The COVID-19 health crisis and subsequent pivot to online learning have prompted parents to rethink their priorities when it comes to their children’s education, with many now questioning what they should look for when choosing a school in the postpandemic “new normal”.

Citing experience and research by the Enrollment Management Association, Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) acknowledged that prior to the pandemic, parents focused on academic programs in their search for the best learning environment for their children, even for those as young as kindergarten-age.

“Is this the academic program for my child? Is it challenging enough, does it provide enough options?” JIS head of admissions Kat Ngkaion said as part of a podcast discussion on “The Changing Landscape of International Schools”.

“Other common questions parents ask are the availability of clubs, student bodies, sports activities, college counseling and, of course, the price.”

She was joined by JIS faculty members who lent their thoughts and expertise on the matter as educators but also as parents themselves. While they agreed that academic programs were an important framework for any school, a parents’ search should prioritize the needs of their children and family as a whole and “what fits them best”. A helpful first step, they added, would be for parents to sit down with their children and have an earnest discussion on the learning experiences they would like to have.

What are their interests? What non-academic activities are they passionate about? In the child’s own words, what are their strengths and weaknesses? Do they have any special education needs? These are just some of the questions parents can ask their children, as well as each other.

As JIS’ Middle School counselor, Angie Machacek is frequently asked for advice from families who are set to move abroad and are faced with the challenge of searching for a school in a different country. In addition to advising them to focus on the needs of their children, she urged them to communicate openly and honestly with any prospective school.

“They often say, ‘What kind of things should I be looking for?’ And I often refer them to their child, their interests and their support needs because schools need to be a good fit. They need to match the student’s abilities,” she said. “So, it’s really important to reach out to the schools and investigate what kind of structure they have, [including] the academic program and support services. Because it can vary, not only between countries but also within countries, the types of programs they offer.”

The educators couldn’t emphasize enough the need for a prospective school to be a good fit for a child as opposed to “the best school” of a country or region as declared by a survey.

“There’s no such thing as the best school; there’s the school that’s the best fit for the family. It’s important for families to consider what the school is trying to learn about your family, just as much as what you’re trying to learn about the school,” Ngkaion explained. “It should be a dialogue [to find] out what’s important for you [and] your family’s needs. By having this conversation, you can decide and reflect upon your own needs and wants, and [this will] help you find out whether a school is a good fit for your family.”

 JIS Middle School and High School therapist Kris Carlson pointed out that joining a school was like joining a community in which the entire family would make connections, socialize and learn together. She referred to her own family’s experience at JIS as an example of how a school can be a family’s “world”.

“It really is about that best fit […] JIS is such an important community [and] it’s not just [a place for] education; it’s our world, it’s where we play, it’s where we have friends, it’s where we enjoy our lives,” Carlson said. “So, understanding that about the next school is an important part of choosing the best school for your child.”

This community connection and the support students receive from all school stakeholders — teachers, administrators and even parents — are all part of social-emotional learning, which the pandemic has brought to the forefront of education as students grapple with sudden and unprecedented changes.

At JIS, social-emotional learning is supported schoolwide by an experienced team of therapists, counselors and learning support specialists. Machacek’s role as a counselor, for example, is to support students and serve as an advocate for them while monitoring their academic and social-emotional progress. This entails connecting with their parents as well and providing resources for them as their children move through their adolescent years. She truly believes that “people come to JIS because of the warm, caring environment. And that’s why we also stay at JIS”.

As schools start to slowly reopen their classrooms while continuing to grapple with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, social-emotional learning has come to the forefront of many curriculums.

“Social-emotional wellness and learning will be very important — now more than ever [...] It’s something that we’ve been doing very well and very strongly here at JIS. But now, it’s going to be even more important and many schools will realize that,” Ngkaion said.

Listen to their entire discussion here. The JIS Podcast is now available on Spotify, offering a unique, informative look into the world of international education with a guest roster of recognized experts, as well as experienced educators and school administrators.

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