Making school enjoyable from an early age

Choosing the best school for a child is a challenge many parents go through. It is more challenging when the child is at a tender age where they need motivation to learn and a bad learning environment can make them love or hate school.

Herbert Alinaitwe, the director of studies at St Kizito Nursery and Primary School in Kampala, says nursery will determine who your child turns out to be in future through the values imparted in them at the start of their education journey.

Although pre-school is not compulsory, it is important. But at that age –usually three years, how do you know what best suits your child?

Consider the distance
Rose Isaale, a mother of three, says she had a challenge of getting a school for her youngest child and had to send all the three to the same school that was near home although it does not have a nursery section of her choice.

“I took my first son at three years to a nursery school that was far from home. I trusted that since it had a school bus, he would be safe. I did not consider the fatigue that would come with him travelling that distance. He always came back tired, had his dinner and slept off. With time, I lost touch with him,” says Isaale.

Seeing as the distance was doing more harm than good to her child, Isaale had to transfer him to a school near home where she is able to drop him off and pick him up.

“School shuttles have a tendency to delay the children on the way. If possible, it is better the parent gets a school that is not far from their home to save the child from the daily tiresome journey,” she says.

Location of the school
Patrick Okiror is a single father who lives with his daughter. He says sometimes, he gets busy and cannot pick her from school so she has to find her way back home by herself on some days. He, therefore, says his daughter goes to a school that is not in the urban centre where she risks being knocked down by speeding boda bodas or encountering idle gangs.

“I had to make sure the school is located in a place where she can run off and go home with minimal supervision,” he says.

School’s reputation
“I stay in Namugongo and getting a nursery school of my choice in my home location was difficult. I moved around until a friend directed me to a school in Naalya whose status satisfied my desire,” says Jane Esther Aine.

Aine says she can never take her child to a school that has just opened up, it should have been in existence for at least three to five years. “Sometimes new schools collapse and it is hard to determine their teaching standard because you cannot trace children who attended nursery there,” she says.

She advises parents to also ask if the school has other branches and choose the one that is most convenient, adding that such schools usually have a good reputation.

Aine also emphasises good parent-teacher relationships because with this, a parent is sure of constant feedback.

Supervision is key
Alinaitwe, however, says it may be difficult to meet all the needs of the parents but as schools, they at least try to meet some of them.

He says nursery school-going children at that age are fragile to deal with so school management should care to find out the parent’s priorities before they make some decisions.

“If the school is both nursery and primary, they should be separated so that the little children can have an environment where they can mingle with their agemates with whom they think alike,” Alinaitwe advises.

He adds that caretakers are the ones who make the nursery school hospitable for the children, so, school authorities ought to find teachers who are caring and loving but they should be monitored as they do their work.

“We should also not ignore the teacher’s role in the children’s safety because as a parent, I strictly give the teacher instructions on whether to let my child go home or hold her back until I can pick her up. Getting a school that is responsible gives a parent peace of mind,” says Okiror.

Most importantly, Alinaitwe says there should be the school’s accountability to the child’s learning. So, they should carefully assess the child’s learning process and give reports to the parents.

In the end, what is important is that a child continues to thrive and develop -socially, cognitively, emotionally, physically- in whatever environment a parent chooses.

What should the environment be like?

Some children thrive in busy purposeful settings with plenty of bustle, while others prefer calm, ordered environments. Some parents firmly believe their children should be free to explore, experiment and lead their learning. Others feel young children need routine, boundaries and rules. Whatever your preferances, when entrusting the care of your child to others, you should look to find a nursery that will:
• Work with you and listen to your child.
• Work per your child’s current development stage and needs, not from pre-conceived notions of what a two, three or four-year-old should do.
• Seek to develop your child’s confidence.
• Encourage good behaviour and cooperation.
• Develop an awareness of, and sensitivity to, others and their feelings.
• Be interested in the personal, social and emotional development of your child.

Also consider
Room for interaction: Social skills and interaction with others are key. For some children, a pre-school is the perfect place for this; although others may get opportunities for mixing and socialising with friends while home.

Materials for playing: Do check out different settings -playgroups, nurseries, are they equipped with enough play things for children to engage in in their leisure time.

Make personal choice: Listen to what others may tell you about the nursery school but make it a point to see for yourself. Visit, look at the other children and see if you can envisage your child there.