Finding The Best School For Your Child

Being a parent is a lot of work, raising a child is not only about the day-to-day tasks that include making sure your child is being fed, bathed, clothed, etc. Being a parent also means preparing for your child’s future and that begins with finding the right school for them.

Most parents tend to relax and only start thinking about their children’s education at the 11th hour. This article looks at helping you about some of the questions you might have regarding finding the right school for your children.

Children spend about eight hours or more at school, meaning that they spend more time at school than they do with their parents. This is enough reason and therefore vital that as a parent you choose the right school for your child that will be an extension of your home values.

Here are tips you can look at when choosing the best school for your child

Making the right choices

The most important decision you need to make is whether you want to take your child to a public or private school. That will determine the steps you will need to take moving forward. At the end of the day, when it’s time to make the decision, you will need to choose the best school that will be suitable for your child.

Do your research

If you’re choosing a school for the first time, ensure that you do your homework thoroughly and research the school’s practices and values carefully. You can also learn a lot when you chat with current learners or parents that have their children at the same school. The feedback can help narrow your decision making.

Visit the Schools of your choice

It is no doubt that you can best learn about the school when you are present and there to ask all the right questions, that can put some of your worries at ease. During your visit you can inspect and tell whether you find the environment safe or not. Safety and security are one of the important things to look at when around the premises.

Location

Many schools are based around the communities they serve in, meaning there might be alternatives suitable for both parent and child. Given traffic and other considerations, location is very important so is the availability of a reliable transport. However, according to Business Tech, there are best schools that are nearby residential neighbourhoods.

Western Cape

• Rondebosch Boys High School in Rondebosch, near Claremont, Newlands, and Mowbray.

• Camps Bay High School in Camps Bay, near Sea Point and Greenpoint.

• St Cyprians in Oranjezicht, near Gardens and Vredehoek.

• Westerford High School in Rondebosch, near Claremont, Newlands, and Mowbray.

• Blouberg International School in Parklands, near Milnerton,Table View and Blouberg.

Gauteng

• St. John’s College in Houghton, near Rosebank, Greenside and Park Town.

• St Peter’s Girls School in Sandton, near Midrand, Randburg and Roodeport.

• Redhill School in Sandton, near Midrand, Randburg and Roodeport.

• St Martin’s School in Johannesburg South, near Parktown, Randburg and Rosebank.

• Star College in Houghton, near Rosebank, Greenside and Park Town.

Kwa-Zulu Natal

• Eden College in Glenwood, near Westridge, Glenmore and Bulwer.

• Clifton School in Morningside, near Essenwood, Greyville and Durban North.

• Crawford College in La Lucia, near Sunningdale, Glen Ashley and Somerset Park.

• St James Durban in Greyville, near Essenwood and Bulwer.

• St. Henry’s Marist College in Westville, near Berea and New Germany.

Extramural Activities If the school, you wish to enrol your child at has extramural activities that can be a plus. It can be very helpful if a school offers extramural activities and sport especially when your child does not have a timed or pre-arranged transport every week.

Extramural activities are important because even though they are not a part of the main curriculum, they play a very crucial role in giving your children the ability to mould their lives to become well-rounded people. As much as it may seem like only playtime and fun, extramural activities have some major benefits which include the following:

• Development of specialised skills

• Improved academic performance

• Exposure to new activities

• Sense of responsibility

There is a lot you can choose for your child, depending on their strengths, skills, hobbies, and weaknesses.

Affordability

As much as choosing the best school for your child can be the most important, being able to afford is the crucial part of the whole process. Education costs have soared over the past few decades and show no sign of slowing down. Affordability is one of the first you need to think about when choosing a school for your child – plan your finances.

In 2020 the group’s data showed that if your child were to start Grade R in the same year, with education inflation of 9%, you can expect to pay around R1.6 million for their public schooling up to matric and a three-year university qualification.

However, by comparison, if you choose private schooling from Grade R up to matric and a three-year university qualification, the costs double and amounts to R3.7 million.

An article by Standard Bank shows the possible cost of education in South Africa by 2025 and 2035.

Cost of Education in South Africa by 2025:

• Public Primary or High School: R63 300

• Private Primary School: R154 900

• Private High School: R248 700

• University: R107 600

Cost of Education in SA by 2035

• Public Primary or High School: R149 800

• Private Primary School: R366 700

• Private High School: R588 800

• University: R254 700

Saving for your child’s education from when they are born might be the best move. According to Standard Bank, these are the best ways you can look at when saving for your child’s education:

• Open a savings account

• Open a tax-free savings account

• Sign up for a medium term or a long-term investment

Apply on Time

Once you find the suitable school for your child, make sure that you keep an eye as to when the registrations open and when the close. Prepare all the required documents and submit the registration forms in time.