Guide to selecting a good private school (O levels)
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With the O level results coming out this Monday, the 9th of January, some students might wish to retake their O level exams as private candidates. As such, this guide would help in making the decision when it comes to selecting a private school.
Ask the following questions when researching a school:
1. RESULTS OBTAINED BY STUDENTS OF YOUR SCHOOL?
This is probably one of the most important questions to ask. Ask for copies of the O level certificates of their ex-students. Also ensure that that particular student actually studied at that school. This will let you determine if they have a good track record.
2. QUALIFICATION OF YOUR TEACHERS?
All schools will have a copy of their teachers’ qualifications in order to register them with the CPE.Ask to see a copy of the qualifications so that you can have a better idea of how qualified the teachers are. For example, if a teacher has a degree in Economics and is teaching Chemistry at the school, then there is a mismatch of teacher and subject.
3. MANAGEMENT WITH QUESTIONABLE BACKGOUNDS?
Ask to see the qualifications of the management. If the owner and management are well qualified academically, there is a better chance that the school will be run in a manner where the students’ results will be the main focus.
4. MATERIAL FOR THE COURSE?
O level papers start in October, which leaves private schools with about 9 months to complete the entire O level syllabus. (Assuming classes begin on the 2nd of January and there are no school breaks during the duration of the course.) Thus all the notes and exercises should have already been prepared by the school for distribution. This will also give you the opportunity to find out if the private school is simply photocopying notes and exercises out of some guide books or assessment books or if they have their own proprietary material (notes and exercises) prepared for their students.
5. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER CLASS?
With smaller class sizes (about 20 students), the students can be assured of more individual attention from the teachers as opposed to larger class sizes (30 to 40 students).
6. MULTIMEDIA USED DURING THE CLASSES?
Education ministries around the world, including our MOE, encourage the use of multimedia in classrooms. Use of multimedia enables better understanding, retention and retrieval, according to researchers. Use of videos, animation, colours, sound and so on enables students to remember better. So it would be beneficial if the classes were conducted using multimedia. Ask to see samples of their PowerPoint presentations (which any school prepared for the year should have) too see what sort of standards they have set. Are samples even available? If they are, are they simple, static presentations, or do they have animation included? These are points to look out for.
7. TEACHER MONITORING & FEEDBACK SYSTEM IN PLACE?
In order to ensure that students do well, the teachers at a school have to be monitored in order to ensure that they are doing their jobs well. Find out what systems are in place at the school to evaluate the teachers’ performances.
8. FEEDBACK?
In any school, there will need for things to be done in a better manner. In such a situation, how easy is it to get your feedback to the level of management where a decision can be made?In certain schools, there are so many levels to go through that the feedback gets lost along the way. The best option to look out for would be a school where you can communicate directly and conveniently with the highest level of management. Check if the highest level of management is present at the school on a regular basis to oversee the daily operations. That way, you know that your feedback is reaching the right people. At the same time, you can feel assured that the management is keenly involved.
9. TESTIMONIALS?
Any established private school should have a number of students who would have been happy enough with the services of the school to write a simple thank-you note or a testimonial for the school. Ask for copies of the testimonials for you to get an understanding of what students feel about the school. Better still if you can meet any of the ex-students and ask them about their opinions.
10. EX-STUDENTS?
Check with the school to determine the current status of their ex-students, such as their employment and choice of higher education. With these answers you will know that the values imparted by the school have carried with the students through their lives. This will show the quality of the students being produce by the institution.
All the best!!!!
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O level results coming out in about 2 hours. All the best!