What's The Best Way To Educate Your Child When Living Abroad?

 

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Many children grow up in foreign countries because their parents decide to move. Whether this is something you always wanted to do or a choice forced by you or your partner's job, the fact remains that your child is growing up abroad. 

This can present different challenges, especially regarding their education. They’re living in a foreign country and may not speak the language—what’s the best way to educate them? The answer tends to come down to three options, which we’ll examine in more detail in this post. 

Homeschooling

The immediate benefit of homeschooling is that it’s inexpensive. You also have more control over your child’s education, which means you can support them from a close distance. You control the curriculum and ensure they’re taught the most valuable lessons and skills. 

The downside is that you might not be able to do this. Maybe you and your partner need to work and don’t have enough time to school your child. Also, do you have the patience or skills to teach a child? Some parents do, but others don’t. 

International Schools

Local schools are likely to be out of the question due to language barriers, but have you considered enrolling your child in an international school? Looking at www.kisrp.com, you can see that international schools are usually English-speaking schools designed for kids from various countries. It lets your child grow up without a language barrier while being in a proper school environment. 

A big benefit of international schooling is that your child gets to meet other kids and develop social skills. These schools also give children access to more educational resources and proper teachers, which they miss out on when you school them from home. The only drawback is finding a school in your local area, which can be easier said than done in some locations. 

Tutors

Hiring a tutor is something of a middle-ground between the two previous ideas. Your child still learns from home; only they get a professional tutor to run all their lessons. It takes the pressure and stress away from the parents while ensuring the child gets the help they need. 

Moreover, tutoring can be excellent when your child doesn’t work well in group environments. Perhaps their learning style is unique, and they’d benefit from more one-on-one tutoring. This approach still comes with a couple of drawbacks: your child may struggle to be sociable, and tutors are pretty darn expensive. 

In conclusion, all three approaches will help your child receive education when living abroad. Some children and families will prefer one method over the other two. If there are some good international schools in your area, then this makes the most amount of sense. It gives your child a more conventional educational experience and helps them make friends. However, if you can’t find these schools - or believe your child will benefit from one-on-one teaching - then homeschooling or tutoring will be fine choices. Homeschool if you have the time and patience; pay for tutoring if your budget allows it or you’re too busy to teach. 

***This is a contributed post