A Preschool, Playschool, Nursery, Pre-primary school or popularly known as Montessori in Nepal is an educational place that offers early childhood education to children (below 6 years) before they begin their formal education in elementary schools.

 

Place

It is suggested to keep your child at the schools near your home or within 3km of your living area. It is good when you can drop your child at his/her school and go and pick him/her up from the school yourself, their grandparents, or someone from your home. This time spent with your child can be quality time for them. You can talk about different things during your short walk to the school. This will help to build a good relationship between you and your child. 

 

Budget 

The school you choose should be budget-friendly. You can choose a so-called A-grade preschool, any franchise preschool, or a normal preschool. Once you keep your child in a preschool it’s better you don’t change it because for any reason; budget being the one.

 

Ambiance/Settings

Generally, the schools with carpets and low tables with cushions are considered as suitable playschools. But having your desks and benches replaced by carpets and cushions is not enough. Yes, the floor sitting arrangement for the maximum activities during the daytime can be a good choice but there should be a proper writing area as well for the kids going to the elementary levels (for 5+yrs). This will help them when they go to formal schooling. The pieces of furniture should be child-sized and child friendly so that your child will feel comfortable working and playing in school. It's ok if you won’t find it comfortable during parents' meetings. See whether the classrooms are well equipped or not. The playschool’s classroom should be filled with playing materials in class as well. There should be enough table games, blocks, role-play items, stationeries, and hygiene-related materials for sure. After COVID it is a must. Now let's talk about the outdoor setting. The big branded PlayStation in the playground is not mandatory. Even a small play station is enough for your child. Just see that your child will land safely while sliding through the slide. Artificial grass only looks good but the soil builds a connection with nature. Take your child close to nature and natural things.  It will help to boost your child’s immunity. A proper fence and a good guarding system are a must. 

 

Curriculum

Choosing a brand name is not bad. If you want to give your child a luxurious school and you can afford it you are allowed to do so. But it’s better to watch what is being transferred to your child. 

The curriculum made by the Nepal government is one of the best curricula. Do check if the school has an idea about it or not. Normally most preschool owners don’t have an idea about it. It is sad but true. Other famous preschools in Nepal are the other country-based franchise ones. Just a question in my mind; how can a curriculum made for another country be suitable for our country(us)? 

Also, don’t get confused about the curriculum with the syllabus. Most of us are confused with the syllabus and curriculum. A syllabus is the course of content whereas a curriculum is a set of learning activities meant to make the learner attain goals as prescribed by the educational system. 

It is important to understand what type of learning system is being followed by the school. There are so many approaches in preschools like Montessori, Play-way-method, Regio Emilia, Waldorf, etc. No, I’m not going to explain these all. Just as a parent it’s better for you to know which approach your child is learning.  

 

Teacher development

It’s important to know how open the school is to the changes. Being open to new ideas and letting teachers grow accordingly helps to be updated and this is one thing that most schools are reluctant to do. Teacher development plays a crucial role in the development of the students.  

 

Experience in the education field

As the preschools are growing in all the areas like mushrooms, it’s important to know who is running them. Who are the founders, the principal, and the coordinator or in-charges? It's important to know the background of the team members as they are the ones who run the institution. When you choose the preschool it’s better to choose the one run by those who are in the education field, trained, and have at least 5 yrs of experience in the same.  Also, see the mission and vision of the school. 

 

Community collaboration

Another very important part is the community collaboration or community-based curriculum. We live in a community and it's essential to know what is in our community. What are the different things that we have in our community? What are the festivals we celebrate and how do we do that? What is the food that we grow? All these and a lot more. 

 

Facebook page/websites

Do visit the Facebook page or the website of the school to see the variety of activities they do in class and outdoors. See whether the children are getting the chance to explore or not. Do they have different ExtraCurricular Activities (ECA) and Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) or not?