ShareBy Ghadeer Ghloum
KUWAIT: The decision to switch schools is a complex one that many parents face at some point. Whether prompted by a relocation, financial considerations or dissatisfaction with their current school, the idea of switching schools can be both exciting and overwhelming. On one hand, switching can open doors to new educational experiences, access to additional resources and opportunities for a child’s growth. On the other hand, it may present social and emotional challenges while potentially impacting academic progress.
However, based on people Kuwait Times interviewed for this report, age as well as having someone familiar already attending the same school are two essential factors that parents must consider before transferring their children. To delve deeper into the topic of school switching, Kuwait Times spoke with a high school teacher, a psychiatric specialist and a young individual who has experienced multiple school transitions as a student.
Lama, a young woman who switched between four different schools as a student, shared her experience with Kuwait Times. “As a student, I have experienced switching schools multiple times. The first transition was during 5th grade, which proved to be the most challenging, because making friends is uneasy at this age, as we are still young and not yet socially skilled. Despite my efforts, I could not fit in at the new school. I often found myself missing my friends from my previous school, but due to my lack of maturity at that time, I did not know how to maintain my friendship. I lost touch with my old friends and failed to make new ones,” she said.
According to Lama, age as well as having someone familiar already attending the same school plays a significant role in the child’s experience when switching schools. “I highly advise parents to ensure that their child has someone they know at the new school, especially if the child is under 15, because after I had two emotionally unsatisfying years and declining academic performance, I moved to another school, where I fortunately had a cousin studying there. This helped me have a positive experience. I was able to excel academically due to my higher spirits and newfound confidence,” she recalled.
On her part, Ghadeer Ghafour, an English teacher at a public school, spoke to Kuwait Times about the bright side of switching schools. “When moving to a new school, many students share their own ideas and attitude in a different way. This is because when students move to a new school, they bring their own ideas to a whole different community, where things are done quite differently than the previous place. Hence, it is a great way for students to learn new skills. Also, when students move to a new school, they learn how to adapt to a new surrounding, such as having a new routine. Students will make new friends, as having a strong bond of friendship is very crucial, especially at this age, which allows them to build their self-esteem and social skills,” she said.
Ghafour further clarified that each school is different than the other, and this is because of the cultural standards of each. Thus, every student faces their own strength and weakness when transferring to a new school. She then confronted the dark side of switching schools. “There are some drawbacks and challenges that students may face when transferring to a new school. Students might experience bullying and difficulty adapting to new surroundings. When it comes to studying, students will have difficulty in handling the academic curriculum, therefore their grades will not be that good at the beginning, which may affect their self confidence in their performance at school,” she added.
This was also highlighted by Zahra’a Abdulsalam, psychiatric specialist, who said: “Whether moving students from one grade to another or from one school to another, switching can have a negative impact on the student. This is because it affects their academic performance due to the difference in grade level, school environment and teachers. Besides, the difference in friends also plays a significant role in affecting the student psychologically. In my opinion, it is preferable for the student to stay in the same school to avoid these psychological and academic issues, unless there is a compelling need for them to transfer.”
