Choosing Schools When Repatriating
Choosing Schools When Repatriating
This is the time of year when families often think about repatriation, and for those with school aged children the prospect of another separation from friends, in and of itself, is daunting. Making sure that they begin next year in an environment which minimizes curriculum differences, where teachers understand the process of re-entry, that builds on the positive changes that children have undergone when abroad and where they are able to engage with peers both socially and intellectually requires that the prospect is taken seriously.
Over the past several years there has been considerable research, literature, and subsequently, corporate policy revision in recognition of the fact that repatriation brings major challenges. Employees may return to less interesting jobs and families may struggle to make ends meet after having been on an expatriate budget. Suddenly having to purchase a home, cars, and having to pay for all living expenses again simultaneously can be difficult. Friendships change as both parties have moved on during the intervening years and former friends are not interested in hearing about the expat life.
Despite greater awareness of adult repatriation, there has been limited recognition of the difficulties children experience when repatriating. The conventional wisdom maintains that children can be returned to their former school and will be happy and successful. However, children who have lived overseas have changed along with their parents. They have studied different curricula and may have been learning in a different language. In some subjects they may be ahead and in others, they may be behind. Advancing them or having them repeat a grade can lessen some academic problems but may make others worse.
Although parents typically focus on the academic adjustments, a child returning from abroad also is likely to experience social ones. Children who have traveled extensively develop sensitivity to people of other cultures, respect for different customs and view the world as their community. They find themselves thinking about global problems much as their peers may focus on sports, TV or video games. They are more mature and more serious than their contemporaries at home, and may be viewed as odd or strange. For repatriating children, home can be a foreign place rather than a welcoming one.
Tips for Finding the Right School When Repatriating
1) The first step in identifying a suitable school for a repatriating child is to recognize that she has changed, and the ways in which she is different. Acknowledge new interests, identify characteristics of current friends, and discuss what is important to her at this point in her life, as well as where she sees herself in the future.
2) Visit his former school, and look at it in light of the qualities identified in #1. Does this feel like a place where he can be happy, successful, and himself? Although small schools can be more nurturing, large schools offer opportunities to engage in a broader range of activities, and therefore are more likely to satisfy newfound interests. In addition, in a larger environment he undoubtedly will have access to a greater number of children from which to select new friends, rather than being relegated to the “old crowd.”
3) Identify some characteristics of her expatriate school that worked well – was it more structured, quieter than the school at home? How can you replicate those features that encouraged her to be her best?
4) Visit schools in addition to your child’s former school, both public and private. If possible, try to include international schools on your list. Even if your child was in a local public or state school when you moved abroad, both you and he may be more comfortable, at this juncture, in a more heterogeneous environment.
5) If your child is old enough, be sure to involve him or her in this decision.
The most important thing about a school search on repatriation is to recognize the need for one. Some children will thrive in their former school, while for others, the return home can be traumatic. As long as parents examine the question, review alternatives and talk with their children, a positive solution always can be found.
By Elizabeth Perelstein
School Choice International
+1 914 328 3000
www.GlobalEducationExplorer.com
