How to Select the Best CBSE Board School in Dehradun

We often hear people say that every child is different, this is true for schools as well. Every boarding school is also different. Hence, it becomes imperative to study what makes any school good or bad for your child. This initial research in selecting the best CBSE Board School in Dehradun will promise the best future for your child.

What is boarding school?

Somewhat similar to Gurukul (system wherein the student (shishya) and the teacher (Guru) used to live in the same house, away from parents), boarding school is a communal setting, known for their discipline, where children learn and live. Most countries maintain an age criterion for admission to the boarding schools, like: for the UK, full boarders have the minimum age of 8, while in India it is 12 (exceptions are present, wherein they accept a child of 8 in boarding).

Types of boarding schools 

• Uni-sex school 
• Military school
• Religious school
• Day boarding – New and rising trend in India. Day boarding schools offer updated boarding services, comprises of an extended day school till 6:30 pm or 7:00 pm. Then there are 5-day boarding schools, wherein a child stays with school for 5 days and spends weekends at home with parents. Day boarding is a boon to working parents with long working hours

Tips to choose a right boarding school

Here are some helpful tips to help you in making an informed decision.

a)Explore your options – Spend quality time browsing website of each and every school. The schools maintain quality video tours on their website, find testimonials from existing students and their parents. Another option is to explore the reputed independent review websites. Make sure your list ends up with 15-20 schools.

b)Curtail your selection – It is important that you discuss with your child the pros and cons of each school shortlisted. It is imperative that you ask for your child’s preference, here is a simple way to it-

• Which part of the country is preferable?
• Which type of boarding school (full time, 5-day or day boarding) and curriculum?
• Do you prefer single-ex or coeducation school?
• Are you interested in dance, sports, music, and arts?
• Do you want to go to a military school?
• What about class sizes?
• Any special interests?
• What is the quality of residential accommodation?

c)Visit the schools – Suitability of the school can only be checked by personally visiting the school. You must go with a set of questions: academic standards, sports, and extra-curricular activities in the school, daily schedule, quality of staff, rules and regulations, timings, infrastructure, etc. Make sure, during the tour you must visit the accommodation as well.

d)Admission Process -Every school maintain standardized admission tests for judging the caliber of the student applying for admission to their boarding school. Depending on the grade of the student, the difficulty level of the test may vary, so it is important that you help your child prepare for the same.

e)Fill out the admission form – The admission for most schools are available on their websites, download it and fill it. Make sure you have all the required documents and certificates (mentioned in the admission form, checked during the interview process). Some schools declare a particular date for form distribution, so parents can buy them in person.

These are some of the criteria to judge whether the CBSE Board School in Dehradun you have selected suits your child’s personality and needs.