Finding the Right School

For families moving abroad, finding the right schools can be the most important, and often the most stressful, aspect of the relocation. This is the case whether a child is performing well or poorly; whether parents focus on the academic or the social adjustment; or whether their concerns center on the changes today or anticipate that a difficult transition will take place on repatriation.

The juxtaposition of a new school with a different culture makes this a complex process that requires time, thought, and effort.

Getting off on the Right Foot:

When you learn that you are relocating, think about what is important to you and your child regarding schooling. This does NOT mean thinking about which schools you want your child to go to. Rather, ask yourselves the following questions:

1) Do you think of education as schooling or as something larger than schooling? If the latter, what aspects of the overseas experience will contribute to your child's education?

2) Do your answers to (1) have any impact on the school you might be seeking? i.e., do you want to make sure you have sufficient holidays to travel as a family, or are you seeking a school that uses itXsitsits city or country as a laboratory in which students can have hands-on experiences that reinforce concepts they learn in the classroom?

3) What kind of learner is your child? What are his strengths and/or weaknesses academically?

4) What kind of school environment/teacher(s) has (s)he thrived and/or struggled with in the past?

5) Ask yourself the same kinds of questions about your child socially

6) What kinds of logistics govern your school choice?

7) Does your child have any special needs, including giftedness? If so, what resources can you garner to provide you with information specific to his/her needs in the new country?

8) Consider all possible options -- public/private, local, national and international. Don't narrow your options by approaching the situation with preconceived notions.

9) Separate your child from yourself. Learn all you can from your colleagues and friends, but recognize that your child is an individual, and no solution that works for one child will necessarily work for another.

10) There is not just "one" school that is right for your child. There will be many good options, each choice will have pros & cons.

Do your research:

Once you have asked the right questions and put yourself in the information- gathering frame of mind, it is time to do your research. Use varied source materials, including books, the internet, schools, friends and colleagues as well as specialists who do not have a vested interest.

Ask a lot of questions and get as much information as you can. At all times, remember that you are interviewing the schools as much as they are interviewing you. You are looking for a match, and if you have to worry about screening information, the school you are considering probably is not a good fit for your child.

There is no substitute for a visit. As time undoubtedly will be limited, you may want to eliminate some schools where there may not be spaces or that seem unsuitable, but make sure to visit a range of schools which include those you think you want to see as well as those that seem somewhat less obvious.

When you visit, keep in mind the following:

1) Don't be fooled by scores. Numbers don't tell the whole story. Statistics can be manipulated to make any case. Test scores often reflect teaching to the test rather than teaching critical thinking skills. Test material may not challenge the top learners.

2) Facilities matter more to parents than they do to children. Think about what your children really need to have a successful educational experience. In most cases, relationships with teachers and the peer group make a much greater difference.

3) Children in transition have difficulties. What are the support systems when things break down? Is the school proactive along these lines? What kind of communication is built in between faculty and parents?

4) Families who have never moved and are not planning to move have very different needs than children in transition. Focus on the needs of YOUR child.

The Application Process:

1) Don't put all your eggs in one basket -- apply to a sufficient number of schools.

2) Make sure you submit all supporting materials. Unless your application is complete, you will not take your place in the queue.

3) Understand your contractual, financial and ethical obligations in terms of accepting a spot and moving to a different school if a wait list place becomes available.

4) Be open minded - sometimes a school that you don't think you want is the one in which your child will thrive.

Conclusion:

Most importantly, recognize the opportunity inherent in change. Change is intrinsically difficult for everyone. But children who experience the process of transition learn adaptation techniques for the future far more easily than do their peers. You are raising them to live in a global society, so understanding the process of making new friends, saying hello and goodbye, meeting different kinds of people and overcoming the adversity that is an inevitable part of moving will give them tools for success in life.

Copyright School Choice International 2008