Guide To Your Child’s 2021 School Admission

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School admissions for our little ones is a stepping stone for each parent to plan ahead so that they can provide for best possible education to their child as per their abilities. For Gurgaon residents, the process starts about this time in July – August for the next academic year at school.

Even though 2020, a year jinxed which may be remembered as the year that kids had least attended school, we are all hopeful that the coming year will bring the regular school life back to our children.

In 2020, the tiny tots who started their session in April were looking forward to the thrills of the new school, unfortunately, have been unable to step into the school premises and enjoy the classroom fun. They have been limited to a short span of online interactions with their teachers and mates while they sing rhymes or jump and dance to the music. The most important aspect of pre-primary schooling, the social interaction and peer bonding has been amiss for the toddlers and has kept parents on their toes balancing the schooling and working from home front simultaneously.

The admission process for schools is now beginning to intake the little ones in pre-primary classes for the next academic year that would begin in April. Most schools have started the online registration process for admission on their websites and inviting applications.

As a parent, we look at various aspect of a school when we shortlist our prefered places of education for our child. This year though the criteria for this selection may further be more rigid and intricate.

School Exhibitions and School tours have been a trend over the last many years giving the schools a medium to showcase their facilities and infrastructure to the prospective parents. This year these modes may be unavailable but schools are bringing our different ways the admission process can be administered. Few schools have started giving virtual tours through their website. Schools are also holding online interviews and talks with parents and virtual trial classes for kids to give them a real experience.

Do read about a set of Standard Criteria that Parents Must Look for School selection at Admission time

With the current pandemic, we are scared to send our kids out of home, even school fearing any infection to our dearest. Safety of our child in school with respect to health care, sanitisation, cleanliness, meals, and many other aspects may become a large part of our process of decision making when we pick the best school for our child.

Sanitization

We should confirm if the school has adequate and appropriate processes in place for checking of every person entering the premises and everyday sanitization and availability of sanitizers in classrooms, washrooms, dining halls and other common spaces. This may be a new lifestyle requirement we all need in the near future.

Cleanliness

We must ensure that cleanliness and sanitation in school premises is maintained in the best possible way to ensure a hygienic and safe environment for our little ones.

Health Care

We should affirm that there is a health care centre or a medical infirmary in the school premises to attend to any urgent health concern for the child. They must have all first aid equipment and professionally qualified nurses or doctors to attend to medical needs. In addition the school must highlight their affiliation with a closest clinic or hospital and availability of an ambulance which is at the premises or easily reachable on call in case of emergency.

Meals

Many schools have compulsory meal plans for students and all children have their breakfast and mid-day meals in in-house dining. Parents may seek details if the schools will allow children to bring their food from home as many may still wish to stick to only home-cooked food for kids.
For the school-provided meals, we may ask the schools to assure us of the hygiene and safe environment in the school where the meals are prepared. If the food comes from outside caterers, the quality checks may be put into places to ensure only the safest and healthy food is coming in school.

We hope to return to normal, which will never happen.
We need to be ready for the new normal, new life.

As parents, we feel the excitement and pride the day our child starts that 1st day at ‘big school’. The rush of morning hours, waking up our little ones, dressing them up, bundling them up in cars or sending them in the school buses, awaiting their return in the afternoon and listening to the non-stop narrations of their daily anecdotes from school is something that we anxiously enjoy.

We are all hoping that the new year 2021 dawns upon us bringing the coronavirus pandemic to an end and returning back the routine and excitement of our lives with some normalcy to our kids too.

Read about Safety Checks at Schools

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