle class family & iam not that much literate.right now iam working abroad.i would like to join my son in ur school. so wat are the things i have to do.

Unknown said...

Hi,
My daughter is planing to join for 8th std in DIV school in Mugappair. she is presently studing in Dubai.How she can get get admission for 8th standard and when the admission and enterance test takes place.Please guide

Bindu

Sri said...

Thanks for posting this article. I had lot of mind blows regarding the selection of a good school and how to determine a good school. Your article will definetly help me choose a good one for my child and clear my thoughts.

Rach said...

In my opinion , any school which gives it's prime importance to moral values and overall well being of it's student is a good school. It should prepare every child to be a rank holder in the exam of life. This does not mean they should always pass, failures are part of life but, success should be the goal of life.

One should realize it's more important to raise up and move on despite our downfalls and hurdles. Any good school which has inpsiring, motivating and moralistic teachers is a good school. It's not just the teachers or school that matters, but, it's the onus of every parent to guide and mould their child for future.

My parents and grandparents were very fortunate fir having lived in the era... Guru devo bava. Even , I had good teachers and parents and got enough guidelines. Our next generation is less fortunate, because there is so much hype about schools, and lots of money spent on donations, and so much exposure.... That the children today are so confused and race in the competitive world without knowing their ultimate goal ....LIFE.


School is just a preparation for our life. It is a means to gain knowledge. In my opinion, any child with a thirst for knowledge will gain it anywhere, even in forest! ( ekalavya is a classic example).

Hope this helps!
Cheers!
Rach

Anonymous said...

To create an excellent educational institution synthesizing the human values with the highest quality of teaching–learning using modern technology-driven tools for preparing a well-rounded personality for our society. For better education for your kids, i would recommend to all one of my favorite CBSE school which Mount Litera Zee School. For all information must visit once on MLZS.

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