Choosing Kindergarten or School
SIL went to register Li Wei at one of the popular kindergartens in Ipoh yesterday. What made her choose this kindergarten? It’s because they give lots of HOMEWORK every day. I was rather shocked at the way she made the decision as I thought there’re other factors to be considered when we choose a kindergarten or school.
To me, here’s how I’ll evaluate a kindergarten:
1. Caring teachers who pay attention to ALL children.
2. Safe and clean environment, which means the tables and chairs, teaching aids, staircase, toilets, and etc are suitable and safe for children.
3. Easy to leave and pick up children, where the kindergarten has a good “Come and Go” system for vehicles.
4. Easy to access or talk to the teachers about our children, if necessary.
5. Besides academic or homework, there should be some activities which emphasize on a child’s well-being, like teaching them how to dress up, pretend play, sports or outdoor activities, songs and dances, and MORAL too.
6. Not too many children in a class. I think 10 children to 1 teacher ratio is good enough. If the number of children exceed 10, then there should be an assistant in the class to help out.
7. Please don’t force children under 3 years old to write, they’re not ready.
8. Homework is given occasionally and reasonably, not to scare children or kill their interest in learning by piling them with lots of writing. spelling test or exams.
9. No labelling of children and arranging their class by academic performance (this is very common)
10. No enforcement of children should stay back at school for tuition class, as most kindergarten teachers would “force” the parents to leave their children for tuition class, if not the kids won’t be able to catch up.
I’m wondering if my thinking is out-dated? Most parents I talked to have the same thinking as my SIL. Even my other SIL from Singapore also mentioned that kindergartens here have tougher syllabus than her sons’ kindy. She was shocked when she returned last year and saw what Xin Yi’s been studying at the age of 5. Not to mention the tough test paper, and Xin Yi managed to score the highest mark in her class!!! Of coz, Xin Yi’s dad coaches her every day and makes sure that she knows everything the teachers thought.
Even if Justin’s still young, I’ve started talking to hubby about what kind of school he prefers for Justin. Like his family members, he also thinks like them. We still don’t see eye to eye on this, hopefully after a few years down the road, we’ll come out a solution in finding kindergarten or school.
I’d prefer to send my kids to a kindergarten or school that don’t give any homework!! but then again…
for me, I’ll choose a school where the teachers speak well.. student teacher ratio low, 10 to 1 is good..
Clean and child friendly.
I won’t judge based on got home work or not.
I thought you use to run a kindergarten? Did your kindergarten give out lots of homework, what was your husband appraisal for the kindergarten you were running?
It’s true dat parents are the culprits in stressing their kids to have good grades. Seems dat the kids are being compared by the parents. Come to think of it? Sending them to tuition even when they are in kindy (true, I have frens doing dat). Homework, homework and homework. I think the kids will go ‘gila’. Poor kids.
I don’t think I’ll do dat to my Destinee. I fully support on how u evaluated a kindergarten. Kids must have their freedom too.
permit me to put in my 2 sens. If the child is not born to study why push. Besides what if u can get the degree? A degree today is unlike one a few years back. U know how many unemployed grads are there? Contractors make more money than grdas. I have a few relatives that pick govt schools, based on the teachers. They dont mind even if the school is miles away from home. Imagine the Std One child having to wake up by 5am to get to school (am talking abt life in KL here yah) My question to these people are u choose based on teachers. What if the teachers are then transfered out half way? Change school again?
So long as the kid gets the basic education, parents only need to see how they go from there say after Form 3.
Most of my batch who were in C class are doing much better than those in the “A” class.
Egghead, there’s why we need to choose carefully, for the sack of our kids (got some freedom), or follow the crowds.
Zara’s mama, my previous one didn’t emphasize on giving homework, unless requested by parents. Some parents freaked out when their children don’t have homework to bring home!!! My hubby has no idea how I ran it, so he and I have different thinking.
Tracy, I think it’s the parents’ fault too for putting so much pressure on kids nowadays. But how come most parents become so kiasu these days?
Ipoh mali jugak, I understand what you meant by “not studying material, why force”. But most parents still force their kids, or send them to good school miles away. Poor kids.
hmmm … haven’t thought of which nursery, kindergarten, primary, secondary, college, but have decided on which university already for my baby
from personal experience, don’t think any educational institution before uni gives that much of an impact – more important is family education + a good university.
maybe time has changed, we’ll see …
I’m sure not gonna send Gordon to such a kindy. I just want him to have a safe and clean environment to interact with children his age.
Caring and patient teachers are a bonus, of coz. I’ll be sending him to one next year in his 4th yr.
Writing before 3??? Siao ah. He’s got a lifetime to learn lah, dont scare nor kill his interest, hoh.