Selecting an International School for Your Child

It’s always an exciting experience to visit a faraway place. However, when the stay it is permanent or spans several months, you might need to think about schooling for your children. Finding a strong educational institution that will help your kids' transition successfully is important. You want them to feel appreciated and rooted in their new environment, right?

Local parents also face a similar dilemma. They want to enroll their kids where there are rigorous academic standards. This value-laden instruction is important in developing a well-rounded individual who can tackle life. Something all parents want for their children.

Here are a few questions to think about when selecting an international school for your kiddos.

Are you happy with the school’s location and culture?

Culture plays a huge role when a family starts looking for a school in a different country. Their normal lifestyle will be drastically changed to adjust to new policies, languages and the weather.

Depending on the school’s culture it can impact how a child adapts to the new school's values. As a parent,  you should do as much research as possible on any prospective schools.

Especially, find out how the school helps transplant children settle down to their new surroundings.

Are you happy with the curriculum?

It is important for expat parents to understand that there will be differences in the curriculum when compared to their home country. However, international schools can often prepare students better for higher education beyond their host country. It's something they are used to.

The International School in Singapore, for example, runs IB ( International Baccalaureate) courses alongside its general curriculum. Remember, it’s always wise to take steps to investigate any curriculum further and into great detail.

Are you happy with the class size?

Both the student body and the teaching staff will generally be multinational and multilingual. And, probably way more transient than average schools. Class sizes can differ and may affect the overall school environment.

Although, in general, International schools tend to have smaller class sizes which means children get more individualized attention.

Are you happy with the costs?

International schools tend to be more expensive compared to other local schools. This is often due to the small size of the classes. You will have to take this into consideration before moving abroad.

The price will differ from your own country since you’ll need to factor in the economy, exchange rate, and living costs. This is something you will need to figure up ahead of time.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the anxieties experienced by parents when moving abroad for work and a new life is normal and shouldn’t affect the family’s future negatively.

Families will face many challenges and seeking the best school for your child should be one of them. It's an inherent part of the upbringing of children, directly related to their happiness and welfare.

For a family to successfully settle comfortably in a new life overseas, it is crucial to find the right institution among the many available.  Many factors will impact your search, and academic success is not the most important factor when choosing a school.

The school’s friendly or supportive environment should have a great impact on your children and your family’s final decision too. Happy travels!