Advocating for your Child’s Educational Needs

By Jessica Haines
 

The thought of your child starting school can be a daunting one. I remember so many emotions going through my mind. Shock that they were already of school age, denial that my babies had grown up, and fear of what lay ahead. It's a time for reflection and new beginnings, as well as a time to make lots of decisions. On top of the worry and excitement that your children have finally reached school age comes the need to select the right school for your kids and your family. Not an easy decision. 

In a place like Bangkok where there are so many schools to choose from, I found this process overwhelming. Having grown up in Hong Kong I was quite familiar with the international school system; however, I was obviously totally unaware of the process my parents went through to select my school. But here I am, now with my own children, living the expat life like my parents did and having to select schools for my own kids—and it’s not an easy thing to do. 

When selecting schools, every family has different criteria of what is important to them. It might be academics, facilities, or sporting options, and some families may not have even figured that out just yet. Society can also come into play by putting pressure on families to send their kids to schools that have a certain status. However, at the end of the day I think what we all want is for our kids to be happy and enjoy being at school.

All children are different and have different needs and interests, and finding the best school to fit those needs is what I believe is most important. This can be easier said than done. Schools will not always be 100 percent suited to what your kids need, and this is when you need to advocate for your child. Advocating for your child can be tricky; there is sometimes a feeling of not wanting to overstep or be “that parent” who is always emailing the teacher. At the end of the day you need to do what you feel is best for your child, and if that's voicing your thoughts, then that is what needs to be done. Advocating for your child can be a really hard thing to do, and you need to ensure you are advocating to people who are willing to listen.

For our family we have two very different children with different needs, but it was important to us that they both went to the same school. One of our children has a disability, and while he doesn't need much support now, he may do one day. So we had to think about whether schools would still meet the needs of our children in the future. Although we don’t have a crystal ball, such forward thinking may stop us having to go through this process again. 

So when looking for a school we had our list of what we wanted—nice facilities, good curriculum, lots of fun things for the kids to do—but what really stood out for us when visiting schools was the teaching staff. Sure one school may have had a 50-meter pool and the other only a 25-meter pool, but what became important was the views of the teachers.

Finding a school that was open to listening and adapting to our children's needs, to being flexible in their thinking, and which understood that all kids are different, is what stood out. Just like us adults, kids are not all the same—a cookie-cutter system will not work. Each child needs to be celebrated for who they are. I quickly learned I can do all the advocating in the world for my kids, but if I'm talking to someone who is not willing to think outside the box then there is no point in advocating. You need someone who is on your team. Otherwise, forget about it.

At the end of the day everyone's needs and values are different, so just make sure that you are heard and understood by those who are educating and helping your children become the best version of themselves.

About the Author
Jessica is a mom of two from Australia. Her family moved to Bangkok five years ago and they’ve fallen in love with the city. The hustle and bustle, and ever-changing nature of Bangkok is what she appreciates the most! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, shopping, and trying new restaurants.