Expat families offered a local compensation package in their host country have a lot to contemplate.
Families should evaluate carefully the pros and cons of this opportunity. On the one hand, the prospect of true immersion in another culture is appealing. Families can anticipate truly learning another language, becoming part of the local community and receiving the gift of becoming a cultural hybrid. This is a huge asset for parents and children alike.
On the other hand, there is an element of risk. This is a bold move and a major shift. Most importantly, this decision impacts not only the parents but their children. What will their academic opportunities be? Families do not want to make a mistake. But even the most conscientious parents may find it difficult to anticipate what a long-term commitment to schooling in another country may mean.
Here are 7 key tips to consider when taking the exciting plunge and making that commitment to schooling in your host country.
1. A broad range of schools – explore not only the well-known international schools, but also schools teaching other world curricula such as IB or US, UK, or IPC. In many countries, public schools are very well-regarded and may offer an incoming student the possibility of learning another language. Or consider strong local, private schools? Keep an open mind. There may be some hidden gems. At this stage, you are learning.
2. Opportunities to learn the local language – some schools may have language learning classes or perhaps there is a Saturday school or even an online option. For each school considered, ask if classes will be in the local language or in English. What are the ages of the children? Young ones can learn the local language with relative ease. Even if classes are in English, the playground language will be the local language. This is a great opportunity to become fluent in the local language.
3. Opportunities to maintain mother tongue – looking ahead, will the children be considering secondary school or University in their home country? They will need to maintain fluency in speaking, reading, and writing in their mother tongue, and not only at an informal level, but an academic level. Investigate a Saturday school and online learning or join with other expat families to engage a tutor.
4. Transportation to school – this may look very different in the host country. Investigate. It could mean a long bus ride, but in a comfortable coach. The bus may only serve the school associated with a particular housing compound. Kids may take the underground, walk a long distance or join an organized ride-share. Don’t assume that “getting to school” will be the same as at home.
5. Student demographics at each school - student demographics at different kinds of schools will vary a great deal depending on where in the world you are relocating. Is the local public school diverse and international, or will your family be the only expat in the community? Once you have this information, it is something to discuss as a family. Will your children be comfortable in an environment where they are in the minority?
6. Explore the curriculum - take a look at the curriculum offered at the local school, keeping in mind where you envision your child 3, 5, 10 years from now, depending on their age and grade. Can the local curriculum support the plan to have your child enter University in your home country? Does that matter to you? Is language acquisition going to be a deterrent to accessing advanced courses?
7. The options to supplement curriculum with online studies - If you and your family have explored the local school and most things line up, keep in mind that there are many online programs that offer courses in varying curricula. For example, if the local school seems like a great match for your child, but they need a second course in US History that is not available, you can find that course online. Online schools and their course offerings are a wonderful way to supplement your student's course load and help them keep on track.
In short, a localized compensation package can be a great opportunity for you and your family to immerse yourselves in the local culture and community while keeping your child on the academic track you had envisioned for them. It may take some extra research, flexibility, and creativity, but it may also provide opportunities that couldn’t be found in any other setting!
Sara R. Schmidt is the Director of Business Development & Client Relations, Co-Director of Private Client Services and a Senior Education Consultant for Bennett International, based in Seattle. As a member of an internationally mobile family, Sara has navigated the school search process for her own children on three continents, finding the right fit for them in public, private and international schools. She is very familiar, therefore, with the
anxieties and hurdles faced by parents relocating their children around the world, and her work is informed by her own extensive experience. Sara serves as Trustee and was President of the Bellevue Schools Foundation in Bellevue, WA, and is a member of Pacific Northwest Relocation Council and Bay Area Mobility Management. She holds a B.A. Ed., Summa Cum Laude, from Wheaton College and an M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and is also fluent in Spanish.
Erin Brady serves a dual role as Co-Director of Private Client Services and one of Bennett’s Global Team Leads, supporting Bennett’s consultants in Canada and parts of the U.S. In the latter, she oversees consultants working with families relocating to Greater New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Phoenix, and Toronto. She also serves as the Bennett International liaison for a leading global investment banking, securities, and investment management firm in New York. Erin joined Bennett in 2006 and has worn many hats over the years, consulting with families relocating to areas throughout the U.S and to non-U.S. locations; she eventually focused on U.S. boarding school and New York city placements, PreK through grade 12, though she was frequently called on for other tasks such as co-managing special projects and serving as the Senior Account Representative for a large Global Relocation client.
Over the years, Bennett International Education Consultancy has worked with hundreds of corporations across the globe, many of them Fortune 500 companies, providing domestic and international school advisement & placement services - preschool through university - to the dependents of relocating employees. In addition to education placement, our team provides customized consulting for corporations with a range of education issues: education policy writing & benchmarking, tuition studies, group move advisement & planning, and remote education solutions.