How to Choose Your Secondary Schools
The middle and high school years are an important time of transition and knowledge in your child's life. This is why choosing an appropriate secondary school for your son or daughter is an important and necessary task. Secondary education helps set the foundation for future knowledge and education in college and adult life. Take into consideration several factors when making the important decision of which secondary school your child will attend for their middle and high school years.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Research secondary schools that will meet your child's academic, social and emotional needs. Look for schools that most closely match your child's learning style and school culture that will mesh well with your child's personality. Once you have narrowed your list of schools to three to five secondary schools that would be the best fit, start talking to parents of students who attend these schools, as well as student themselves, to get an idea of the school culture and academic program.
-
2
Talk to administrators in your local schools to get recommendations of the best secondary schools in your area. Take into consideration travel time to school for your child, as well as academic rigors and social aspects of the school. Look for a school where your child is challenged academically, but is not so bogged down with hours of homework he is unable to enjoy his teenage years. It is just as important to find a school with a culture that suits your child's needs, as it is to find one to meet his academic needs. The best secondary school for a child is one where he feels safe and secure, as well as valued and included. This will help him shine through rigorous academic studies and the turbulent adolescent years.
-
-
3
Visit the secondary schools you are most interested in with your child. Let your child walk around and talk to the school administrators and teachers. Pay attention to the overall atmosphere and vibe you pick up on at each school. Your child needs to be in an environment where he feels motivated and challenged and will look forward to attending five days a week. Parents need to remember that school is their child's "job," and, just like a parents' job, it is important that he not dread the thought of attending each day.
-
4
Find a school that offers the academic content and extracurricular activities that most interest your child. If your child is interested in foreign languages, find a school that promotes foreign cultures and learning. Also, pay attention to the after-school programs that are offered at each secondary school in relation to hobbies and sports. Make sure the school you choose has a wide variety of extracurricular activities from which your child can choose.
-
5
Seek out a school that has a solid tutoring program and is invested enough in your child's education that administrators will make the necessary resources available to your child to ensure academic success. You want a school that will stand behind your child as much as you do in all facets of his emotional and academic development. A school with caring and competent professionals will help facilitate the timely and successful graduation of your child.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Remember that secondary school is composed of 6th to 12th grades. It encompasses middle school and high school. Most students will attend middle school for 6th through 8th grades in one school, and then attend another school for high school in 9th to 12th grades. Middle school years have been shown to be some of the toughest years emotionally and academically for an adolescent. Remember that these years are important, but they are only three years out of your child's life, and what happens during these years will not ultimately define your child. He can have a bad middle school experience and still go on to great high school years, as well as college and adult life.
Be sure you understand the procedure for airing grievances at your child's secondary school. Also, check with the principal and see what his policy is on bullying and other concerns for today's youth. Most schools have a strict no-bullying policy; make sure the secondary school you choose for your child follows up on that policy, and is not just paying lip service to it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit back to school! image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
