6 Ways to make private school in Cotonou more affordable

Given the small class sizes, ambience, better-qualified teachers, and more, it becomes easy to see why parents choose to send their kids to private schools in Cotonou. Add to that, the fact that the right primary and secondary school sets the precedent for your child’s behaviour, desires, future aspirations, circle of friends, and impacts his entire life in many other ways.

One thing that has always made many parents unable to send their children to the private school of their dream is the high cost of tuition. We have discussed here some practical ways to make private school in Cotonou more affordable.

Tips to keep in mind when looking at sending your child to a private school on a budget

• It mustn’t be the most expensive school to be the best. Infact, wisdom being profitable to direct, we advise you to consider your income before selecting a private school. But don’t let fear stop you from not stepping up to the kind of private school in Cotonou you desire for your child.
• Don’t let fear steal your hope and faith. In a bid to live within one’s means, it is easy for some parents to fall into the ‘discouragement zone’ and settle for a private primary or secondary school way below their capacity and dream standard for their child.
• Cut waste in other areas of your life to have more disposable income: Let’s face it, this is a needed sacrifice as a parent if you must achieve that goal of sending your kids to a decent private school in Cotonou. Remember, it is an investment in their future, and subsequently, your future as well.
• Ask questions from the school: Know the school’s stand when it comes to fee payment. Their answer will also help to inform your choice of school for your child. For example, some schools expect school fees to be paid in full as soon as school resumes, while others offer a more flexible payment plan.

Practical ways to make private school more affordable

• Multiple-child Discounts: Recall we advised you to know the stand of a school on fee payment. A few primary and secondary schools in Cotonou offer discounts on their school fees for parents with more than one child. You can take advantage of this by sending all of your kids to the same school.

• Have a school fees savings plan/culture – daily, weekly or monthly: Depending on the nature of your work, you can save at a consistent interval towards your child’s school fees, as opposed to waiting for a one-time lump sum to make payment.

For example, a trader can choose to make a daily or weekly deposit of a specific sum towards the payment of fees for his child. This is a more deliberate, systemic approach to making the private school of your desire for your child more affordable.

• Installment Payment plans:  Ask to know the payment plans available with the school. You can agree with the school bursar or administrator to ensure your child doesn’t get sent home from school so long as you pay the required installment at the pre-scheduled time.

• Save ahead – for expecting parents: If you and your spouse are expecting your first, next child or waiting for him/her to reach school age, now is the time to start saving for your children’s education. You can create a separate bank, mobile money account or other saving methods for this purpose. You will be surprised how far those little drops can go in aiding your child’s future tuition fees.

• Decide on in-school priorities: While we said fear cripple some parents on sending their kids to a private school in Cotonou of their choice, an extreme of this, is when parents try to satisfy every whim and caprice of school in a bid to give their child the best. This happens when parents believe they need to buy every subject textbook, and a new one for their next child even when their older child used the same textbook. Or a parent who feels his child must have 5 school uniforms, even when 3 could have done the job.

If the money is truly available for all of such, then by all means go ahead. But, if you are on a budget, you need to take a careful look at school demands and prioritize based on what is truly important.

• Cooperatives: You can consider other sources to help you raise the money needed for your child’s education. There are cooperatives that allow people access to accrued sums on a rotating basis. You can consider one of such. Be sure to do your due diligence first before joining the group.

There are quite a couple of options available that make it more affordable to send your child to a private school in Cotonou of your desire. You just need to contact the right school and utilize some of these tips offered above depending on your peculiar need. You can also consider these ways to support your child’s creativity to make the most of their private school experience.