All parents want to ensure their child receives the very best education they can access, but it can be a quagmire of questions and contradictions on the road to trying to determine which school is the right fit, with very many competing factors playing into the decision.
One of the most important and arguably the overriding factor to be considered, is the extent to which a school invests in the empowerment and development of the teaching staff.
This is because in today’s world, educational curricula and methods cannot afford to remain static. All the moving parts, including the role of teachers, need to be constantly responsive to changes in the prevailing environment.
Unfortunately, not many schools are able to respond quickly and efficiently to new developments as they arise. This is why parents should, when considering where to place their children, investigate the level of background support teaching staff and school employees receive, and how much goes into ensuring they remain current in their knowledge, skills and methods of delivery.
Additionally, staff should also be given the opportunity to further their qualifications and receive external training that supports their teaching, for instance, Cambridge training in the case of schools following that curriculum.
When looking at private schools, parents should take a careful look at whether a school is part of an established network with a solid history and track record. Find out if they partner with academic advisors who are phase specialists ranging from early years, foundation phase, Edtech, environmental education and high school to build professional development opportunities.
The advisors ought to go an extra mile of visiting schools, advising the teachers, measuring, tracking and supporting them on a journey to becoming the most excellent educators they can be.
Schools also need to develop an intelligent content management system which digitises the content that teachers use in the classroom. As a central schools division, they ensure they continue to build the most powerful lesson plans with adequate resources that enable teachers to be as creative as possible when teaching students.
Advtech Schools benefit from a shared base of principles, processes and systems, which supports our academic staff and students. Common policies, standards and quality assurance systems enable quick and effective data-driven comparisons, which allow for immediate and focused support when required.
Learning institutions should equally invest in research and development which bear significant and impactful results which are integrated in the school curricular and teacher training.
As teachers development is pivotal to the continued success of a learning institutions to create new standards for stellar teaching behaviours and practices which will continue to enable the growth of every student.
Article by Jenny Coetzee, Managing Director at Crawford International Kenya and Angelica Ouya, Education Director at the Makini Group of Schools.
Views expressed in this article do not represent the position of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
