Probably the majority of parents don’t think that they’ll have to do much “school shopping,” and that they won’t have to face a difficult decision or process of choosing a school. After all, there are public schools in neighbourhoods all around the country, and most parents probably did choose where they live based on the available schools. But Cheryl Jackson writes about her experience with her kids and discovering that she ended up shopping schools multiple times because the best school for her son and daughters turned out not to always be the one in the neighbourhood.
Jackson’s story is a common one for parents, as each child is unique and has individual needs. Of course that doesn’t mean every child should have their own school, but certain school environments or programs will be more or less optimal for individual children. If a child loves music and would thrive in a school with musical after-school programs, and the neighbourhood school doesn’t have any music, doesn’t it only make sense to at least consider an option with music?
This is how Jackson – like countless other parents – ended up in the process of shopping around for schools. It’s a process that can be overwhelming or scary, which is why there are lots of resources to help parents, but the process can take on all sorts of shapes and sizes.
For some parents it may be choosing between particular programs, for others it may be choosing between boarding or not and for others still it may be something else entirely. Ultimately, it is important for parents to be able to gather lots of information and talk with people from different schools, which is why Our Kids hosts School Expos each year.
But from a societal perspective, facilitating school choice is often a contentious issue. Should public money go to any school? Just public schools? Public and Catholic schools? Should we use vouchers? There are so many options and opinions, but what sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is that the discussion is about what is best for our society’s children – our most important citizens.
That’s why the crucial thing is for parents to be involved in their children’s education and do all they can to ensure their children are in an educational setting that gives them the best opportunity to thrive.
I’d like to know, though, what the process of choosing a school has been like for you or your family. How did you decide where your child(ren) should attend?
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