Choosing the right high school for your child’s education can be a difficult decision but there are certain factors you can consider during the selection. One such factor you can consider is the curriculum offered by the school. This has a big impact on your child’s academic experience. It can also impact their higher education and career opportunities.
Before you start evaluating the curriculum of high schools in Brisbane, think about what your child’s interests and goals are. As the parent, you will have a good idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are. But it is also best if you can sit down with your child and discuss their interests when it comes to academics as well as extracurricular activities. They may have certain career aspirations. These might change after some time but it is very important to take the interests of your child into consideration. And you can look for the schools in your local area to compare their curriculums. Some schools will have the curriculum materials on their official website or you can contact them to receive it. First, you need to gather all the information you can about the courses, subjects they offer along with their educational philosophies and approaches. Consider the range of subjects that are offered. Check if there are any specialised programmes that align with your child’s interests.
When going through the subjects offered by the school, you should pay special attention to the core academic subjects such as science, English, mathematics and social studies. Go through the curriculum to see whether these subjects are adequately covered and whether the courses progress to improve your child’s academic excellence. Having a solid foundation when it comes to core subjects is very important. This will further impact their higher studies. Once you have a good understanding of the core subjects and what they cover, you need to look into elective courses and specialised programmes in technology, languages, music, art etc. These can enrich your child’s perspective of the world and they will be able to understand better about the different career opportunities. For example, if your child has an interest and talent for music, choosing a high school with a specialised programme in music will be a good step in broadening your child’s horizons.
You should also check honours courses and AP or advanced placement courses offered by the school. Check which subjects these courses are available in. These can provide college level coursework for your child and improve their readiness for college. And some will allow them to earn college credits as well. And if your child has special needs, you can assess the level of support provided by the high school curriculum. Check if there are education plans tailored to the child along with enrichment programmes. It is also important to check if real world applications are incorporated into the curriculum. Community service projects, internships, field trips etc. offer opportunities for the students to gain practical skills that are otherwise overlooked in classroom education.
