Choose Wisely, Educate Smartly

When choosing your child’s future school wisely in Banjarmasin. The New Student Admissions (PPDB) season for the 2025/2026 academic year has begun in various regions of Indonesia. Private schools in Banjarmasin have also begun accepting registration and will accept students until the start of the new academic year in mid-July.

Amidst this period, many parents in Banjarmasin are faced with a crucial dilemma: public or private school, which should they choose for their child? This question is not simple.

Choosing a school is one of the most strategic decisions in a child’s life, because school is not only a place for academic learning, but also an environment that will shape a child’s character, skills, and spirituality.

Determining the Primary Purpose of Schooling: The first step in choosing a school is to first understand the purpose of sending your child to school. In general, there are four fundamental aspects to consider: character building, improving academic ability, mastering skills, and strengthening religious values. These four aspects are the main pillars in preparing children for a future full of changes and challenges.

However, the reality is that not all schools are able to provide balanced development across these four aspects. Therefore, if you must prioritize, choose a school that excels in character building and strengthening religious values.

In today’s context, when moral, social, and digital challenges are increasingly complex, strong character and solid religious values are essential foundations for children to maintain direction in their lives.

Children who possess life principles, moral integrity, and a healthy spirituality will be able to be resilient, wise, and flexible in responding to the various dynamics of life. They will possess the resilience and agility essential for continued growth in a rapidly changing world.

Academics and Skills: Can Be Pursued Outside of School Meanwhile, academics and skills can now be developed through various other learning resources, outside of formal school.

The digital era opens up vast access to learning materials and skills development. Children can learn through e-learning, watch educational videos on YouTube, take free and paid online classes, and join digital learning communities such as discussion forums or educational groups.

Many online learning platforms provide quality tutoring, some even using artificial intelligence (AI) to adapt the curriculum to each child’s individual learning pace and style. Therefore, parents in Banjarmasin need not worry too much if their chosen school isn’t particularly academically strong, as long as the school’s environment is strong in character and religious development, and the child still receives additional learning support outside of school.

Teachers Are Key: The quality of character and religious education is largely determined by the quality of the teachers. Therefore, choose a school with caring, sincere, and dedicated teachers.

Teachers are not simply those who fulfill their teaching duties, but also those who are willing to be present as nurturing figures, mentors, and role models for their children. Children learn better from behavior than simply by listening to advice.

We certainly don’t want our children to learn from teachers who are neglectful, feel burdened by problematic students, or who set examples of negative behavior. Therefore, it’s important to find out what the teaching culture is like at the school you’re applying to—whether the teachers are known for being close to their students, actively fostering character, and building positive communication with parents.

The School Environment: More than just a building, the school environment itself is equally important. School is not just a place for children to sit and listen to teachers, but also a social and moral space that will shape their character and habits.

Therefore, choose a school with a clean, comfortable, safe, and healthy environment. Schools that care about cleanliness reflect a culture of good character and provide a conducive environment for learning and growth.

Also consider worship facilities. Religious education is not just about religious lessons in the classroom, but also about cultivating worship and strengthening spirituality through daily practice. Choose a school with a representative mosque or prayer room, programs that promote congregational prayer, Quran reading, and actively celebrate religious holidays.

In Banjarmasin, for example, several private Islamic schools have routinely integrated religious development activities into children’s daily lives. These activities not only foster children’s love for religion but also Strengthen the values of discipline, empathy, and responsibility.

Pay Attention to Children’s Nutritional Intake: Not many parents consider this factor when choosing a school: the school canteen. Yet, the food a child consumes significantly impacts their energy, focus, and endurance during learning.

Choose a school that has a healthy canteen or at least strictly monitors the types of food sold in the canteen. Avoid schools that allow children to consume instant foods or snacks containing hazardous ingredients without supervision.

The Banjarmasin City Government has been actively promoting a healthy canteen program in schools in recent years. However, parental oversight is still needed to ensure that the school of choice truly implements these principles.

Also pay attention to the management system. A good school is one with a strong and transparent management system. This includes regular teacher performance evaluations, routine supervision, and consistent teacher training and development.

A healthy school will continuously improve the quality of its teaching staff not only academically, but also morally and spiritually. Examine whether the school has an objective teacher evaluation system, whether the principal actively provides coaching or mentoring, and whether the school is open to parental input. Collaboration between schools and families is crucial in supporting optimal child development.

Public vs. private? Focus on quality, not status. Many people still assume that public schools are better because they are “free” or more prestigious. However, the reality is that the quality of education is not always determined by public or private status.

In Banjarmasin, many private schools have proven themselves to have superior quality, both in academics, character development, and service to students. Private schools are also generally more flexible in curriculum innovation, extracurricular activities, and religious practices.

While there are costs involved, it’s important to remember that education is a long-term investment, not just a financial burden. This investment will return to the child in the form of values, skills, and integrity that will be useful throughout life.

Final Words

Choosing a school for your child is not a decision to be made hastily. It requires careful consideration, direct observation of the school, and open dialogue with the child. Involve your children in the school selection process so they feel valued and motivated to study at their chosen institution.

Remember that education is an investment whose results are not always immediately visible. However, in the future, our children will grow into resilient, intelligent, and virtuous individuals, and at that time, we will be grateful that we chose the best educational environment for them.

Congratulations on choosing the best school for your beloved children in Banjarmasin City. May they become a generation we can be proud of, not only for their achievements, but also for their morals and contributions to society and the nation.

By: Syaifullah

Lecturer, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Indonesian Language, Lambung Mangkurat University and Advisor to the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Student Press Institute (LPM)

Published in Radar Banjarmasin, July 2, 2025