How To Ensure Your Kids Get A Good Education When Living Abroad
You’ve decided to move abroad while your kids are young. This could be a temporary thing that’s come about from work obligations. We see it happen all the time - a parent gets a job overseas for a few years before returning home or moving elsewhere. Raising a child in a foreign country presents many challenges, the biggest one being their education. How do you ensure they learn at the correct level, especially in a country that might not speak English?
Three possibilities present themselves:
Homeschool your children
Your first possibility is to take the responsibility on your shoulders. Homeschool your children and plan lessons for them to follow. The benefits of this are obvious:
You tailor their education to their needs
You can move at your child’s pace
You’re in full control over everything
You can enjoy a more flexible education
The downsides of homeschooling are also fairly clear. Your child may miss out on the social aspect of school, not to mention the entire concept revolves around your ability to teach. Some people aren’t great teachers, and that’s fine - if you were, you’d probably pursue a career as a teacher!
Find an international school
The next option is to look for schools in the area for kids like yours. What we mean is a school dedicated to teaching children who come from other countries. Places like KIS International School can take on kids from families who’ve moved to a country and ensure they get an English-speaking education.
The upside of this is plain for all to see; your child gets a proper education from real teachers and doesn’t have to worry about language barriers. They’re also put with other English-speaking students, meaning they can form friendships and have fun. The only downside is that these schools can cost a lot of money to enroll in, though it depends on the school and the country you’re in.
Get online tutoring
A third (and final) choice is to obtain online tutoring for your child. This is kind of like homeschooling in the sense that your child will learn from home. It can be just as flexible, the key difference is you won’t be teaching them. Therefore, it’s mainly an option for busy families. If neither parent has the time to homeschool - and if international schools aren’t viable options - online tutoring is the best solution.
It also works as a good option if you’re not going to be in the country for long. E.g. you have to move overseas for contracted work that takes 6-12 months. Enrolling your child in an international school doesn’t make logistical sense, but you can’t let them take a few months away from education. Online tutors are readily available to fill in the gap here.
We’re not in the position to say which of these options is the best way to educate your kids. That’s up to you; look at the benefits and drawbacks of all three possibilities to conclude which one makes the most sense in your situation. Regardless, they all ensure your child gets a good education while living abroad.