Admission 2021 Diaries: Importance of Taking Campus Tours

Finding a good school for your child, especially when moving to a new city, can be challenging. Every city has its own cultural norms, and curricula and methodology of teaching in schools are different. Many Indian and international schools in Singapore incorporate the essence of Indian teaching methodologies.

Most parents want their child to continue with a curriculum that the child is familiar with. However, while many parents are focusing on curriculum for the child and looking at the facilities, then one thing they miss out on is taking campus tours to verify a school’s claims.

Taking a campus tour of an Indian or international school is the first introduction of getting acquainted with the teachers, environments, and more. Many schools facilitate the tour with the help of a admission counsellor. It is important to bear in mind that you can visit the school unexpectedly, but the campus tour will get scheduled based on the availability of the counsellor or other teachers. Parents are not allowed to tour the school campus without an escort.  However, virtual campus tours may require less or no such restrictions.

In this article, we will discuss the importance of taking campus tours and why this is the best way to find a good school.

Importance of Taking Campus Tours

1. Getting the Real Feel

Campus visits are a great way to get a first-hand view of your child’s potential school. This is like visualizing your child playing in those fields and studying in those classrooms. It helps people judge and take a final call on whether you want your child to study in that school or not. You get to interact with the teachers, and the principal.

You can also check out the various auditoriums and places where extra-curricular activities are taking place. This is important for primary as well as secondary school in singapore. You will also get a view of the area for lunch breaks and the hygiene of the cafeteria. Looking around will help you judge the school attitude towards the students’ safety. A school is like a second home for a child, and therefore, a campus tour will help you know the atmosphere your child will imbibe when away from home.

2. Opportunity to Ask Questions

A campus visit is the right time to be asking questions. In good schools, the campus guides are highly knowledgeable people who know everything about the school, curriculum, methodology, etc. Ask the campus guide questions and cross-verify everything that they state by examining it first-hand. Great questions to ask include:

• What is the number of students in every class?
• How is the food on the campus?
• What is the curriculum being followed?
• What kinds of activities or events are held on campus?
• Are there any clubs or similar community-based activities?

Asking questions will lead to a better understanding of the school’s policies, and will help you judge whether the school is a good fit for your child.

3. Perfect Time to Interact

This is the perfect time to interact with other students of the school – avoid interacting with students without a teacher or another escort. They will be able to share their experiences with you and help you understand the environment from their perspective.  Try to interact with cafeteria workers, gardeners, and other ground staff – they can share insights.

Meeting as many people as possible will help you judge the type of personalities and people your child will interact with during school. Many of them will go on to play critical roles in the overall development of your child.

4. Planning

Campus visits are a great way to get a detailed mapping of all the aspects of the school. This is like stepping into the shoes of your children and experiencing a day of their school life. It will give you access to information and help make an informed decision.

Make a list of all the pros and cons of the school. Compare these pros and cons with that of the other schools that you have gone to for campus tours. You can then consult with any of the experienced parents or your friends who have enrolled their children in schools. If you are still confused, then you can take one more visit to the campus. There is no harm in taking a second tour, as many good schools offer multiple campus tours.

Conclusion

Indian as well as indian schools in Singapore offer wide-ranging curricula including CBSE, Cambridge, GMP and International Baccalaureate. Some schools in Singapore also offer bilingual learning programmes. But, all these sound extremely good on paper. Going on a school campus tour will help you judge the facilities and standards of the school. It will prepare you on what you and your child can expect. Most importantly. It will enable you to filter the best option for your child.