| A Look at International Schools | |
Daily there are news reports from abroad which make this former expatriate reflect on his experiences living abroad and what it really means to be a foreigner living in a foreign land.
Shrinking the Distances
We all realize that the Earth has increasingly become a global village.
Recent technological advances have definitely made national borders less
significant as far as commerce and communication are concerned. But transplant
a North American to Paris or transplant a German to New York, and he is
bound to experience some form of culture shock!
The Expatriate Package
When a multinational corporation or the government transfers an employee
overseas, i.e., anywhere outside the employee's home country, it typically
provides a package of benefits
designed to reduce the culture shock inherent in such a move. (I know,
you probably are wondering what possibly can be so awful about being posted
in London for three years. Well, trust me, if you have school-aged
children, schooling becomes one of the major issues.) Compensation
takes the local cost of living into account; Uncle
Sam takes pity on you with an immediate $70,000 exemption for foreign-sourced
income; a housing allowance is common; so is schooling at a private, English
language school for your secondary age children.
International Schools
The idea behind these is to provide some form of continuum for children
of expatriates. Most businesses limit an overseas posting to two or
three years, so it becomes important to ensure that your third grader can
make a smooth transition from The
American School in Paris back to stateside schools. It wouldn't
be fair to hold him back because certain skills had not been learned. The
local public schools can be woefully deficient; therefore private education
becomes a must, not a luxury.
Approved Curricula
International schools are generally run to U.S. or at least to international
standards. That's not the case with the local foreign school. Now, that
should not surprise you! But, think about it: It's a little difficult trying
to explain to a stateside school that, no your child has never had American
history, but he knows his Chilean history inside out and backwards and
so on. A reputable international school will adhere to a curriculum recognized
by the U.S.
State Department, for instance, which insists on certain minimum
requirements for graduation.
International Examinations
Preparation for the International Baccalaureate
and the International
General Certificate of Secondary Education are both evidence that
your foreign school is serious about preparing children for acceptance
into reputable colleges and universities. Look also for SSAT and SAT preparation.
These are very important in the college admissions process for expatriate
children.
School Listings
Not so long ago it wasn't easy to assess the foreign educational scene.
Now with the Internet, an examination of a overseas school is often as
simple as a mouse click. Many schools have their own Web sites. Most have
email. So go to School
Web Sites and take a click around. It's just a sample of what's
out there.
So, when your boss asks you to go to Tokyo for a few years to run the
operation there, fear not! Check it out! The education issue is no reason
to decline the opportunity of living abroad. Private schools are alive
and flourishing in every corner of the globe!
--Rob Kennedy, Private Schools Guide
