Boarding schools: pros and cons
Mmaotho Segotso | Friday November 20, 2020 16:42
The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of 'room and board', i.e. lodging and meals. Their function and ethos vary greatly. Traditionally, pupils stayed at the school for the length of the term; some schools facilitate returning home every weekend, and some welcome day pupils. Some are for either boys or girls while others are co-educational.
In the United Kingdom, which has a more extensive history of such schools, many independent (private) schools offer boarding, but likewise so do a few dozen state schools, many of which serve children from remote areas. In the United States, most boarding schools cover grades seven or nine through grade twelve—the high school years. Some American boarding schools offer a post-graduate year of study to help students prepare for college entrance.
Overseas, some boarding schools function essentially as orphanages, e.g. the G.I. Rossolimo Boarding School Number 49 in Russia. Tens of millions of rural children are now educated at boarding schools in China. Therapeutic boarding schools offer treatment for psychological difficulties. Military academies provide strict discipline. Education for children with special needs has a long association with boarding as they have specialist teachers unique equipment needed to teach them.
In an effort to provide education to all as per The Revised National Policy on Education objective e) to provide life-long education to all sections of the population; Millennium Development Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education- Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling; the SDG 4 pillar of QUALITY EDUCATION which aims to: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Botswana established boarding schools mainly for Remote Area Dwellers (RADS).
RAD schools take learners from the back of beyond, from as young as six years of age, thus there are Primary, Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools, with Takatokwane Secondary being the only one that takes learners from forms one to five. However not all boarding schools are RAD schools. Some of the boarding schools in the country are: Matsheng Junior Secondary School, Shadishadi Primary School, Mokgenene Primary School, Gantsi Senior Secondary School, Lehututu Secondary School, Shoshong Junior Secondary School, Mahutagane Junior Secondary School, Shoshong Senior Secondary School, Mater Spei College, Moeding College… The jury however, is still out on whether the education provided is quality given how public schools exams results continue to plummet.
Elsewhere in the world boarding schools are private and the prestigious. Parents thus, prefer to send their children there, though some send them there to get a breather. Because there are no prestigious boarding schools in Botswana, locals send their children to South Africa, with some sending the to boarding schools abroad, England mainly.
Advantages
• Boarding schools often create stronger friendships and alumni networks which last for a lifetime.
• Children are kept at arm’s length from the parties, drinking and drugs that are sometimes more easily available to pupils at day schools.
• Children benefit from additional non-classroom contact with teachers in the evening, as well as supervised homework, music practice time and other extra-curricular activities.
• Students are kept occupied in the evening. There is less use of technology and students are often more social.
• Students tend to be more independent and confident.
• Since boarding schools charge more, they can afford to pay staff higher salaries and therefore employ more experienced teachers and other members of staff faculty. This is the case for private boarding schools.
• For the same reason, facilities and resources are also often better than they are at day schools.
Disadvantages
• The costs are now so high – and rising – that boarding schools are often beyond the reach of all but a tiny minority of families.
• Extracurricular activities beyond those that the school offers are often marginalized. This is particularly relevant for children who have a special talent in a sport or activity not often offered by schools.
• Pressure to succeed, look good, do well is as constant at boarding as at day schools. But whereas day pupils are released each day from the echo chamber of school life, boarding pupils are not so fortunate.
• Students miss out on home life and can become homesick. Although most boarding pupils sustain great relationships with their families, homesickness can easily lead to children becoming frustrated and socially isolated, and should not be underestimated.
• If you do decide to send your child to boarding school, here are some tips to make sure your child gets off to a good start:
• For children who get homesick, choose a school which offers great pastoral care, try not to speak to your child too much on the phone, and don’t let your child know that their homesickness is upsetting you.
Other BenefitsDeveloping Life Skills And Their Own Natural Abilities
The word “community” is significant in other ways too. In the company of other young people and well-trained staff, boarding school students have around-the-clock opportunities to foster their important life skills, as well as their own individual interests and hobbies.
Away from the temptations of staring mindlessly at computer screens and phones (and hanging around on street corners) children at boarding schools grow their curiosity in a healthy way. They challenge themselves and learn the value of working towards clear goals – whether it’s improving their running speed, cooking fine foods or becoming a strategy board game superstar!
Making friendships And developing social skills
This personal development is important, but another one of the benefits of going to a boarding school is the social skills they nurture. This wonderfully nurturing and supportive environment for young people is often the main reason parents choose this path for their children. In many cases, young people reach greater heights in their education due to the motivation and support provided by their peers at boarding schools.
Bringing value to family life,and a “family feel” to education
In all honesty, one of the benefits of children going to boarding school is that it relieves the pressure on parents who face heavy work commitments, or who have younger children or children with additional needs to care for. Knowing your child or young person is being nurtured and well educated can be a huge relief to parents. The time spent together at weekends or in the school holidays can then become true “quality time”.
It’s enormously reassuring though, to know that students residing in boarding school are not completely divorced from a “family” atmosphere.
The next step, for your child
A happy, fulfilled and well-stimulated child – equipped to reach their full potential in adulthood - is what every parent wants.
With so many private schools in the country, one hopes that one day Botswana too will boast of a prestigious boarding school that matches international standards.
Given the speed at which life moves and just how busy parents are, boarding schools have become a good idea. It is better to have your child away at boarding school where they are safe, than to leave them at places where more often than not they are molested and sometimes fall into the trap of juvenile delinquency.