Does changing schools affect the child?

Contributed by Emiliene Alemkeng

Before changing your Child’s School, it is always advisable to take into consideration the way they will feel. Below are some negative effects of changing a child’s school too often.

Loneliness: It is always difficult for a new student to adapt in his/her new school, much less of a student that changes their school very often. It could be easy for some particular kids, but others will find it very difficult and even tend to hate school because of such situations.

Chain of unsolved problems: You might want to change your child’s school because he/she is facing issues maybe with other students or her grades, but running has never been a solution to any problem. Training your child to run from her problems is not good because they will grow up to be like that: running when they see that a situation is not in their favour. It is ok to change a child’s school if you see that it is affecting them negatively and bringing down their grades.

Difficulties adapting with the new system: Every institution has its own curriculum to follow. A child will find it very difficult to adapt with the new system of education of a new school since he/she was already used to the old one. It will take time before he/she can adapt to the new system which might automatically lead to his/her grades dropping.

Teacher – student relationship: In various occasions, a child’s success in school is contributed by the relationship he/she has with his/her teachers, classmates, group and work team. When a child has to change schools after maybe being in one school for years and creating a comfort zone for his/herself with his/her peers and teachers, leaving that school means leaving that great relationship he/she has created.

It is understandable that parents might have to move because of unforeseen circumstances or because they found a new job, but it will be preferable if they look for options that will help their children stay back in their present school. To avoid turning them into antisocial lots, because they know making new friends is only going to be a waste of their own time. My advice, if you know that you have a job that will require that you move to other towns or countries, try putting your child in a dormitory school so that they don’t have to move with you too often except when it is holidays.

Edited by Jenifer Nesi