The advantages & disadvantages of United Kingdom and United States boarding school are different for many parents & students, although there’s similar pro’s & con’s that children have in all age groups.
What’s bad about boarding school for one student maybe acceptable or no problem for another as everyone’s like, dislikes, personality, tolerance, goals, academic, living, location and leisure requirements are different.
A boarding school isn’t bad if it’s the right school, education, location and run correctly, although a boarding residential school is bad when the teaching is poor, wrong location or choice of education, facilities and accommodation available.
Is boarding school bad for your child?
Residential boarding schools are not bad for society or a child for various reasons, although they can have a negative influence if the wrong choice of school or child already experiences mental health issues before enrollment.
Residential boarding private schools give parents and students an alternative education & living mode of study option as opposed to day time attendance or state school system.
Fee paying & admission process that restricts ability to pay or students meeting admission criteria could assist parents making the correct choice sending a child to boarding school instead of an impulse bad decision.
Established systems & school operational routines
How a residential boarder school works is by following set procedures, daily schedules for operational efficiency to good standards of teaching & learning to students.
What a boarding school is like is they have a routine schedule ensuring each day is planned to be stable and not changing all the time or chaotic timing for meal breaks or lesson start times for students & teachers.
Indeed, class sizes are smaller in private compared to state school, teaching & learning is more effectively delivered with no disruptive students, well that’s my experience as a high school teacher formally teaching at both private and state schools.
Only a very small percentage of USA and UK children attend and get educated at a school for residential boarders as the majority of k12 children are state school educated or attend private school by day only.
Choose right school location
More often than not you’ll see schools offering boarding to junior & college prep students that are located on the outskirts of town, village or rural location.
Parents require looking at the schools location and weighing up the pros & cons for suitable education and amenities offered for students. You’ll know you’re owns child, what they need, and wish from the school.
A semi rural boarding school 2 miles to the nearest village and 4 miles to town is not bad as students are allowed off school campus to walk to the local shops or travel to the nearest town to shop, leisure or relaxation.
Choosing the wrong geographical location to send a student to be schooled and live 24 hours a day all academic year could result in lost time & opportunity for sports or specialist musical talent being unused or developed.
Boarding school education & facilities standards
K12 students at any boarding school receive a good varied academic teaching & learning experience in all subjects by qualified teachers and support staff.
Parents require choosing the right type of boarding school facilities and desired education from the start for they’re child’s requirements so its not a negative factor on educational attainment, emotional health or daily life.
Students who live & are educated at a residential school that best fits they’re educational, sporting or living needs will think boarding school is good opposed to bad.
All private schools do offer similar facilities you would expect such as sports fields, library, dining halls, classrooms, boarding rooms and educational subjects, although they differ in standards and amount of facilities available.
Longer days, but longer holidays are a distinct feature at private residential schools as they mix traditional lessons with extra curricula activities and other social events in the school day.
Mental health of boarders at private school
Boarding schools are not harmful to the majority of student’s mental health as parents know they’re child, and think it through before sending they’re son or daughter to live away from home.
In the past when I was a teacher at private school I would sometimes see more than one student experiencing difficulties settling in, and adjusting to daily life as a school boarder.
Should a student not be emotionally balanced, fairly strongly or not want to be at a specific or any boarding school then they’re not going to have a good time. As a result they may experience depression and have a bad experience affecting they’re education and mental health.
Separation from family & friends
Elementary age children take time to adjust mentally living away from home, sharing a room with another student they have just met, and getting familiar with the routines, school rules & timing of where to be at certain times of day.
My school teacher experience was that a few students at junior, high school and college prep age simply don’t adjust to living at residential boarding school for various reasons including:
- Student has pre-existing mental health issues before arriving to board at the school.
- Child is emotionally attached to parents & family members.
- Education is not suitable to a student’s requirements.
- Introvert personality where a student doesn’t mix well socially with other children.
- Angry & depressed they’re parents sent them away and as a result they feel unwanted.
Wellbeing of school boarding students
Teachers and other staff members are working & living at boarding school to deliver teaching & learning, but to make sure all children are in a safe environment and support them emotionally.
Introvert and student’s with outgoing personalities require different types and levels of daily emotional assistance or occasional encouragement to enable them to have a happy experience living as a boarder at school.
My previous life as a private school teacher wellbeing of students was a daily ongoing task to make sure I was available or there was always an appropriate person a student can talk too at any time of the day or night.
All boarding school has a mixed daily schedule
- Academic lessons with qualified teacher’s delivery good education.
- Extra curricula sports & activities for 1-3 hours after the end of school day.
- Entertainment nights & weekends at school.
- Other children the same age at school is generally a big benefit for a student’s emotional happiness, as they can make friends and talk.
- Student personal time to relax or contact family & friend back home.
- Personal time everyday for students to choose what they wish to do with the personal allotted time.
- Range of facilities for leisure & recreation at different age & ability levels.