PARENTS WORRIES / FAQ’s

General worries

• One of our parental prerogatives is to worry about our children. That's probably because your child never came with an instruction manual and as a result you have had to learn so many things about parenting simply by being a parent. No matter, worry is part of the parental landscape. Now, if you are thinking about sending your child off to boarding school, your worries will be quite specific. Probably along the lines of the follow questions:-

• Will my child be safe? Boarding schools take your child's safety very seriously. Contractually a boarding school functions in loco parentis which is a legal way of stating that the school acts in the place of the parent when it comes to supervision of its students, your child included.

• In many respects your child is a whole lot safer at school, safer than even home where he cannot drive or go to somebody's house and get into who-knows-what. Drugs, drinking and smoking are not permitted in boarding schools. Zero tolerance is the rule. Does it prevent teens from pushing the limits and experimenting? That's impossible, of course, as any parent knows. However, the limits are strictly prescribed and teens learn to respect those limits and rules or face the consequences.

These are good lessons to learn

• Will he have time to himself? Yes. Of course. Part of the structured life in a boarding school is down-time. Everybody needs it. Time to sit and watch a movie. Time to throw a ball around. Or just read for fun. The only difference is that he will be under the watchful eye of adults.

• Will he be able to keep up with the academics? The academic programs at most college preparatory schools is pretty intense. But that's why he got admitted. The admissions staff are confident that he can do the work. The school knows that it has just three years - actually really only two years - to get his ready for tertiary level academic work.

• The academic work is rigorous. But what really stretches your child is that there is so much academic work. He won't read just one play like he probably would do in a public high school. No. He will read three plays over the course of a year. That's a lot of material to get through, to absorb and digest.

• Academics in a good boarding school don't just skim the surface. Nor do they teach to a test. Rather the over-arching theme will be teaching your son how to think critically by exposing his to so many ideas and disciplines. Stretching your child, stimulating his and expecting greatness are the hallmarks of any decent boarding school’s academic program.

• Will he have enough money? That depends. Certainly he is going to be around some rather well-off classmates. Boarding school will open his eyes to all kinds of things about the way people live. It will also remind him from time to time that money is not the same as love. Put another way, boarding school students have parents who are too busy to spend quality time with them too. Make sure he has an allowance but also let his know your limits.

• Will he get into the right college? Boarding schools have a pretty good idea of where their graduates can matriculate. We prepare cadets for NDA and hence, provide all necessary training. They will encourage your child to apply to colleges which are a good fit for his requirements. One of the colleges which they suggest will probably be a real reach for your son. He'll stand an excellent chance of getting in. Skill development courses are also conducted by PRES for drop outs.

• We parents will always worry about our children. That's part of our job as parents. But, when it comes to sending your child off to a boarding school, ease up and relax. Boarding schools know what they are doing. And they do it extremely well.