Parents have a lot to think about when it comes to picking the ideal school for their children. With the wide variety of choices available in international schools in Dubai, it is not easy to make a decision offhand. But there are some key factors that you can consider. These factors play a vital role in letting you meet your goal of providing the best educational avenues for the kids and preparing them for a competitive life ahead.
Right from budget and location proximity, to campus security and curriculum, a lot of dynamics come into play when it is time to decide the one school that will tick all the boxes for your child. If you are one such parent who wants the best in academics for your child, then this is the right post for you.
Today, we take a look at 9 compelling factors that you need to look out for when it is time to pick the best international school in Dubai.
Scholarship opportunities
● Is your kid doing exceptionally well in one area like sports? Check if there are scholarship opportunities available to fund the kid’s education (either fully or partially) This way, financial problems at home will no longer be an impediment to a good academic record.
● There are many students who drop out of schools and colleges due to financial hardships. Getting scholarships to meritorious students will help them complete their education instead of dropping out due to financial constraints. Reduction in educational expenses helps the students to complete their education in a stress-free manner.
2. Enriched campus security
Time and again, we hear news about improper security resulting in a threat to a student’s life, especially girls. There were instances when a girl child was taken out of the school because of harassment cases. Other issues like gender-based violence, cybersecurity, campus violence can be obstacles to performance of a student if the issue of security is overlooked.
Hence, parents need to consider this crucial factor when picking a good school for their children. Schools have been focusing on ways to curb these situations, by ensuring that the students feel safe when they are away from their homes. There are international schools that have beefed up the overall security right from cameras in classes and corridors to guards on duty, they make the children feel safe inside and around the campus.
3. Teaching students how to succeed
Not every student is similar in comprehension, speed, or temperament. Some may have extra requirements when it comes to grasping new information or focusing on a particular thing. Applying a similar approach to all students will only result in students bailing out from the education system.
Look for a school that makes sure to offer every student ample opportunity, which sets high but manageable standards that don’t make the students feel like they are left behind. Such methods not only boost the confidence level in the student but also makes them feel valued.
Teachers here play a big role in teaching students how they strive for success without getting drained.
4. Mentoring
Regular mentoring is a necessary consideration in picking a suitable education institution for the kid. Mentoring from the very first day assists the students to feel secure. And the feeling of security plays a huge role in a student’s success rate.
Choose a school that adds effort in scheduling regular meet-ups of students with the best advisors. As mentoring helps students to open up about things that are bothering them, resulting in a stress free mind that enhances their educational and social life equally.
This process has a great impact on reducing dropping out of school. Likewise, the campus programs, seminar cells and other concepts can prove highly helpful, knowledgeable and accessible.
5. Mandatory attendance
Students need a structured schedule from the very beginning. With international school’s that have mandatory student attendance in place, the child will be motivated to attend the class. The system sends quick alerts to the student’s parent or guardian, meaning unnecessary leaves are decreased significantly. With no unnecessary leaves, the student tends to be on the same page with his/her peers. Likewise, an instant action plan on why the student was absent makes the whole process much easier.
6. Making learning innovative and interesting
It is common for students to lose their focus in their educational environment. But, when the students feel content with what is going on in their educational environment, it becomes possible to increase their focus.
So, make sure you choose an international school that has made the CBSE Curriculum easier by uploading the same into learning management systems. This way, the students get to access their study material easily and feel motivated to study. Additionally, they use reports and analytics to identify the difficult areas so the students can be helped in overcoming them.
7. Discussion forums
It is important for an institution to empower and engage the students. And that is where the discussion forums come in. International schools are well-known for assisting students from day one until the student graduates from the campus.
Check if they employ student information systems and learning management systems to encourage the students. Similarly, chat rooms, social media and online discussion forums are used to share and discuss the course information. Such avenues keep the students engaged and share their views easily.
8. Mobile-friendliness
Accessing content should never be hard for a student. Nowadays, everyone wants freedom from their heavyweight backpacks. Check if the International school has successfully transitioned to e-learning concepts. If, they are fostering a tight-knit, organized environment that keeps the students informed about everything.
Similarly, regular push notifications and SMS alerts help the students to stay engrossed. Such a concept in place optimizes the academic activities such as syllabus, assignments and tests, enabling the students to browse and gain the information quickly whenever they need it. These reasons make it ideal for a child to seek admission to an international school in Dubai.
9. Engaging students with the online teaching model
International schools are increasingly utilizing software to promote a pleasant way of teaching the CBSE curriculum. This software is user-friendly, analytical and contains dashboards and reports so that the students get everything they are looking for in one place.
The online mode of teaching has high quality and incredible flexibility as it allows continuous mapping, remedial measures and a lot more. So, choose a school that has adopted these digital initiatives, which can be counted as a future-ready institution fit for your child’s academic aspirations.
Signing off
Many of these factors are rarely explored by parents when they seek out some of the best international schools in Dubai. However, as seen above, these considerations are imperative to encourage all-round growth and development (and not just on academics). If a school has adopted such steps to improve the child’s development, then you can confidently seek admissions in such a school.
