Do you worry about your children’s education abroad?

[ASEAN NOW News]

Getting relocated overseas used to lead to a privileged life and a reasonable salary with benefits.

 

Flying business class for the family and company apartments were the norm!

 

In the good old day’s expats could even afford to send their children back home to be educated at European boarding schools. Sometimes the school fees would even be paid by the Asian company as well.

 

Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and relocation packages are being reduced as companies struggle to trade during the pandemic.

 

If you like many expats have a young family then sending them to a local kindergarten is fine especially if they can meet local and expat children.

 

Maybe they will learn the local language too!

 

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Although there are international schools available teaching kids up to pre-university level, many are extremely expensive and, in some cases, not that great academically.

 

So, then you have the dilemma of what to do to help your kids get the best education.

 

You could find a local tutor to help them in certain subjects.

 

Online teaching

 

Or you can take them out of school and join one of the many online schools.

 

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A friend of ours joined an online classroom, however, she missed the physical interaction with other students.

 

Unless you are going to move back home and use the free state school systems, the alternative is to send them to a boarding school.

 

Unless you have a rich Aunt, the bills and flights back and forth will of course make a big dent in your salary.

 

On the plus side by putting your children through international schools in Asia, they will most likely learn a language and meet many local friends.

 

And of course, you get to see them every day too.

 

So as a parent with school-age kids, what advice would you give?

 

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[MarcelV]

I don't have children of my own, but as a foreign teacher in Thailand I can say I would prefer not to send my own children to any public or private school here. No way.

Thank God I am not saddled with that burden.