Boarding schools are private schools where students live in dormitories and eat in cafeterias for ten months of the year. They offer low student-to-teacher ratios, emphasize extra-curricular activities, promote lifelong friendships, and foster independence. However, students are away from their families for most of the year and have limited exposure to people outside of their social class. Parents should research and discuss the benefits and risks before considering boarding schools for their children.
Boarding schools are private schools where children live in dormitories and eat in cafeterias for ten months of the year. Because tuition at boarding schools is comparable to college tuition, tuition is usually limited to those whose parents can afford it. Some scholarships are available for those who don’t have the money to cover the full cost of tuition, but for the most part, boarding schools are attended by children of wealthy parents. Some of the benefits of boarding schools are listed as follows:
Low student-to-teacher ratio: Unlike the crowded public school system, or even private day schools in large cities, the student-to-teacher ratio in boarding schools is quite low. Most boarding schools have six to twelve students per teacher. This, of course, leads to more one-on-one time and better grades.
Extra-curricular Activities—-Most boarding schools put an emphasis on clubs and extra-curricular activities, especially sports and the arts. This can lead to well-rounded students with many interests. The cost of financing most of these activities comes from tuition payments.
Friendships: Students make lifelong friendships in boarding schools. These friendships are not only with other students, but also with teachers. Also, since students basically live together, they learn to resolve minor differences and quarrels and improve compromise.
Independence: As students are away from home most of the year, they must learn to rely on themselves. They have staff supervision, but for the most part it’s just a guide. Most students make their own decisions and don’t have parents constantly checking to make sure they’ve completed their homework or studied for tests. The responsibility for completing all tasks rests solely on the shoulders of the student.
While it is agreed that boarding schools offer students many benefits, there are some concerns as well. For example, students are away from their parents nine or ten months of the year. This means that students not only lose guidance from their parents but also lack time to bond with other family members such as grandparents, cousins and siblings.
Even boarding school students spend all their time in the company of the same people every day. This doesn’t give them many chances to make friends outside of school or participate in non-school community activities. For example, they won’t attend soccer games or block dances. Furthermore, they are only exposed to students of their own social class and not to other ways of life.
There are definite advantages and disadvantages of attending boarding schools. If you are considering sending your children to boarding schools, it would be advisable to research and discuss the benefits and risks to determine if boarding schools are right for your family.
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