Guide On Choosing An International School
Moving to a new country can be a challenging experience. You’ll not only be worried about settling in, but you’ll also have to think about your kids and the schools. You’ll have to look for schools that are fit enough for your kids. It should be noted that education shouldn’t just be measured based on academic achievements alone. You’ll need to look for an international school that offers holistic learning. There are some questions that you should be asking and we’re going to highlight some of them.
Does the School Focus on Character Development?
You need to be assured that your kid will be well equipped to handle all the challenges that life could present. A good international school is one that teaches the kid to apply him or herself to everything they do in life diligently, with determination and the highest standards of integrity. Success in today’s world could be determined with the ability to not take shortcuts. That is why the focus should always be on bringing up outstanding citizens who care about integrity and professional ethics in everything that they do. Getting straight As will not mean anything if your child can’t face modern-day challenges with a positive attitude.
Does the School Help in Promoting and Growing a Child’s Self Esteem and Confidence?
Every parent would want to see their children grow to become a responsible member of society. Having self-esteem and confidence is one of the ways that you can ensure that your kid is growing up to have confidence in not only his or her own self but also their abilities. You can ask about the different activities that the school has in place to nurture such traits in kids. Ideally, you’d want your kid to be exposed to different social situations which can help in building confidence.
Does the School Encourage Students to Form Their Own Identities?
This is one of the important questions you should be asking when searching for an international school for your child. It is the dream of every parent for their kid to discover their purpose in life. Make sure to find out if the international school offers different paths for study. Do they offer the option of choosing subjects depending on their interests? There should also be an emphasis on independent thought and freedom which helps students to discover who they are and what they stand for. You want a school that offers a couple of choices for your kid.
Does the School Develop Empathy in Students?
One of the most basic and most important traits that a human being can possess is empathy. The academic opportunities provided by the school should give students the chance to view life from a different angle than their own. You’ll find that a lot of international schools talk about developing global citizens. Don’t just take their word for it. Schools such as Stamford American International School put a strong emphasis on developing students that genuinely care about the welfare of others. You’d want a school that broadens and enriches the world view of their students.
Are the Teachers Personally Invested in Their Students?
For the teachers, it should be more than just teaching. Students are more engaged and are likely to perform better if the teachers are personally invested in the process of learning. It can be difficult to establish this fact but the school needs to be consistent with the hiring process. They’ll know the kind of teachers that they’d want to work with based on their belief and how they want the students to turn out.
In most instances, the students will not really know if you know too much. They want to gauge how much you care because it is more than the books when it comes to education. The teachers need to demonstrate that they’re personally invested in the growth and development of the student and not just the academic performance.
You should never be afraid to ask questions, especially when there are a lot of things that are not clear. A good school with nothing to hide will be more than happy to answer all the questions that you could be having.
Make sure you’re doing your homework so that the school that you end up choosing is the right one for your kid. At the end of the day, you’ll want to get a school that is a good fit for your kid and that will involve doing a lot of research.
