Boarding School Vs. Day School - A Quick Comparison

There is many a nay sayer who will try to dissuade you from sending your child to a boarding school. The general belief being that children thrive when in the tender loving care of their parents is sometimes misplaced. There are definitely emotional benefits of being with parents, but a boarding school does prepare your child intrinsically for the tough life ahead of them.

Boarding school makes the child independent

Children are often unwittingly pampered at home, as they are not taught to undertake household chores and live in discipline. Day school has the student only for a few hours and focuses solely on academics, a few extracurricular activities and some schools may have sports on their agenda too. In a boarding school, the child has to perform some domestic chores, do school assignments and manage their time and resources too. They become adept at managing things alone. The child becomes independent and mature and learns impressive life skills that augur well for the future.

Extracurricular activities are more intensive

Day schools have limited time and resources and so the range of extracurricular activities is limited. A boarding school on the other hand can devote more time to a wide range of activities that a child can participate in. Learning is broadened and there is another level of competition brewing that is healthy and teaches the child how to cope. Sports is often better facilitated in boarding schools as they have more extensive infrastructure and can help train children after conventional school hours also. Children often learn multiple languages as the school has a culture of admitting children from across the world.

Character building at boarding schools

Boarding school exposes your child to a variety of cultures and ethnicities. They learn to form friendships, appreciate diversity in ethnic and religious matters and respect the differences that are inherent in living in a mixed community. The child learns tolerance and immerses herself in a life beyond petty thoughts and prejudices. Cultural diversity is the base for a broader understanding of life.

The nature of life in a mixed community is such that a child learns to be honest and develops a strong sense of community. These traits persist in later life and you often find children with boarding school backgrounds having strong friendships that last a lifetime. The environment calls for and rewards hard work and perseverance. The child develops a strong ethical and moral fabric in her years at boarding school. I have experienced the transformation happening inside kids at SelaQui International Boarding School, Dehradun – one of the boarding schools I have worked with.

Less distractions means heightened concentration

Life is much disciplined and routine bound at boarding schools. The child has fewer distractions and the environment is more conducive to self-discipline in general. Children learn to value time. They study hard, play hard and have a lot of fun in the process. As the exposure to “screen time’ in the form of phones, television, videogames and so forth are measured and limited, distractions are fewer. As the student lives in a community, actual friendships rather than virtual friendships are formed, and that saves them from a lot of social anxiety.

On the whole, boarding schools can change the course of your child’s life. But, you should prepare the little mind about life there. A prepared child will be less homesick and more open to enjoy and participate in the community life. A boarding school education prepares the child for life.