Advantages and Disadvantages of Boarding Schools

Boarding schools- the name itself bring the picture of a haunting place before the minds of children. It is a reaction, which arouses little surprise since boarding schools have been portrayed in such a pathetic way by the media and film industry. Residential schools should be a home away from home. They should be the heavenly place where the potentials of students are exploited to the maximum, which will give them an upper hand over other kids. The topic of debate is whether Indian boarding schools have achieved this primary aim. Most of the Indian boarding schools help in the physical, psychological and emotional development of its students.

Life is a big challenge. In today's competitive world children who boldly face the challenges of life alone wins. Boarding schools have succeeded in creating a strong mental framework among students that will help them in the long run. Children learn the lessons of self-reliance and care for others from the boarding schools. Boarding schools can be considered as a mini-university of life where children from different backgrounds stay together. The first lesson a child learns from boarding schools is the lesson of adaptation. They make themselves adapt to the new environment, which is completely strange to them. This lesson is the primary and important lesson of life. It is one of the key ingredients of success in life. It helps the student to grow up as matured persons without any adaptation problems.

Another advantage of boarding schools is that they will enable the students to grow up as a self-reliant person. Since they live away from parents and dear ones students will learn to tackle their problems independently. Self-reliance contributes a lot in the development of a successful human being. This will help students to cultivate self-respect within them. All these contribute in the growth of confident persons who believe in themselves.

Indian boarding schools provide the students with a vast opportunity to engage in a variety of extra-curricular activities. This will exploit the hidden talents of the students to the maximum. By the end of their school period, they will be groomed into matured persons who are able to take the apt decision regarding their career. The various curricular and co-curricular activities will enable the students to recognize their aptitude and talents. Boarding schools act as a foster home for students. A boarding school alumnus is able to tackle any critical situation in their life with the help of practical knowledge they gained from their school life.

Since students stay in residential schools for a long period, a strong bond of trust and loyalty is developed among them. This unbreakable bond of friendship will last forever. Students learn about the value of human relationships from boarding schools. This will in turn develop them into a good humanitarian, who shares their blessings with the less fortunate ones. While regular schools only provide their students with theoretical knowledge of life, boarding schools bestow practical knowledge of life upon their students.

Indian boarding schools are not devoid of their shortcomings. The major defect of boarding schools is that they unknowingly break the bond between parents and children. Many of the students study in the boarding school during a period when they are on the verge of physical and emotional development. The nearness and support of parents is essential during this period. Separation from parents may result in emotional turmoil in fragile students. Even though teachers do care for the students, they do not have enough time to assist individually in the overall development of each child. Parental care is an important element in the psychological development of a child. However, the boarding schools students are devoid of it. Indian boarding schools try to overcome this situation with the help of clinical psychologists.

All Indian boarding schools force students to abide by their strict rules. Imposing discipline on the students will only create a negative impact on most of them. Especially during the teenage period children show a tendency to break the rules. This may create serious disciplinary problems.

Certain students tend to develop an inferiority complex when they are not able to excel in the curricular or co- curricular activities like their counterparts. Each student has their own field where they can excel. Some may be good learners, some good singers, while some may be good dancers. Realizing one's talent is the only way to success.

In reality, Indian boarding schools are not a haunting place, but an abode of knowledge, which gives us priceless lessons in life. Boarding schools are opportunities provided by life to expose our hidden talents. If we make use of this opportunity to the maximum, then we will regret very little in life. Life will turn into a beautiful dream, whose every scene would be a delightful experience.