What makes one school then better than another?

According to Fe Hidalgo, former undersecretary of the Department of Education, several factors have to be considered in determining which schools are top-notch in the different levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary). Among them are the school’s performance, participation and completion rate, average class size, competencies and training of teachers, and the sufficiency and quality of instructional materials and facilities.

Hidalgo explains that how students fare in general exams (such as the National Achievement Test or NAT for public school pupils) says a lot about the method in which the school’s curriculum is being carried out. When it comes to class size, she says the ratio of teachers to students should ideally be 1 is to 25, to facilitate equal participation from everyone in the class. "It’s really problematic to see a teacher teaching around 50 to 70 students in a class...it’s clear that not everyone is learning in that class," notes Hidalgo.

Just as important, she says, are the expertise of the educators and the materials and amenities that a school offers. Proficient educators, complemented with relevant and beneficial resources, enable students to learn easier, better, and faster.

For Pre-School-Hunting parents

An excellent first school should have a child-friendly environment, physically and socially, stresses Hidalgo. "Physically, meaning there is adequate space for kids to move around, and enough amenities to stimulate them and care for their wellbeing."

Socially, the preschool should recognize the right of every child to play, the freedom to do whatever a child does without too much prohibitions, and the environment that gives them time enough to be children," she expounds. "The preschool should also provide developmentally appropriate materials and environment for learning. It should lay down the foundation for learning because if a child’s foundation is weak, there is a chance that his or her learning skills in the future will also be weak."

Hidalgo says that essentially, the criteria for calling a preschool "good" is similar to the characteristics she mentioned for elementary and secondary, "but there is a greater importance that lies in preschool education of children."

In the early years, children learn fundamental skills and develop in ways that are crucial to the success of their future education and the rest of their lives. Thus, it is important for a preschool to develop the child not only

academically but also holistically, which means to cater to the physical, mental, social, spiritual, and emotional development of the child. "So support for children at this age does not merely refer to establishing preschools and infant classes. It refers to all the activities and interventions which address the needs of young children and help to strengthen the contexts in which they are embedded: the family, the community, and the physical, social, and economic environment," Hidalgo says in closing.

Tips from Teacher-Moms

When selecting a school for your youngster, consider too his or her character/temperament, and not just a school’s reputation, or your personal preferences, says mother of three Rica Bolipata-Santos, who is also a writer and an educator.

"What’s important for me is knowing my children very well and understanding what school will bring out the best in them and will make them happy. That means if you have a kid who you know will not make it in a traditional school, no matter how much I desire for that kid to be in Ateneo (where I get a discount at that!), I wouldn’t put him there because I know it will not fit his personality," she says.

Rica shares that her daughter is in Miriam "because I’m from Maryknoll. She’s also the kind of person who thrives in a traditional set-up because she’s very independent."

Mother of two Winnie Santiago, who teaches English at an all-girls school, advises moms and dads to consider proximity to home, besides quality of education, when choosing schools for their kids.

"If a school is too far, there are a lot of lost hours (from traffic, traveling, etc.), and these can affect the student," she says.

Things to look for

1. Hidalgo lists additional characteristics of a superior learning institution:

2. Child-friendly environment

3. Holistic curriculum

4. Achievement levels are good

5. Enough space for various activities in the classroom

6. Integrates Information and Computer Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning transactions

7. Teaching and learning are both interactive

8. Children are allowed to use their experiences in the construction of knowledge

9. Teachers have good/ competitive salaries

10. Students exhibit and practice desirable values

11. Effective mechanism in assessing teaching and learning outcomes

12. The principal is empowered to make decisions for his/her school

13. Sufficient facilities and materials like libraries and laboratories

14. All stakeholders in education (parents, administrators, and the community) are actively engaged in the improvement of the school

Does your child’s school measure up?

Even if it doesn’t, it is heartening to know that teaching and learning do not happen exclusively in the classroom. And that there’s a great deal parents can still do to nurture and boost their child’s aptitude and knowledge.

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