Also, check out this tweets on boarding schools in Kenya.
Perhaps its time to have an honest national conversation around the pros and cons of public boarding schools in Kenya, and bring to bear experiences in private boarding schools and other countries, including cross-cutting issues like "boarding school syndrome". https://t.co/bU8EsURxwH
— PK (@PaulKoigi) January 8, 2020
According to Nick Duffel, a psychotherapist and author of The Making of Them, who also runs Boarding School Survivors programme in the UK, children as young as six who are sent to boarding schools will develop strategic survival personalities. "On the outside, they'll look competent and confident while on the inside, they'll be private and insecure as they seek to reinvent themselves as pseudo-adults''.
For many, these feelings of insecurity emanating from the separation from home, family and parental love will bear long-life effects.
So before making that life changing decision, here's a list of pros and cons we've compiled: Yay or Nay help you make an informed decision.
Yay
Traditional standards. Many boarding schools, perhaps especially those with longer histories in Kenya, honour and maintain the traditions that they represent.
Close community of learners. Students join an academic community that respects learning and can be transformative.
Daily routine that invokes self-discipline and responsibility. Strict routine and independence from parents fosters self-reliance among boarding school boys and girls.
Unique social and personal development. The boarding school environment offers opportunities for personal growth and social development.
Culture of collaboration and responsibility. The boarding school environment encourages all children to learn more about how to work well with others.
Nay
More expensive than day schools- Taking your kid to boarding school has extra expenses like paying for their care package in school.
The presence of bullying and related problems. Boarding school are not immune to problems with bullying (as is often documented in the media).
Moving away from home can be very difficult. This is the biggest challenge of boarding for many students, but of course this also fosters independence and personal growth.
Boarding too young can lead to "boarding school syndrome. This is a documented problem, and parents need to be wary of sending kids to school too young or when they have not matured enough *Take our poll here
