SMALL SCHOOLS VS. BIG SCHOOLS

Does the size and location of a school have any impact on our school experience? An average parent most times consider the price tag before the size of a school, perhaps they are yet to discover that more impact on a child’s school experience is contributed by the size of the school s/he attends.

Which do you prefer, having a small class sized that creates an opportunity to work more closely with your lecturers for better learning experience or being asked by a not-so-familiar face in your class on your graduation day if you are in his class.

I attended a very big secondary school, looking back now, I am not sure I can count more than five people I knew so well. There were so many faces around; sometimes this was more of a disadvantage because it meant more noise, more competition for space and available facilities. I hate to imagine how exhausting marking our test scripts must have been for our teachers.

Small schools offer lower student-to-teacher ratio than bigger schools and provides opportunity for students to know their lecturers. The College I attend at present has less than 100 people in a class compared to big schools that have over 3,000. Groups like secret and occultic fraternities certainly cannot thrive in small schools because there is no hiding place. But of course, there are two sides to every coin:

Advantages of small schools
Small Class size with opportunities to work closely with qualified lecturers.
Strong sense of community/togetherness
More individual attention and guidance
No abuse of available structures and facilities.
Opportunity to have your voice heard
Disadvantages of small schools
Fewer physical resources
Limited social opportunities and academic options
Gossip thrives because everyone seems to know what is going on.
So when next you are choosing a school, don’t just consider the price tag, but take time to reflect on the side it falls on in terms of size. Is it a small school or a big school? Don’t be afraid to choose a small school, it sure gives a good level of hand-on learning experience.