Choosing Among Available Private Schools
Many parents, for whatever reason, decide not to send their children to the local public school. Private schools give them another option, but come with the added challenge of choosing the right one. Many different factors such as general environment, location, price, and more have to be taken into account when making this decision.
Sometimes the motivation for choosing a non-public school is religious. If this is the case, then an additional factor becomes involved– that is, the quality of religious education provided and how well the school\’s belief system matches your own. Usually, religious schools welcome those from all walks of life, but if you and your child do not belong to the religion taught there, you must consider whether they would be comfortable.
Because they are fee-based organizations, very few bad private schools exist. However, there are a wide range of teaching styles employed by the various institutes, and you must choose a school that has one you approve of. Some of the options include emphases on hands-on learning, creative learning, or traditional bookwork and homework-heavy learning.
Location is always a very important factor. While many parents are willing to make the sacrifice of getting up earlier and driving farther for a better school, there are limits to this. For older children, a boarding school may be a possibility if no local options seem ideal, but this is not the right choice for every student and every family.
While scholarships are usually available, the price of a private education must be considered carefully. Certain very poor families may receive complete assistance, but most families pay at least some of the cost. Like types of education, prices vary considerably from school to school, as does the typical amount of assistance available.
Academics and credentials are important, but most people feel that it is very important to go to the school and actually meet the faculty and staff. Don\’t expect that you can just drop in anytime, but if you call ahead to arrange an appointment, they should be happy to show you around and introduce you to the relevant faculty. Many also have \’shadow\’ programs, where your student can follow a current student around for a day or two in order to see what the school is like.
Some programs are open-entry, based only on whether the parents can afford the tuition, but most programs have more prospective students than they have places. The choice of which students will be accepted may depend on several different criteria, but often testing is involved. These tests determine whether a student would fit in well academically, but cannot say whether the student will fit in well with the rest of the environment.
It\’s a good idea to evaluate a list of private schools on paper, and weed out those that do not sound like a good fit at all. Then, you can arrange visits to several of the remaining options, and see if they are affordable, acceptable for your needs, and willing to take your child as a student. The entire family should make the decision based on everyone\’s needs, if possible.
Our Toronto private school is one of the best in Toronto, offering a balanced curriculum from Pre-K through to Grade 12. The staff at our Toronto prep school are dedicated to developing the whole child – academically, socially, and emotionally – in a safe and nurturing environment. Hudson College 21 Ascot Avenue, Toronto, ON M6E 1E6 (416) 631-0082
Our private school is one of the best in Toronto, offering a balanced curriculum from Pre-K to Grade 12. Our staff are dedicated to developing the whole child – academically, socially, and emotionally. Hudson College 21 Ascot Avenue, Toronto, ON M6E 1E6 (416) 631-0082
http://www.hudsoncollege.ca
Author Bio: Our Toronto private school is one of the best in Toronto, offering a balanced curriculum from Pre-K through to Grade 12. The staff at our Toronto prep school are dedicated to developing the whole child – academically, socially, and emotionally – in a safe and nurturing environment. Hudson College 21 Ascot Avenue, Toronto, ON M6E 1E6 (416) 631-0082
Category: Education
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