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Starting a Private School

Deepa Kartha
Starting a private school, where children would be able to receive quality education has always been your dream. However, it requires a lot of planning and hard work to make this possible. If you are thinking of beginning such a project, here are some useful tips that would aid in your school development plan.
A private school is an institution that is independent of the Government, which is run by a group of people by raising funds and tuition fees from children.
Though it can be a bit expensive for the parents to send their children to these schools, many opt for them because these institutions offer several advantages such as excellent classroom facility, individual attention, and educational facilities like computer labs, libraries, etc.
As a result, they have gained a lot of popularity over the years, and so, there is a need of more such institutions. However, a person thinking about opening one needs to know various important things about starting it.
The process is a long one (at least two years) and requires a lot of preparation. Nevertheless, if a person has a vision and strong determination, this dream will surely bear fruits.

Essential Tips for Success

It is true that you have a great vision of starting a school. However, you cannot do it on your own, and so, it is important to form a committee, comprising experienced educationists, parents, teachers, community leaders, etc. It is also important to include lawyers, accountants, etc., in it.
Once the committee members have been finalized, talk to them about your ideas about starting it, and ask them for their expert opinions. Divide the committee into various sections, with each group focusing on a specific area such as research work, budgets, employment, advertising, etc.
It is important to indulge in research work before deciding the type of school you want to start. Conduct surveys to know what are the local people looking for in relation to it. The results would help you in deciding whether it should have a kindergarten, boarding school, elementary classes, high school, etc.
It is also important to decide how many grades would it begin with; this usually depends upon the finances available in the beginning.
As you are a novice in this area, it would be better for you to look at other private schools. Research into the history of each of them; how it began, its management, progress, etc., to get a fair idea about planning the working of yours.
Once you are done with the research work, the next step would be to develop a plan for it. It should include the budget required, location, faculty, and other staff members.
The most important factor here is the budget because it determines the type of school that is going to be started. Many times, committees only think about the obvious expenditure that would come up while planning to start this institution. However, it is necessary to plan for unexpected expenses very well ahead.
Just like any other institution, it also requires the approval of state government. The lawyer in your committee could look after such legal matters such as notifying the state department of education, and also on other legal matters that are essential for its opening.
The next step would be to find donors. You can apply to private companies, foundations, and people who do regular charity work for financial help. You would need to do campaigning to acquire funds.
The next step is deciding the location. You can either buy a vacant plot or opt for an already built-up building for your school. If you are planning to buy an old building, look for how much money you would have to put in to remodel it, and whether it is worth the expenses.
Choose an area, which could easily be accessible for students, providing them with various facilities.
The next step is choosing your faculty and staff members. Give an ad for the position of principal, business manager, teachers for various grades and subjects, and other staff members. Look for candidates who have the ability to contribute in a productive way.
Once you have selected your faculty, it is the time to admit students. Advertise about your school in newspapers, community groups, and club presentations.
It would also be a good idea to start a website for the same, where parents would be able to know more about it and the admission procedures.
Though you may have big dreams about your school, start with small goals and gradually move towards bigger goals. By taking small steps, you would surely be able to achieve success in your endeavor.