BOARDING SCHOOLS VS. DAY SCHOOLS

                          By Diana Ejemenye

       With many pupils passing their exams this year, there is the common question of which school they would be pleased to go to. Pupils have the very choice of either going to a boarding school or the most common: a day school. But the true question that even parents want to know is: which one is better?

          According to Rebecca Phiri, who is a pupil at Munali Girls School, says that boarding school is way better. In her own words, boarding schools give pupils peace of mind because they are free from the stress at home. She added that it is much easier to study at boarding school than at home because there are fewer distractions. Though she changes and says that day school is pretty good because of the amount of free time it gives.

        Although, most people on the internet argue that boarding schools separate the child from the family, and instil a feeling of abandonment by parents in the child. As one of the users on yahoo answers said: “You find that keeping your child away from you for so long makes your child’s relationship with you deteriorate. When your child comes back home, he or she is like a person that you don’t know.” Other issues that were brought up were that bullying was harder to run away from. I mean, how can you possibly run from the bullies when you actually live in the same dorm with them? This leads to the feeling of fear in the children, and makes them not focus on their education while they are at the school.

    But with day schools, children have enough time with their parents and are able to build relationships with them. Day schools are an equal balance between education and relaxation for the children. Pupils also have a less chance of getting their items stolen compared to boarding school where chances of theft are high. The only problem is that pupils get less time to study, but that can be easily ignored if you make your child go to an all day school.

     In the end, it comes down to the parent and the child themselves. The child and the parent have to be open to both ideas. Most parents don’t mind which type of school it is, as long as their children are getting the education that they need.  On the other hand, a lot of children said that they fear going to boarding school, more than they fear going to day school. They said, as I quote: “Boarding school freaks me out. Just the idea of being away from my parents scares me!” Another one added that her mom does everything for her, including organising her clothes for school and the next week, without her mom she would be nothing. Parents of children that go to boarding school actually argued that the schools have taught their children to be independent, giving them skills that they’ll need in the real world. But one mother said that her child has actually become more disciplined at day school. “The teachers work with her all day, including counselling, and it has changed her completely! Now she actually cleans her room without me telling her to do it.” She said.

     But most mothers, including fathers say that girl children actually become more morally upright at boarding school, particularly girl’s schools, because they teach girls morals as well as normal subjects. Discipline is also instilled in the child, especially in most catholic schools and Christian schools. But according to me, there are also some day schools that do the same, especially those that are religious.

         In the end, it depends on where you decide to take your child. When taking your child to a new school for the new year, make sure you do some research on each school that you want to take them to. Look at the advantages and disadvantages of each school that you have in mind. Go to the school website; even get to know the headmaster or headmistress, so that you make your child’s learning experience a good one and a safe one!        The Children's News Agency (CNA) with support from the European Union (EU)