Last week I tweeted and shared on Facebook;
“Going to school today for kindy parent information morning. I don’t think I am ready!!!”
In Western Australia, children who turn 4 by June 30th have the option to start part-time kindergarten. The class (and associated playground) is separate to but based within the larger primary school setting, and 4 year old kindy is not compulsory but most children attend. We have had Immy’s name down at a local private school since we moved into the area (when she was just over 2 years of age) but it had very limited spaces available and we were unsuccessful in gaining one so we decided that the local primary school was the next best option. It is walking distance from home and I had heard positive things about it through the grapevine.
So last week Immy and I headed off, her excited and me cautious, to attend the kindy information morning.
Unfortunately I was exceedingly underwhelmed.
I won’t go into details but I walked away from the meeting wondering if this really is the best start we can provide our daughter. As an early childhood teacher and a mother, I believe that a positive start to schooling is so important to learning and has the potential to impact the entire future of a child’s schooling life. As an early childhood teacher, I wonder if I am being too sensitive because this is MY child’s future being considered. But I know I was not the only mother to walk away from that meeting disappointed and questioning.
So right now we are considering our options. Where we live, you can pretty much only attend a public school if you live in its catchment area, so this public school is our only government option. There are other private schools but none of them are within our suburb and so that means no walking to school or being part of the immediate school community, instead we face a 15-20 minute drive each way, twice a day. Not perfect or what we had planned but certainly doable.
I guess it all comes back to what is most important to you as a parent when it comes to choosing a school? And how much success at school comes down to administration, resources and philosophy versus the characteristics of the individual teacher and child?
We have a lot to think about. And fast!
Have you ever had to do a back flip when it comes to your child’s education or care? What factors most strongly influenced your decision making?
What is Mum 2 Mum? Mum 2 Mum is a place where as online friends we can share a little of our own experiences, so why not pop in for a cuppa and join the conversation.
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