A New School: How Parents Can Help Their Kids Transfer Schools

It’s a big change for everyone especially for the kids when they transfer to a new school. Here’s how we can make it easier!

There are a lot of reasons parents transfer their kids to a new school. Although mostly financial or health-related, changing schools is not a decision made overnight. We’re meticulous enough to check the class size, the teaching philosophy, and even the graduates that come from that school to see if we can trust the institution with our kids’ learning. And while we’re okay with it, our kids will be nervous. After all, it’s new people and a different culture — something they’re not too keen about.

So when transferring our kids to a new school, here are some tips to make it less stressful.

1. Be on top of gathering the necessary school documents.

Most of the stress comes from dealing with schools’ administration offices. We get bounced between secretaries and people just to get our kids’ Transcript of Records (ToR) and even their certificate of graduation. Some offices even charge for printing those documents, usually around PHP 200 ~ PHP 500 which depends on the school. But that’s just the bare minimum; some schools also request a certification of good conduct or a letter from the guidance office that our kids are okay.

Kids with learning disabilities even need more paperwork, with schools often requesting from parents to get certification from a child psychiatrist.

We suggest prioritizing the letter of good conduct since that’s usually written like a recommendation letter. In some cases, schools might need official documents from the DepEd also. The Transcript of Records (ToR) shouldn’t take more than a day or week to print, depending on the season.

2. Let our kids meet other kids from their new school.

By letting our kids meet other kids from other schools, they won’t suffer too much of a culture shock — an incidence wherein because there are so many new things to process, they either have a meltdown or just shut down altogether.

All the more if they’re from an exclusive school, transferring them to a school which is the complete office can be a shock. But if they meet other kids from their potential new school and hit it off, they’ll feel more secure in the new environment. That, and we won’t have to worry about them not having friends.

3. Acknowledge their fear of transferring to a new school.

“What if nobody likes me?”

“What if my teachers are mean?”

These fears are completely valid! When kids go to school, they’re always excited about the possibility of finding that one friend they’ll have fun with. And a lot of times, most of our lifelong friends are those we met in school. But that also means the inverse can happen: they can never find that friend and instead, find that one person they’d never want to be caught dead with.

Their fears stem from the unknown — it’s completely new territory! But talking to them about their new school and showing them the place can assuage their fears. It also helps if they see the campus grounds with us! Although some schools have tightened their security, we can still see part of the school from outside and in the car.

4. Brace ourselves for the possibility of being “moved down” a grade.

Being moved down a grade doesn’t mean our kids are not smart enough for the curriculum. Sometimes, it’s because we’re way past the enrollment period for that particular batch. Others are because the potential school’s assessment test revealed that our kids may not be able to keep up with the curriculum for the grade they were supposed to be in.

What some parents do is they put their kids through Math, English, or Science summer classes so they can make the cut. But in case they don’t, assure them that it’s not always a bad thing. It might even be better because there’s more room to adjust to the school’s culture with the lower grades having easier requirements.

5. Let our kids be in charge of how they want to present themselves in their new school.

Although we’re all about making the best impression, our insistence sometimes distresses our kids. Sometimes, we make it look too “forced” thus, making them more open for ridicule. Instead, let the kids have a say on how they want to present themselves in school. In private schools, it might feel a little restricting because of the uniform and dress code. But that doesn’t mean they can’t switch up their water jugs, bags, and even their eyeglasses (if they wear any).

Transferring our kids to a new school isn’t easy for the family

A lot of times, we don’t transfer our kids to a new school unless we have no other choice. It’s more common than a lot of us think; some kids drop out of school to help their parents take care of the family. Other times, there’s just not enough money to support the old school. But in the many cases they do, it’s because we found a curriculum far better suited for our kids’ needs.

However, transferring them isn’t a decision we can make on our own. Our kids would want in on it too, especially because they’ll be the one dealing with the people in the school directly and daily.

More about kids and school?

Kids Melting Down After School? It’s Called After-School Restraint Collapse
How to Make Your Kids Want to Go to School
Traditional vs. Progressive Schools: Which is Best for Your Child?