How to Choose the Right OC or Selective School for Your Child?

Opportunity classes and Selective Schools can help shape your child’s future. It’s usual for parents to worry while deciding the best school amongst all. This decision should be made logically considering all the aspects of your current life and the near future. Most of the part depends upon your child as the cut-off varies for different schools. It is recommended that your child takes mock tests for selective schools so that you get an idea of where s/he stands. Moreover, the scope for his/her improvement can be ascertained accordingly. It is very important to be attentive while preparing for OC and Selective schools as there are only 2 preferences allowed for OC and 3 for Selective schools.

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FOR OC

Opportunity classes are provided for the gifted children. Any student who cracks the test for OC is considered brilliant and is given special classes by the school administration. But here’s the catch: not all schools have OC. You will have to change schools if your child qualifies and there’s no OC in the current school.

1.            Location

Opportunity classes should be taken in nearer schools. You don’t want your child to waste his time travelling longer distances or move out of your comfy neighborhood.

2.            Cut-off

Be realistic and go for the school that your child can get into. Make your decision based on your child's performance.

Keep in mind that not all OC students are guaranteed to get into the best selective schools or any for that matter. A regular child (with correct guidance) can also get into a good selective school. There is no need to lose hope if your child doesn’t get into OC. It is just a sign that he needs more hard work. Strong determination and dedication can change anything.

FOR SELECTIVE SCHOOLS

Make a checklist based upon your priorities and then, one by one, check where your child stands to determine which school s/he can get into.

1.            Child’s performance

How much do you think your child can score in the entrance exam? Be realistic and don’t have unrealistically high hopes or expectations. As parents, guardians, or teachers, you must know the capabilities of your child. Different selective schools have different cut off marks. Which school can your child crack?

2.            School’s rank

Check and compare different schools’ HSC ranking and the cut-off required. You’ll be surprised to know that not all high ranking schools have high cut-offs. Also, those with high cut-offs can rank lower than the others. OC students usually get into the top selective schools easily but it is always recommended to keep the third preference a low bar as a backup. It means that if your child’s average score is 210 then select the first two options of the schools near to that, say 213, 208, etc. The third preference can be as low as 200, just in case.

3.            School’s Location

Location matters a lot, if you can get a school that is nearer to your current residence why won’t you opt for it? However, there is one more factor to consider: Some schools are partially selective which means they will be entering the local children of that area into their school. With an open mind, think this through and decide if you want to take that up or not.

4.            Subjects offered

Check for the subjects that are offered in the school. It is important to check if your child’s subject of interest is in provided by the school or not.

5.            Extracurricular activities

Is your child into sports or singing? Then go for the school that fosters that. Besides subjective knowledge, if a school also brushes his talent, then it may help serve as a source of income in the future. It might also be beneficial to go for the school that provides travel opportunities for arts, history, language, etc.

In the end, as a parent, trust your instinct for what’s the best for your child. Don’t forget to consider your child’s choice. Also, contact the parents of your child’s friends. They might get into the same school, which can be supportive for the child in a new environment. You should always sit and talk with teachers regarding what they think would be best for your child.