It is that time of the year when parents are relentlessly looking for educational institutions with the ‘best school’ tag on them.
The debate on sending your child to a reputed school will always be a bone of contention for most parents. But, does it really pay to go to an elite school? Financially speaking, a lot of factors come into play while weighing the pros and cons to get to a good school but primarily one must be able to afford the luxuries of the school.
Come to think about it, some parents go beyond their way and spend a fortune on getting their child into a ‘reputed’ school. But what matters after all is how the child adapts itself to the atmosphere and learns to grow up and excel as a complete individual.
Do the rankings matter at all?
A school might be doing well in terms of reputation, ranking, and infrastructure, but if it fails to provide individual attention and contribute in the overall development of a child, then the ranking has no meaning in the minds of the parents at all.
Presuming the payoff of an elite education is a tricky task because of the sheer number of variables that can come into play. Some students are smarter than others. Some are more motivated. It is not clear if the rankings accurately reflect the quality of education from a particular school, or if some schools are simply better at attracting top-notch applicants.
So are you doomed if you can’t get into a good school?
Not all students are the same. A student’s grades, major, and innate talent all make a difference. The teachers and parents also have a role to play undoubtedly. But a satisfying learning experience is what matters and how your child is growing up reflects the school that he or she is going to.
<span “mso-fareast-font-family:”times=”” roman”;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;=”” color:black”=””>Beyond Reputation
Rankings should not be the ultimate consideration in choosing a school. Instead, the need of the hour is a system that communicates to parents the worth of attending a particular school, with information, facts, and stats that will in turn help them understand a school’s potential return on investment.
Finding the right school involves considering many factors – size, cost, location, available academic programs, amongst others. And elite school or not, the most important thing to consider is: Is your child going to be happy studying there. Because that will play a vital role in their turn-out.
