Advantages of Boarding Schools: Why Many Parents Prefer Residential Education

Educational institutions are upgrading based on students’ current and growing academic needs. Boarding schools are a significant requirement for students across India since distractions have increased immensely. The advantages of boarding school make it the perfect fit for your child. Among the many benefits of residential schools in India, excellent academic learning, a disciplined environment, prospect, global exposure, and heightened opportunities are a few. Let us learn more about why parents must prefer residential education.

What are boarding schools?

Educational institutions that accommodate students’ lodging, dining, and academic requirements are grouped into boarding or residential schools. Students live on campus premises under the guidance of their mentors, wardens and school staff and gain knowledge. All the requirements of students are adjusted in the infrastructure of boarding schools to offer them a holistic environment. Students are allowed to visit their homes on weekends, vacations or festival holidays. Students also get a taste of social life by living among their peers. Different boarding schools are affiliated with one or more educational boards in India.

How many boarding schools are there in India?

There are over a hundred boarding schools in India, most of which are purely boarding schools, while a few accommodate both day scholars and boarders. Many boarding schools were established during British rule, while many have opened up post-independence. It becomes a challenge for parents to choose the right boarding school among a pool of schools claiming to be the right fit for their child. Going through the list of India’s top 20 boarding schools makes it easier to analyse and evaluate all schools based on your child’s needs for academic excellence. All schools offer different sports and extracurricular activities and are affiliated with boards ranging from CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, and IB. By reading the alumni pages, parents can get a good overview of the future potential of the school.

Reasons for the growing popularity of boarding schools

The many advantages of boarding schools are strong reasons for their growing popularity. 

1. Complete guidance– The availability of mentors at all times makes boarding schools in India a genuine choice for many parents. Students living in residential schools can access study materials in libraries 24/7, and it becomes easier to get answers to queries instantly. Students are constantly under the guidance of school staff, mentors and wardens.

2. Character building– Boarding schools polish students to build their personalities by imbibing values and morals to build their character. Qualities of empathy, tolerance, team building, honesty, responsibility, and punctuality are instilled when students get to live on their own and socially.

3. Time management– Life at boarding schools is systematic and routined, and students follow fixed timetables to live a disciplined life. This way, they get to learn time management when in a day, they set routines to spare time for study, extracurricular, and social life.

4. Independent– Students come to boarding schools after leaving their parents and living alone. They are subjected to many challenging situations, which they learn to face and overcome by themselves. This boosts their confidence and improves their problem-solving and decision-making.

5. Exploring– Every child gets exposed to multiple opportunities at boarding schools that help them to explore their potential and work on their talents. Experienced teachers ensure every child receives a platform to share and build their skills.

What are the advantages of boarding schools for students?

A few benefits of boarding schools are- 

1. Educational growth– Indian boarding schools aim for practical learning through smart classes to enable an in-depth understanding of any topic or subject. Mentors help in enhancing our knowledge and clearing all doubts and queries.

2. Social growth– Living among peers, mentors, staff and wardens, students live quite the social life in boarding school. This helps in getting rid of social anxiety, shyness and stage fright. Students learn to voice their opinions and respect others, learn social skills and values of respect and humility, and build cultural tolerance.

3. Physical growth– The boarding school curriculum helps students get as many physical activities as they are exposed to academic learning. Extracurricular and sports activities are accommodated in every child’s daily routine to stay physically fit and active.

4. Intrapersonal growth– Self-discipline, motivation, resilience, and communication are polished in boarding schools to trigger personal growth. Through various activities and teamwork, students are put in situations where they get to discover themselves and work on their weaknesses and strengths.

5. Emotional growth– Students learn to process and understand their emotions as they progress. Negative emotions of anger, jealousy and violence must be addressed and presented optimistically. Students get to develop empathy, respect, trust, caring and love for their peers as they always stay together.

What is the importance of good school infrastructure?

The best boarding schools in India have excellent infrastructure to accommodate hundreds of students and accommodate their lodging and academic needs.

1. Hostels– Hostel rooms generally accommodate more than five students and have well-lit up, sanitised and equipped rooms with tables, chairs and beds to facilitate a quality life for students.

2. Mess– Students are given three meals daily, followed by an evening snack. The food is made following hygiene and quality standards. The menu is set for the week when students’ dietary needs are considered.

3. Infirmary– Students staying on campus can need medical assistance at any hour of the day. Good boarding schools in India are well equipped with experienced medical staff to assist in any medical emergencies.

4. Smart classes– Boarding schools are upgrading themselves with technology to offer a pool of learning tools and resources to teach students in the best possible way. Smart boards and technological facilities help provide students with all the needed resources.

5. Washrooms– The bathrooms and washrooms must be clean and fresh to prevent infections since many students use them daily. Schools have restrooms on every floor in hostels to accommodate the needs of every child.

What are the advantages of school hostels?

1. Proximity– A significant amount of time is saved by living in hostels on campus as the time consumed while getting to school and returning gets cancelled. Students living far from their day schools spend hours in their buses and vans and get exhausted going back and forth daily. Hostels help remove exhaustion, and students can attend classes in the morning with a fresh mind.

2. Cultural awareness– In hostels, students live with students from different cultural backgrounds and faiths. Staying together, students get a chance to embrace cultural diversity and improve cultural tolerance and respect among students as they get to know more about each other.

3. Building discipline– Boarding schools work on schedules where students wake up and go to bed on time. Their meal routines are fixed along with study hours. A systematic and disciplined life helps establish balance and leads to a healthier lifestyle.

These advantages of a boarding school make it an ideal choice for students and parents by ensuring holistic development.

SKV is an all-girls residential school in India affiliated with the CBSE board that aims at empowering young girls and providing them with experiential and progressive learning.