How to Find the Perfect International School for Your Child in Asia
Making a research about which school your child would be the best would for your child, would be the first step in the right direction. International schools are the best for students that come from around the world. International schools make the transfer of expat’s children easy because most of them speak English and also your child would be surrounded by other international students.
How can you narrow your list down and ultimately pick the right school for your child? Here are a few steps:
What kind of international schools for your kids ?
What kind of international school do you want? There are British international schools where learning is in English and a part of the student body and teachers are from the United Kingdom and the UK curricula are followed. There are also International Schools, where learning is also in English but the curricula are not based on the curricula of a single country. The student body and teachers can be from different parts of the world. Do you want your child to go to a British International school or a general one? After that decision is made, you need to know where the schools are located, for example, Most of Vietnam’s international schools are found in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. 59% of its international schools are in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi takes a better part of the remaining percentage.
Plan Ahead your relocation overseas
Is your relocation permanent or temporary? Find a school that would reach the requirements that would be demanded by a different school or college, in other words, find a school that allows a continuity of education, so they will not have to be taken a class back if you move again or they want to go into college. If your stay is permanent, find an international school that teaches in English but at the same time teaches the country's culture and maybe offers to teach their language to the students. The British Vietnamese International School in Ho Chi Minh City is an example of a school that offers the "best of both world" to its students.
Curriculum of the schools
The curriculum of the school your child is moving from could be entirely different from the one he/she is moving to. Switching curriculums could harm the academic progress of the child as the model and method and what is being learned could be completely different from what the child is used to. Try to find a school with a curriculum that blends, if not perfectly almost perfectly with the curriculum they are moving from, to ease their learning process. Also, check if the curriculum of the school offers courses that are necessary for the career goal or course of study that your child has in mind. Also, check if they offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program that will be accepted by all colleges and universities.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Does the school provide the avenue for extra-curricula activities? Activities like, sport, photography classes, baking classes, etc. if your child is one that is into sports, it would do you a lot of good to look into international schools that offer sporting activities. Do not assume that all schools offer extra-curricular activities because all schools are different and have a different agenda. Always make sure to check if the activities are available for your child's development.
Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Hoi An international schools ?
How far away from school is your home? Can you get there quickly in case of an emergency? A major factor to consider and weigh is the distance of the school from your home. If the school is a long distance from home, it would neither favor you nor your child, especially if you have to pick up your child and then have to drive back to work or if the child has to take the long walk home. Some schools offer the option of school buses for the students, so make sure to confirm if the option is available or you have to look for schools closer to home.