How to choose the Best Boarding School in India

Parents shouldn’t blindly believe in the reputation of a boarding school, when selecting one for their child. A particular brand of a boarding school may not have the kind of facilities that are well-suited to the child’s temperament. For example, the best boarding school in Shimla may not be able to offer the needs of a particular child despite its prestige and reputation.

Core Curriculum — the most important factor to be considered while choosing a school has to be its curriculum. The curriculum should be comprehensive and exhaustive. Since, the students in a boarding school don’t often meet their parents, it is the responsibility of the parents to check upon the viability of syllabus and its suitability. The parents can even request for a copy of the school’s catalogue. Some schools have websites that showcase the highlights of their curriculum.

Class Size — the parents have to evaluate a child’s personality and evaluate whether the child would prefer a large academic set-up or a smaller setting with increased personal attention. The staff-student ratio also indicates the level of attention that would be provided to each student in the class.

Co-ed?— one major decision that parents need to make when choosing a schooling establishment for their child is regarding the choice between co-ed and same-sex boarding schools. For instance, a parent may come across the best boarding school in Shimla, but it could be a same-sex school, which for some parents isn’t a good choice as it decreases the chance to develop social skills with the opposite sex.

Type of School — boarding schools are of different types. Some of them are affiliated with a religious belief, such as many Baptist and Catholic schools that are counted among the best boarding school in Shimla. Some parents are very stringent regarding their preference for a child to be educated under a particular faith.

Extracurricular Activities — along with the educational curriculum and academic excellence of a boarding school, there should also be an emphasis on sports, music, arts, crafts, etc. to ensure the all-round development of a child. The availability and the nature of extracurricular activities in a school should be considered. A child may have particular talents and choosing a school that doesn’t have the facilities to develop these talents shouldn’t be considered.

School Environment — before finalising a boarding school, the parents should make at least one detailed visit to the school campus. This is the easiest method to gauge the environment of a school. Talking to some of the students, staff members and walking around the campus, noticing the better and the negative aspects regarding the infrastructure and the facilities can help the parents to make a better decision.