Factors to Consider Before Transferring Children to Another School
Most parents transfer their children to new schools at the beginning of the new academic year, which typically begins in January.
There are numerous reasons for a parent to seek a school transfer.
The child’s dissatisfaction with their current school, financial difficulties, a career change forcing a move, and a change in the educational system are some of the reasons that motivate parents to seek a transfer.
Consider the following before transferring your child:
Curriculum/Syllabus
A curriculum is essential since it promotes a child’s intellectual and personal development.
A successful curriculum should equip students with the information and skills necessary to succeed in all aspects of life.
In cases where the curriculum is the same as your former school, make that your child was not too far behind in the previous school.
Unless you are seeking a different educational system, it is essential to make that the school your child is transferring to has the same curriculum.
This is because a varied curriculum will cause your child to fall behind before he or she can make up with the rest of the class.
Challenge
Will your child be positively pushed academically? Before deciding on a new school, it is important to ask yourself this question.
In an article for Harvard Business Review, Heidi Grant describes the difficulties intelligent children change when transferring to a school where they have no peers.
“When a bright kid fails to find his peers, it hinders the child from attaining full potential due to lack of positive challenge,” Grant writes.
Grant adds that the transfer of low-achieving students to a school for academically brilliant children also has detrimental consequences.
New school should be able to effectively assess students’ levels and provide a suitable degree of challenge to keep them engaged and increase their learning.
Transfer push factors
Never lose sight of why you transferred your child in the first place, as a parent.
Will the difficulties that prompted the move be resolved in the new school?
According to Think Student UK (2022), “To avoid any more disruption to your child’s education, make sure the new school is ideally where they will stay until the next step of their school journey.”
Have you confirmed that there is no bullying at the new school, for instance, if you are transferring your child because of bullying?
The child’s preference
Before settling on a new school, you should take your child’s feelings into account.
If the child is not at ease with the transfer, he may not do the necessary effort in his new school.
According to education expert Riya Sree Kaishyap, when children change schools, they must adapt to a new routine, make new friends, and earn the approval of their teachers.
Kaishyap believes that if the child consented to the transfer, he or she would not be able to complete the aforementioned tasks, which would cause them to fall behind and maybe develop despair.
Teacher – Student ratio
The Ministry of Education suggests a 40:1 teacher-to-student ratio for successful instruction.
This ratio has been established by the ministry to ensure that your child receives a quality education.
According to Kaloki Joseph Waita of the University of Nairobi, research published in the European Journal of Education Studies explains why it is essential to consider the teacher-to-student ratio.
Studies indicate that the academic achievement of students increases dramatically in regular classrooms with smaller class sizes (lower student-teacher ratios).
Make that there are sufficient teachers at the new school before transferring your child there.
Factors to Consider Before Transferring Children to Another School
