subject: Choosing The Best International School For Your Child [print this page] International schools in the host country are generally the first option of schools for expat parents. Some of the common and basic concerns every parent have include the safety of their children, a good education system, happiness of their child in the school, and whether their child will fit in the schools environment. It is important to make an informed decision about the school you want your child admitted to.
The best way to access the school is to visit the institutions you have shortlisted. Tour the infrastructure and interact with the principal, teachers and the staff; it is even better if you let your child interact with them. Do enquire about the curriculum the school follows and check if it can meet your childs needs. The curriculum must be internationally accepted and should help your child be prepared for the next school or for the best international universities. For the overall development of the children various co-curricular activities such as sports, arts, and community services are very important, so check if the school you are considering offers these and if they do then check what the activities it offers.
Since it is the teachers who will mainly be interacting with your child, enquire about the practices used to teach and handle students. Discuss with the school authorities how they handle children with special needs. Several other considerations include the number of teachers with advanced degrees, whether all the teachers are certified, do teachers undergo training and what is the student-teacher ratio.
Gaining an entry into best universities is what most students and parents aim at; therefore, it is important for the school to provide counselling and assist students in applying for various universities. Do enquire about how often your child will be assessed and will the curriculum be customised to suit your childs needs. Get the feel of the school and if possible speak to few students. Few schools such as Canadian International School in Bangalore are focusing on the overall development of their students and they have included various best practices to achieve this.
