Choosing a school for your child should not be a daunting task.
But with my child turning four soon, finding the right preschool is one of the biggest challenges I’m facing (thus far) as a parent.
How do you choose the right, if not the best, school for your child?
According to a friend, it all boils down to location.
“It needs to be near you home so transport will not be a problem,” he said.
“It’s all about pricing. You don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket even before he starts college,” said a relative.
Some insist it’s about having fun as they will be spending the next 11 years of their lives being buried in books.
And I know what some of you are thinking: It’s just kindergarten, any school will do. How difficult can it be?
What our young ones are exposed to these early years will give them an idea of what school is and a better understanding on the concept of sharing, respect and interacting with others in a positive and healthy manner.
What a child picks up and learns during these formative years will set the foundation to decisions he or she makes later as an adult.
In our quest, my better half and I have so far found schools on the extreme ends – both in fees, location and demographics. There’s just nothing in between.
Most are double-storey terrace units. Then there are those that come with fields, sand pits and wading pools.
These schools adopt different teaching methods and curriculums. Some schools pride themselves in having educators who are highly qualified with years of experience under their belt.
There are kindergartens that cater for the religious. There are also those that don’t seem to have a true Malaysian feel – children of all walks and colours learning together under one roof.
But there just doesn’t seem to be a school that has a little bit of everything – at least in the area we stay.
With Covid-19 now disrupting the whole “going to school experience”, I truly hope we will eventually find a school where our son will learn, make new friends and understand what being a Malaysian is.
