Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Top Tips When Enrolling in an International School



If there’s one thing that parents strive in order to provide for their children—its education. As if making sure that their kids get the best education would be such an easy feat, families who are in constant relocation would have to deal with this dilemma on a different scale. With the growing number of expatriated families, one of the parent’s point of action is to look for the best international school to enrol their kids. 

Before panic hits you, here are tips on making sure that you are choosing the right institution for your kids. But before anything else, a rule of thumb that one must consider doing personally—spend time to visit your shortlisted schools. Internet research is good. But nothing beats seeing and (somewhat) experiencing the place for yourself. Take notes, even pictures if you deem necessary, and ask these questions to help you get going:

Child-related
  • What exactly does your child need? Does the school offer them?
  • Is there a history of bullying in the school?
  • How do they plan on disseminating information to the parents?
School-specific
  • How many years has the school been operating?
  • Are they accredited by local and/or international education body?
  • How do they assure the security of the students?
  • What about the facilities? Do they have pools, libraries, gymnasium, and laboratories?
  • Is the school near your place?
The school’s curriculum
  • How is the school’s general approach to educating their students?
  • Do they have extensive course offerings that is suited for your child’s needs?
  • Do they have extra-curricular activities?
  • How do they measure the learning growth of their students?
  • How did their former students fair after graduating?
Instructors involved
  • Are the instructors licensed / certified?
  • Does the school support the continuous learning of their professors as well?
  • Are the teachers generally friendly?
Parent’s participation
  • Does the school push for creating a strong sense of community between instructors, students, and parents?
  • Are they open for an opportunity for parent education?
  • Do they encourage parent contributions in furthering their education system?
The list of questions may seem to be plenty but it is highly suggested that you take time to consider on contemplating and researching on those points. Besides, apart from home, the school is where your child will stay for most of their formative years. And it is no secret that you are paying a higher premium for these international schools so it’s best to make sure that your hard-earned money doesn’t go to waste. Keep your mind that it is also your child’s future that’s on the line.

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