Concept of Boarding Schools

Concept of Boarding Schools

CONCEPT OF BOARDING / RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

The history and tradition surrounding boarding schools goes back over hundreds of years. In the past, boarding schools in European countries such as Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland were exclusively affiliated with convents and monasteries. Upper class children were educated there and young people aspiring to the priesthood or with a religious vocation were recruited from among them.

Nowadays, not all boarding schools are incorporated within a religious environment and teaching methods have changed fundamentally over the past years. At present, boarding schools are predominantly institutions providing comprehensive full-time care.

Furthermore, learning is not only considered as pure imparting of knowledge at boarding schools, but rather as a means of increasing the student’s entire potential. Academic proficiency, as well as talents in the arts or a great facility in sports are fostered in the best possible way, so that children with particular interests can develop their personal strengths.

 

TOP REASONS TO GO TO A BOARDING / RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

There are many reasons to go to boarding school. The academics, the athletics and the extracurricular activities are just a few considerations. Here are the top ten reasons why you should go to Boarding/Residential School.

Why should you consider sending your child to boarding school? Wouldn't she do just as well at day school? This is a common question for parents to ponder as they review their private school options. You have made the decision to send him to private school in principle. Now it is just a matter of working out the details.
There are many reasons to go to boarding school. The academics, the athletics and the extracurricular activities are just a few of the considerations. But there's more. Much more. Here are the 10 top reasons why you should go to boarding school.

1 YOU WILL GET GREAT TEACHERS WHO LOVE TO TEACH

Boarding schools traditionally hire teachers with degrees in their subjects. As well a large number of these experienced teachers have advanced degrees in their field. Typically all are passionate about their subject and love to teach it to young people. Because discipline is rarely a problem in boarding school, these talented teachers get to teach without having to be traffic cops or paper pushers like their public school counterparts.

2 YOU WILL HAVE GREAT EXTRA CURRICULAR AND SPORTS FACILITIES
Most boarding schools have amazing sports facilities. The range of sports and teams is mind-boggling. You will find everything from squash to crew, hockey to basketball. Natatoria are common. So are equestrian facilities. Many boarding school fitness facilities make commercial fitness establishments look tame. The varsity teams travel regionally and globally to compete. (Think Henley and Head of the Charles, for example, in crew.) Look at this hockey rink at Taft School, Watertown, Connecticut.

3 YOU WILL HAVE GREAT ARTS PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES
Theater, dance, music, fine arts, in short, anything and everything artistic is part of the opportunity which awaits you at most boarding schools. Several schools have magnificent performing arts centers and museums. Gorgeous chapels with fine pipe organs and choirs are still common. Chamber music, bands, orchestras and jazz ensembles will give you many opportunities to use your musical talents. The art galleries and museums many schools have acquired offer another serious enhancement for the artistically inclined.

4 YOU WILL GET TO LIVE AWAY FROM HAME
It's never easy to leave the nest. But, doesn't it make more sense to make the move a few years before college? Of course it does. You will learn how to cope with life and all its many high and low points within a community of your peers who are going through the same things you are. All of this is happening under the watchful eye of your teachers who are mentors, not baby-sitters.

5 YOU WILL BE STRETCHED BY THE AMOUNT OF ACADEMIC WORK YOU HAVE TO DO
In a public school you might read one Shakespeare play in a year if you are lucky and it happens to be relevant to the test. In a private school you will read three or four Shakespeare plays and study them in detail. Teaching to the test is virtually unheard of because boarding schools only have to be concerned with getting you into a college. As a result the depth and breadth of the academic courses in most schools is remarkable. This applies to traditional and progressive high schools alike.

6 YOU WILL BE SURROUNDED BY CLASSMATES WHO WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE
Your classmates are in boarding school because they want to be there. They want to learn. They want to be successful. The reason you go to private school is to learn. Most schools are rather selective about who they admit. Being willing to work hard in class and play hard on the playing field is all part of the college prep package boarding schools offer.

7 THE LIBRARIES / MEDIA CENTERS ARE WELL STOCKED
The older, more established schools have traditional library facilities which in many cases are better equipped than those at many colleges. Libraries have morphed over the years into media centers. The typical boarding school library will have the latest technology available, in addition to all the usual print materials. And they will have them in abundance.

8 YOU WILL LEARN TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF
Taking a lot of little steps towards maturity is one of the intangibles of going to boarding school. You have to learn to get along with others because it is a community. You learn to be responsible for your actions because you are bound by an honor or discipline code of some kind. The lessons in life learned in boarding school will lay a solid foundation for adulthood. These young ladies will give us a guided tour of Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield, Massachusetts. You will see how boarding school has shaped them.

You will make friends for life. Most boarding school graduates look back at their years in school as a time when lasting friendships were established. Coupled with that is the building of a network of friends and acquaintances who know you and care about you. Isn't that what life is really all about? Being surrounded by people who understand you and care about you is affirming and encouraging. We all can do with a dose of encouragement now and then, can't we?

9 THE CLASSES ARE SMALL

If you are in a public school with 30-40 students to a class, chances are that you will just be a number, unless you are very smart or very bad. You will probably get lots of attention either way. In a boarding school, on the other hand, classes typically are 10-15 students. You cannot hide in a class that small. You have to participate. You will get called upon for your response. You will never just be a number in a boarding school. Boarding schools as a rule are not very large. Yes, some, like Exeter have 1,000 students. But most have a student population in the 350-500 student range.

10 IT’S COOL TO BE SMART
This is probably the best reason to go to boarding school. In a public school the kids who really want to learn frequently end up being social outcasts. Not so in boarding school. It's cool to be smart in boarding school. It's also very cool to learn.
These are our top ten reasons to go to boarding school. You will doubtless think of others. If all of this intrigues you, and you want to learn more choosing a school, read 5 Steps for Choosing a Boarding School. One last bit of advise: don't put off starting the process of choosing a boarding school to the last minute. You will need at least 18 months before the fall of the year in which you want your child to be in school.

 

 

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