A Trend towards Localization in Education?
More families relocating today are considering sending their children to local schools rather than international ones. Increased numbers of families are being relocated as locals rather than as expatriates, and relocation subsidies are reducing or eliminating international school tuition coverage as policies are rewritten. According to the HSBC Expat Explorer Offshore Offspring report (2010), of families posted abroad by an employer, under one third receives support toward their children’s education within their employee benefits package. Between economic factors and today’s emphasis on global competency, families utilizing local schools abroad are on the rise.
Although local schooling is much more of an unknown, and therefore more frightening, than an international school and concomitant expatriate environment, there are some things that parents can think about to determine whether it can be a positive choice for their children, and for those answering yes, there are things that a family can do to foster success.
Assessing whether your child will thrive in a local school:
When considering a local school in a new country, it is important to recognize that your child will encounter significant differences in terms of curriculum, educational customs, and culture. To make a good decision on behalf of a child, the most important thing a parent can do is to understand those differences. Sources of information may be teachers in both countries, on-line curriculum outlines, whether curriculum is determined nationally or at the state level, or Global Education Explorer (www.globaleducationexplorer.com). Specifically comparing curriculum between home and host countries for the upcoming year will indicate where a child will be ahead or behind. Once a parent understands that, s/he can put in place supplemental study (either tutors, distance learning or at school) to bring a child up to speed or can talk with the school and outside agencies about providing additional enrichment. As a result of a careful curriculum comparison, parents can determine whether this is a year that it is possible to educate their child in a local school successfully or if it is a sensitive year in which it is necessary either to pay international school fees, send a child to boarding school at home, or find an alternative solution.
Tips for success:
Children always do best when they are prepared for a transition. For example, a child should be told in advance that s/he may not have learned some of the things that his or her peers in the new school already have mastered, and that s/he is not inadequate because he or she does not know them. Parents should reassure their child that they will provide whatever kind of support it takes to be successful academically in their new school.
Once parents and child understand educational differences, it is important for the family to read about the culture and to understand cultural differences as they pertain to schooling. If a child is coming to the United States from China, for example, s/he should be aware that class participation can constitute a major part of a grade and that students are expected to work with their peers on projects – and that they share a grade with the rest of their group. Coming from a very individualistic society with a high degree of respect for authority, this can be quite a shock. But a student who understands the norms will have a far greater chance of success than one who is not prepared for school reports based on unexpected variables.
In the United States or in England, play dates or tea dates are opportunities for students to socialize with each other after school. In Italy, children are far more likely to accompany their parents on errands in the afternoons. Moving in either direction, children can thrive when exposed to new customs – if they understand local customs and have opportunities to plan for how they will spend their after school time.
When local school isn’t the answer:
Parents considering local schools should be aware that this may not be a solution for their family or for their child at every age. Children approaching the end of secondary school, for example, may not be able to prepare for English GCSE’s or A-levels without proper notice. And children who are extraordinarily averse to change or have suffered a recent trauma may not be well equipped to make such a profound adjustment. A child who has special needs may require continuity of educational approach in order to be successful. Or parents may find the difference in customs makes local schooling a difficult choice for them. In countries like Mexico, where nannies bring children to school routinely, expatriate parents may find it difficult to make friends or to integrate into a community and an international school may be a better alternative for the parents, if not for the children.
Conclusion:
Moving overseas with children is a rare opportunity. As the new (2010) HSBC Expat Explorer Offshore Offspring report found, 84 percent of expats said that their children had adapted well to their new life abroad, and 85 percent agreed that children enjoyed life in their new country. But ensuring that children do well means taking into account their personalities and educational needs, and providing adequate and appropriate preparation, both academically and emotionally. When handled well, children attending local schools can learn far more from their overseas experience and grow up better prepared to live and work in a global economy.
Source: School Choice International
