Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Comparing STC and SSC

Aside from the fact that I am in a dilemma if we will send Bela to big school or not this year, I am also not decided yet as to which big school should we choose if ever we decide to enroll Bela to big school this school year.

We are only down to two choices: St. Theresa’s College (STC) in Quezon City and St. Scholastica’s College (SSC) in Manila. We initially looked at Colegio de San Agustin and Assumption in Makati but I learned from my blogger friends, that distance is a big factor to consider since it is also stressful for the child, especially at their age. So we dropped CSA and Assumption and we just narrowed our choices to STC and SSC.

Both schools have good facilities – they both have computer laboratory, art room, music room, playground, learning resource center, gymnasium, etc. What I like about STC is it is nearer our house. It is just a fifteen-minute drive fro our place so Bela doesn’t have to wake up that early. As for SSC, it is 30-45 minutes drive from our place. I also feel safe with STC’s surrounding, it is more quiet and secured as compared to the busy streets of SSC. I don't have that much information with the methods of teaching of STC, but from what I read so far about SSC, I like their curriculum. They use a teaching method for grade school called SMALL GROUP PRESCRIBED INSTRUCTION WITH INDIVIDUAL PACING which means that

* instruction is carried out in small groups most of the time
* within the small groups, each student works to attain previously set goals at her own pace
* academic work is prescribed by teacher, or with bigger children, and is mutually agreed upon by teacher and pupil
* achievement is measured in terms of individual abilities and pace

I think this method will be a big help for Bela’s adjustment to big school. As for extra-curricular activities, SSC offers more extra-curricular activities for their students than STC.

We plan to attend the parent’s orientation for both STC and SSC so we can learn more about their program and then we will decide from there. Hope that God will give us the guidance to make the right decisions for Bela’s future.

1 comments:

Maver said...

great school choices!

i can personally vouch for ssc as i am an alumna (gs and hs). their individualized instruction has helped me become more independent as regards to my thirst for knowledge. they've got great english and math programs too, with kulasas excelling at competitions consistently. word of caution lang--medyo "maton" or "siga" ang mga kulasa, even bordering on being aktibista. so be prepared. hehehe.

that's not to write off completely. stc is very, very good too. plus they have a smaller population so teachers can focus on their students more.

good luck on your school search!