by on 27/04/2016 29387
Read our updated Affordable International Preschool Fees article here
Should you send your little one to an international preschool or local one? Many factors including the preschool's location, curriculum, fees and other considerations definitely play an important role in determining the right preschool for your child.
Before you decide on any school, take note that every type of preschool offers their own set of pros and cons. For instance, local preschools are more readily available as you can usually find a good one in your neighbourhood. For international preschools, they may be located far from where you work or live. Hence, you would need to devote time and energy to send and pick up your child daily. However, local schools may not have the kind of facilities and experienced teaching staff that international preschools usually provide. So it's all about what takes priority for you and your child.
Location and facilities aside, school fees are also a major deciding factor. For this reason, many parents shy away from international preschools due to their high tuition fees and turn to local ones instead. While these neighbourhood preschools usually require parents to pay a significantly lower fee, curriculum-wise, they may not provide the kind of comprehensive Early Years education that international preschools typically offer. For example, there are many international preschools in Malaysia that use the National Curriculum for England (or British Curriculum) as the basis for their learning programmes. The National Curriculum for England is a standardised curriculum that is followed by thousands of British schools around the globe. Teaching and learning is interactive and enquiry-based with the aim to help preschoolers to be more effective learners when they move on to Year 1 or primary school. Holistic and well-rounded, it’s no wonder that this form of preschool education is sought-after by parents.
Hence, if you have already decided that an international school education is the best option but you aren’t able to make that choice because of your budget, all is not lost. Good news is, it’s just common misconception that international schools are overtly expensive. While international schools may not be as economical as local ones, there are many excellent international schools which offer you the best of both worlds – affordable fees and the international education you are looking for. Here is a list of international schools compiled by our editor for you to consider:
Note:
* Solely tuition/school fees; does not include other fees like application fees, registration fees, etc
* Tuition fees as per published on Smart Kids World Issue 2016 vol. 08. Fees are subject to change without prior notice and may not be updated in this article
* The fees published are based on the writer’s informal research on what most parents and institutions consider “affordable” and do not reflect every single parent’s impression of affordability