This article was last updated in July 2021.
International schools fall under the private school category and while they initially cater mostly to expatriate children, the number of local students has risen ever since the decision to lift the 40% quota for locals in international schools came about in 2012. Evidently, there are reasons to why parents are keen on sending their children to an international school and some of the advantages include:
Excellent exposure
International schools are filled with a variety of students from different nationalities. Here, your children are exposed to many different cultures and languages which they would otherwise not get to experience if they were enrolled in a local school. In the long run, this would benefit your child as he reaches adulthood and joins the workforce as he will be more confident when dealing with international clients and colleagues.
Worldwide recognition
Most international schools follow internationally recognized curricula such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) program which is now seen as the educational gold-standard around the world. Specific curricula could also help your child get into their university of choice; for example, if your child goes to a school with the British curriculum (GCSE) then he should have no problem getting into a UK university.
English Mastery
Undeniably, English is important, especially more now because it is the world’s most widely used language for both commerce as well as communication. In international schools, English is usually the medium of instruction and this will improve your child’s command of the language.
Extracurricular Leverage
On top of academic offerings, international schools also offer a wide variety of unique extracurricular activities such as sports, music or even arts to ensure your child has a well-rounded experience both in and out of the classroom. Besides looking at academic results, some companies may also consider a potential candidate’s extracurricular activities to get a better idea of the individual’s personality and attitude.
Fantastic Facilities
International schools also tend to come with better facilities such as a swimming pool, science labs, art rooms, music rooms or computer labs which can help make your child’s school life experience all the more rich and interesting.
Networking Opportunity
In an international school, your child is given the opportunity to meet and make friends from all over the world. These connections will remain even after they have left the school as they will still be able to keep in touch through the alumni, email and social media. With this, your child is given a valuable career networking opportunity which is not readily available to one and all.
Parent Participation
International schools encourage parents’ participation so they usually keep the parents updated on their children’s progress. Parents are also welcomed to approach teachers to find out how their kids are doing at school.
Child-centred
International schools usually have a very child-centred approach that accommodates the child instead of the other way around. With the extra focus on them, students can acquire better communication skills as well as the ability to integrate with society better as they are more confident of themselves as well as their abilities.
Second language
Should you choose to send your child to an international school from another country such as a French school or Japanese school, your child will be able to master a second language which will not only be useful but also looks impressive on their future resumes.
Eases transition
In the event that your child needs to further his or her education or even work in a different country, he or she will be well prepared as she will already be used to a diverse world culture during her school days.
As it is with almost everything, with advantages, there are also disadvantages as well. International school fees can be costly – sometimes it is only attainable by those who are well off enough to afford the steep school fees. International schools could also cause a slight identity crisis for children as they might feel they do not belong with so many diverse cultures. Additionally, as most of the international students are expatriates, they will probably have to move in 2 or 3 years so your child might experience the pain of separation.
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This article is taken from SmartKids World Vol. 06
