Boarding Schools Versus Day Schools

In junior high school, the choice to either go to a boarding school or a day school was an issue that aroused debates among both students and parents. It was a matter of great concern since it had the ability to ultimately shape the future of a person. Yearly rankings of senior high schools in this country usually places most boarding schools before their day counterparts thus inducing the concept that boarding schools are generally a better choice when it comes to academic excellence in senior high schools. Apart from this observation most people have not taken the time to impartially and objectively compare these two types of high schools.

My attention was drawn to this issue again during last year’s election when every political party during their campaigns gave much priority to education. The two leading political parties in Ghana (NDC and NPP) both promised to construct a number of senior high schools. After the elections, I waited patiently to see if President Mahama would fulfil his promise of constructing 200 senior high schools for Ghanaians.

The construction of the first 50 schools has already been set in motion. These new schools would all be day schools and this however hasn’t gone down well with some people. Why are people more attracted to boarding schools than day schools? The answer to this question lies not in the school system but the quality of students produced. It would be imperative to compare boarding schools with day schools to ascertain their advantages and disadvantages. This might help to clear the air and throw some light to some misconceptions about both types of school systems.

Making education affordable, accessible and quality should be the topmost priority of any government when it comes to the educational sector. These are the three basic requirements of every school. Every child should have access to quality education at the most affordable price. Since time immemorial, the governments of Ghana have always tried to contribute their quota to making education more accessible and affordable to Ghanaians.

Quality of education is of great relevance when it comes to school selection. Every parent wants their children to get access to quality education no matter their income level. Since day schools are usually considered to be less expensive, is the quality of education obtained in these schools comparable to boarding schools? Boarding schools are equipped with facilities solely for the purpose of academics. Students stay on campus and have both compulsory and optional study periods. Day schools lack very much in these areas but can work with parents to ensure that children are given the opportunity to study at home. This is however very difficult since most parents are not trained professionally to cater for the child’s academic needs.

Generally, since boarding students are restricted and compelled to study, it becomes an academic plus to them. Students are monitored 24/7 with the necessary push to ensure academic success. Also, boarding schools have the advantage of compulsorily involving the students in sporting activities. Thus ensuring that students are healthy, and as the saying goes, ‘a healthy brain lives in a healthy body’. Nevertheless, this doesn’t limit academic excellence to only boarding schools but shows that day students need to work quite harder to attain the same level of success.

On the issue of affordability and accessibility, boarding schools are more accessible and less affordable whereas day schools are more affordable and less accessible. Day schools require one to stay at home while schooling thus making it relatively difficult for people from far places to school in such an institution. The cost and time involved would be unbearable thus limiting day schools to people who live within a reasonable distance to the school. However the cost of accommodation, feeding, house ‘boarding’ uniforms and other cost associated with boarding schools are eliminated. The senior high schools to be built must therefore be strategically positioned to serve their purpose. They must be affordable as well as accessible, especially to the people in rural areas.

Apart from the three main factors to consider (quality of education, accessibility and affordability), are there other factors to consider? The answer would be a big yes. After gaining access to quality, affordable education, we expect to have a well-rounded literate who can serve his country in the best of capacity.

Moral declination is on the rise and while some people blame this degeneration on parents, some also seem to hold the teachers responsible. However, research seems to point to the fact that weak morals are predominant in societies where children at very early stages of life tend to leave their parents. They are more prone to peer pressure since their source of counsel is no longer their parents but their peers. Gaining early independence is not entirely a bad thing. It gives the child a sense of responsibility, confidence and the opportunity to build profitable networks with other students at an early stage. It is however crucial to note that day schools do not guarantee moral uprightness in students and boarding schools do not promise responsible students. Parents, teachers and students need to work together to produce well rounded students.

When it comes to choosing the appropriate senior high school, the decision should not only be left to parents. Both children and teachers should also be actively involved. However, inasmuch as children want their wishes to be heard by their parents, they should do well to be considerate since the financial standing of their parents plays a very important role in selecting a school. The primary and paramount factors to consider are; quality of education, accessibility and affordability.

John Wondoh +233245957156 johnwondoh@yahoo.com