4 tips to choose the best private nursery primary school in Cotonou

How do you choose the best private, nursery, primary or secondary school in Cotonou? This is usually the question on the minds of parents, whether you are looking at a totally new school for your child or looking out for a school that offers more.

The biggest misconception parents have about selecting the best nursery, primary or secondary school in Cotonou for their child is the thought that the more expensive a school is, the better such a school must be. Agreed, while good schools are pricy for a reason, it is not the best yardstick to measure the efficacy of a school.

There are better factors that you should use to measure the efficiency of a school when searching for the best Nigerian school in Cotonou. You need to understand that since every child and parent’s need is different, what may be a good school for parent A, may not be a good fit for parent B.

The steps below will come in handy to help determine what is important to you, whether you are looking for a good nursery, primary, or secondary school in Cotonou for your child.

Consider your child’s Personal and academic needs as well as that of your family:

a. Your Child’s need: here you want to consider his learning style and other academic and personal needs to choose the best Nigerian secondary school in Cotonou.

• Does your child thrive in a more challenging or gentle learning environment?
• Does he/she have special learning needs
• Is he/she a lover of creativity and needs a school that supports such?
• What course of study is he looking at in the future? Then you may consider a school that thrives in that.

b. Family Desires: here you want to consider what is important to you as a parent, from financial factors to other areas of concern.

• How far is the school from your home, and how far do you want your child to go?
• Does the shool have other provisions for transportation, such as a school bus?
• Do you have needs for boarding and does the school have boarding facilities?
• Does the school provide longer after-school care – even if it is paid?
• How much is the tuition – even when we plan to give our kids the best, wisdom is still profitable to direct as the Holy Book says. We have also established that a higher-priced school does not equal better quality.

c. School-specific considerations: Here you want to consider some school-specific factors to look out for to choose the best private nursery, primary and secondary school in Cotonou.

• Is the school’s core academic program strong?
• What extra-curricular activities and outdoor learning activities do the school offer?
• How big is the school? Does your child thrive in a small or large school environment?

• Does the school offer other learning approaches to spice up lessons taught and help children learn faster, such as group projects, frequent tests, etc?
• How does the school score mostly in external exams compared to those of other schools?
• What is the school’s stand on religion? Which works best for you based on your religion. Ps: You or the school can also be accommodating of other religions which is okay.
• Does the school maintain a library and other facilities needed such as a laboratory?
• Is there a shool canteen or eatery? Do you even want your kids to eat out?
• Does the school go for field trips and excursions?
• How safe is the school environment?
• What is the school’s stand on child discipline?

d. Research to find a school that fits:

Put the major considerations from above together and you have a solid foundation to begin your search for a school that fits. Once found, it is time to pay them a visit to see things for yourself. This last part will give you first-hand knowledge of the school to see if they fit the bill as the best nursery, primary and secondary school in Cotonou in respect to your child(ren) and family-specific needs.

Here you should consider these below. You can get answers to these below by talking to the school principal, and teachers, and interacting with one or two students on your way out.

• Is the school orderly and neat?
• Do the students come off as happy, disciplined and respectable kids from good homes? This is very important, because kids influence one another much more than we imagine as parents.
• Do the teachers come off as being welcoming and friendly?
• What is the principal’s stand on education and discipline?
• Is the principal a person of good repute?
• Is the principal usually at the school and available to talk to parents?
• Does the principal get to know the students?
• Do teachers grade kids? Do they assign homework and how frequently do they do this?
• Are the teachers highly qualified to teach in their subject areas?
• Do teachers go the extra length to help kids learn?
• What do students say about homework?

Once you have gotten the answer to this last part, then you can determine for yourself if the school is right for your child’s all-around educational needs. You can use this four part step to make private school in Cotonou affordable for you.

While instincts are good, it is usually not the best when hunting for a good school for your child. Whatever the educational, or personal needs of your child, following the steps above is a more systemic approach to choosing the best private nursery, primary and secondary in Cotonou that fits your child and family’s needs.