Expatriate or not, you want to provide your child with the best education in the right institution, whatever that school might be and if your finances can handle it.
Not all international schools are cut from the same cloth, so each one will obviously follow the same curriculum with their own brand of customization. With thousands of schools located around the world, and multiple ones in your area for sure, you might be wondering if international schools are better than others – that’s what we will answer in this article.
If you’re an expat, there are a variety of systems designed to service the various expatriate populations. You will find Indian, American, Canadian, British as well as the standard, “international” schools, that utilizes one system or a combination of them in their curriculum. Furthermore, many of these schools offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Program which can be followed up by an IB diploma.
Emphasis on the best of education. Our culture is focused on finding not just the right, but the best type of education. When we were young, we are asked whether we want to become Engineers or Doctors, and to this day we do this with our children. Good academic careers are the fastest routes to success for the longest time. It is for this reason our education system evolved as it is today.
International schools and why they’re cut above the rest
Approach to Learning
International schools are focused on inquiry and research more than in to recall and speed. Independent learning and research are also accentuated. This is generally the approach used in a local school where individuality isn’t focused on and exam results are given key importance.
Educational Standards. All international schools need to follow external quality standards, so they can fashion themselves as “international” and be admitted to the program. The resources that are utilised for teaching, class size, qualification of teachers, etc. are uniform across countries. This provides a measure of assuredness especially for people moving from India or parents seeking the best standards.
Extracurricular Activities. International schools encourage children to pursue diverse interests and hobbies. While international schools usually come with higher enrolment and ongoing fee, it is matched by a wider range of extracurricular activities that are typically not offered or provided in other schools. For instance, specialists in the field are engaged as coaches.
Foreign Languages. Many local schools don’t provide foreign languages learning. International schools are where usually offer several language choices such as Spanish, French or German as a supplement for English as second language learning.
Exam Rigour and homework. While assessments and testing take place in international schools, they are not focused on unlike in local schools. Often a student’s life in local school is ruled by frequent dictations, tests, and exams that test memorization and carry a strong weight in the general assessment. Also, international schools essentially give very little homework compared to the local ones, particularly in the primary years. The focus on writing also begins at a much later stage.
As parents ourselves here, we understand that finding the right international school is a source of significant stress whether it’s your first child or the fifth, etc. Obviously, you’ll want a school with a proven academic reputation for your child. The top schools in Singapore, like the GIIS, is unique since rather than shaping the learning around a strict curriculum, their curricula and educators are both focused on trying to create learning experiences will prepare the students to be happy, balanced, productive in their learning while fashioning them become future leading citizens.