Personal and professional success depends on the quality of education children receive. Acquiring essential skills for a bright future is a process that takes place in the school we select for our children.
Nowadays, learning about different subjects and new concepts is not enough. Most educational institutes focus only on delivering bookish knowledge to the students. That is not a smart approach to education anymore, in the dynamic and competitive world we live in.
Imparting knowledge to the students is a lot more than just making them learn new concepts. True learning is when every student is equipped with an understanding of how to apply their knowledge practically in life.
Educators that aim to create an effective learning environment for students may wonder about the characteristics that will help them sculpt a quality education institute. Likewise, parents might wonder what exactly they should look for in a great school?
A few characteristics are present in the foundation of all great schools. Let’s take a look at them.
1. They implement effective plans & policies.
Effective plans and policies enable every individual to perform to their utmost potential. Adequate plans and policies allow people to see the vision and goal that the school has set out to achieve.
Schools lacking a proper education plan & operating policies are mediocre in terms of their performance compared to schools that focus on these elements. Great schools implement quality plans and policies, but at the same time, they ensure dynamism in their systems. They alter the policies and plans as changes occur in the education sector.
2. They have competent leadership.
Some may believe that leadership in education starts and ends at the administration of the schools. That is incorrect thinking. Educators at any stage can acquire an Educational Leadership online MEd Program to enhance their leadership skills.
Quality schools have strong leaders at every level. From the headmaster, staff and faculty to the students, every level of the school structure consists of a competent leader. This allows the entire school to function successfully, with everyone contributing to its progress.
Competent leadership is evident in all of the great schools that exist out there.
3. They have a safe learning environment.
A quality educational institute has a clear focus on ensuring the well-being of every student. They offer a safe and secure learning environment that does not tolerate any negative behavior, bullying or harassment of any sort.
Strict and effective disciplinary policies need to be put in place to raise education quality and make the learning space safe. All quality institutes put great stress on their discipline-based policies and smartly implement them as well. Without discipline, students will never be able to achieve anything significant.
4. They focus on frequent monitoring.
An efficient monitoring system can allow teachers to focus on the progress of all students. This lets them make the required adjustments and alterations to their teaching methodology, to meet the needs of every student. Most students require additional help, and a proper monitoring system can spot them out.
In successful schools, the administration monitors the teachers frequently to ensure they perform their teaching duties according to the school’s expectations. Lack of frequent monitoring is evident in all poorly performing educational institutes.
5. They offer essential equipment & facilities for learning.
All quality schools offer essential educational facilities and equipment to the students, which aid them in their learning process. The presence of such equipment and facilities in schools improves cognitive & logical learning to a great extent. To improve the outcomes of the courses that schools offer & teach, they make use of high-quality facilities and equipment.
6. They have an efficient communication structure.
Successful schools have an environment & structure in which all the individuals have access to a proper communication channel. Teamwork is highly encouraged in such schools, and the staff has a similar mindset in this regard. The integration of teamwork in the basic functioning of a school and effective communication measures can significantly improve the overall quality of the institute.
Great schools have easy and smooth communication structures so that no one goes unheard.
7. They have a reliable supporting staff.
Reliable supporting staff such as guidance counselors, psychologists and doctors are present in all great schools. A skilled and dedicated supporting staff is essential for educational institutes. Even though it isn’t evident on the surface level, their presence can significantly raise the standard and quality of a school.
Most of the educational institutes put little to no effort at all into examining their supporting staff’s capabilities.
8. Supportive administrators and teachers
Last but not least, every great school needs great teachers. Even though qualifications play an integral role in judging the skills of a teacher, some somethings are built-in. These may be compassion, the ability to listen to and understand students from diverse backgrounds etc. Hiring excellent teachers who can keep students motivated is a key factor and perhaps the most important one in making a school great!
Lack of Quality Schools:
These characteristics, at the surface, seem like ordinary and common factors that every person is aware of. Unfortunately, we don’t have many great schools out there. It only points to the fact that people are apparently ignoring most of these characteristics and are not applying them in the school structures.
Countless schools and other educational institutes exist today, but not many have a clear focus on offering education that is complete and effective in every regard.
Conclusion:
Even though some schools may lack the points mentioned above, parents can search for institutes where their children can learn and grow. There are plenty of great schools out there that do take all these factors into account. However, schools that fail to implement adequate policies, devise appropriate learning strategies and do not take their staff’s well-being into consideration might need to take a tip or two from this article. While all these factors are essential for a great school, the qualification of teachers and instructors is equally important. This is why schools must encourage teachers to continue their education and grow along with the institute.
