What two children had to say on the subject of switching schools:
“What scares me the most about changing schools is having to make new friends”
“For me, it’s being lonely”
Parents switch the schools of their children for many reasons ranging from poor academic performance, changing to a better institution, changing to a classier school, changing to the latest school in the block, to migration.
This is challenging and can affect the performance of the child academically, emotionally, and socially in the ways below:
- The child loses interest in education. He loses the moral to be hardworking knowing that when he performs poorly, he will be taken to another school.
- They become traumatized especially when there is a difference in curriculum structure. (jist for another day)
- Difficulty in adapting to the new environment. Making friends, trying to understand the new teacher, getting familiar with the school as a whole.
- Switching schools can also cause class disruption. The teacher takes more time trying to understand the new child and by so doing pays more attention to this new child leaving the other children behind.
- Due to the absence of friends, the child has interrupting thoughts, is withdrawn, isolated, has difficulty concentrating and may start to develop a low self-esteem.
It’s important to note that children need a stable: environment, teaching technique and teacher-learner relations for a better academic performance.
If there is an urgent need for a switch in schools, the child’s academics, habits and behaviour reports should be handed over to the new school to speed up adaptation.
