Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #4

Which curricula does the school subscribe to?

There are international schools abroad that offer what is essentially a national curriculum. You can find international schools that are running the national curriculum from America, Britian, Australia, Canada, France (usually taught in French), and so on.

Securing a teaching contract in an international school that offers the national curriculum that you and your children are used to will help ease the transition into international education for both you and them. When you are doing your research, one clue to whether an international school is running a national curriculum is in the name of the school. For example, the British School of Rome or the British School of the Netherlands.

When you are looking for a good school for your children, you may run up against some curricula that you haven’t come across before. For example, there is the school wide system offered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). The IBO offers the Primary Years Programme up to Year 6, the Middle Years Programme from Years 7 to 11, and the Diploma Years Programme for Years 12 and 13.

Choosing the right International School

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #3

How many students are in the international school?

This is particularly of concern for parents of high school aged children as the number of students in a school may affect the number of subject choices offered at higher levels. For example, if there are only 30 students in the graduating class, then the school will have to limit the number of subjects being offered to make it cost effective. For example, a small international school may not have the numbers of students to run both business studies and economics. Or may not have the numbers to run maths higher, maths standard and maths studies. This can often affect profit and non-profit making international schools alike.

Additionally, the number of students in the school can affect the number and type of extra curricular activities offered, and therefore your child’s opportunities to experience team sports and other activities that are usually run after school.

One feature of international schools is the transitory nature of both the students and the teachers. The effect of a new student joining a class or a student leaving may be more deeply felt if there are only a handful of students in the class or year group.

When a school has a large number of students, this can also mean that the school is more likely to have a well-stocked library, well-equipped laboratories, up-to-date computer equipment and outdoor activity areas. This is usually true of larger international schools simply because there is a larger pot of money from which to fund these facilities.

On the other hand a school that has thousands of students, while usually offering a wide variety of subjects and activities for students, can often be an anonymous place for children. It is up to you to decide what a good balance is for you and your family.

Choosing the right International School.

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #1

Is the school out to make a profit?

There are a number of different kinds of international schools to choose from, some are run by a board and are not designed to make a profit, and others are run by an individual or company in order to make a profit. Some are not even true international schools in that they don't serve the expatriate communtiy, but rather they offer an English language curriculum to children from the host country and there may be a few international students sprinkled into the mix.

As a teacher you will be concerned that the school’s educational philosophy matches your own. As a parent you want to insure that your children’s education is the priority of the school, rather than the amount of money spent on educational materials and the effect that will have on the school’s owner’s profit.

It is possible for international schools to make a profit and provide good quality private education to the students, but they can be hard to find. There are some directors or owners of international schools that may be more interested in the financial benefits of running a school than the education benefits to the students.

Be aware, both as a prospective employee and as a parent.

Selecting the Best Fit International School

International Schools - Secure a Private Education for Your Children Without Paying Any School Fees

Pick a country, any country, and there will be at least one international school there. Over 4000 International Schools offer private education for expatriate’s children worldwide. And, while most of the parents have to pay school fees, one of the conditions nearly always included in the contracts of international teachers is free education for the teachers’ children.

International schools need international teachers to staff them, that's where you come in! Did you know that you could secure a private education for your children without paying outrageous school fees? One of the contract conditions that is included in nearly all overseas hire teaching contracts is free education for the teachers children (sometimes limited to two children only).

Picking an international school abroad that suits both your children’s needs and yours can be challenging, but it is possible. In a recent interview I conducted with international teachers, Maggie Hos-McGrane, an international teacher of 19 years experience said that after she had completed her research she’d found only 30 of the more than 4000 international schools suited both her and her children.

There are a number of things you need to consider when you are looking at a teaching job abroad, and over the next few days I'll be talking about several of them. For more information and to hear some real teacher experiences, buy Overseas Teachers Talk - an Interview Series with International Teachers.

International School