How does changing Schools affect a child ?
During the course of their academic lives, children have to change school for a variety of reasons. For example parents may change jobs or separate and as a result their children have to change schools. Sometimes the changes may occur due to personal choices (e.g. search for a better quality of life) or social reasons (e.g. change in financial situation). Census data suggests that up to 18% of American school age children change homes in any given year. Most children will transfer to a new school or district at least once before they graduate from high school.
Although the reasons may be valid, changing schools must be handled with extreme caution since changes can have negative consequences on your child.
Academic changes and challenges
The curriculum can vary within a grade from one school district to the next. Teachers may adjust their pace to fit a particular class. When a new child arrives they may be ahead or behind the new class. Teachers also have different styles of teaching and new students may have to take time to adapt. In the 1990’s a study by the American Medical Association, involving ten thousand students found out that children who move frequently are 35 % more likely to fail a grade. It can also put a child academically behind by up to six months. The statistics further show that changing high schools puts students at a higher risk of in fact dropping out.
Peer Relationships
Interaction with their peers is extremely important to children .They may leave a school where they know most of their classmates and move to a new school where they have to begin allover to establish new friendships. This can be quite traumatic for a child.
Relationship between School /Parents and Child
An important part of the success of a school is that there is usually a strong collaboration and working relationship between schools and parents. This takes time to build. This makes it difficult and challenging for all parties to begin building a strong relationship. It can also take a while for records from the previous school to arrive.
Disruption to a class
A new student can have an effect on the class dynamics. It is not only that new students have to adjust, it’s the fact that their new classmates have to as well. In addition a teacher normally has to take time out from normal schedules to assess and assimilate new children.
Increases the risk of Psychotic Symptoms
Recent research has found that children who had changed schools three or four times in their childhood were found to be at least 60 % more likely to display at least one psychotic symptom. Studies have also shown that changing schools can often lead to feelings of low self-esteem.
Sometimes it is unavoidable that a child must change schools. If this is the case then everything must be done to make the transition as smooth as possible.Whatever the reason for changing school, working closely and positively with your child and their new school will be in their best interest.
Some tips on helping your child through the challenges of changing schools:
- Keep in touch with your kid’s best friends from the former school through phone or occasional vacation meetups
- Teach your child social skills that will help them easily make new friends and connect with new classmates.
- Identify areas where your child could potentially fall behind and assist them in those areas.
- Constantly check your child’s progress and get updates from the school on their current situation.