Raising kids in Thailand or Uk

[hotandhumid]

It always seems so "money is everything" approach most on posters on this forum consideration in the Education of their children, I for one would have loved for my children to have had the opportunity to go to school in Thailand, vs the educational system in the US. The lack of values or respect for others in that drug infested, materialistic school system.

A couple of points. The reason it that it seems the approach is 'Money is everything" is because if you don't have or don't have access to significant amounts of money you will not get access for your children to the best education available in Thailand - And the gradient between the best and the rest is not one any parent would reasonably choose to let their children slide down if they had any other alternative.

With respect to the "The lack of values or respect for others in that drug infested, materialistic school system" while I feel this a tad harsh it is nevertheless a fairly accurate description of the problems within the Thai educational system - Depressingly, it is an accurate reflection of the top schools in Thailand.

A couple of years back an Thai sociologist released a report on the use of drugs in Bangkok's top 12 schools, she named all the schools but stated (and provided the de-personalised evidence of her research) that her study team had found wide spread drug use amongst 11 out of the top 12 schools. A very clever ploy to avoid being prosecuted for libel.

All twelve schools leapt to declare that their school was the one school that did not have a drug problem.

The Thai schools of course stuck their collective head in the sand, you'd have to stick your own head in the sand to miss the materialism and narcissism that pervades Thailand's top schools.

Respect - respect up the food line - yes they do that well.

And schools in the UK don't have drug problems?

[GuestHouse]

How many children do you have Guesthouse? Did any of them go to high school in Thailand?

Two, both attended schools in Thailand and the UK.

The eldest has just been accepted at one of the world's top universities and is awaiting an offer/rejection from ANother top Universities.

[GuestHouse]

It always seems so "money is everything" approach most on posters on this forum consideration in the Education of their children, I for one would have loved for my children to have had the opportunity to go to school in Thailand, vs the educational system in the US. The lack of values or respect for others in that drug infested, materialistic school system.

A couple of points. The reason it that it seems the approach is 'Money is everything" is because if you don't have or don't have access to significant amounts of money you will not get access for your children to the best education available in Thailand - And the gradient between the best and the rest is not one any parent would reasonably choose to let their children slide down if they had any other alternative.

With respect to the "The lack of values or respect for others in that drug infested, materialistic school system" while I feel this a tad harsh it is nevertheless a fairly accurate description of the problems within the Thai educational system - Depressingly, it is an accurate reflection of the top schools in Thailand.

A couple of years back an Thai sociologist released a report on the use of drugs in Bangkok's top 12 schools, she named all the schools but stated (and provided the de-personalised evidence of her research) that her study team had found wide spread drug use amongst 11 out of the top 12 schools. A very clever ploy to avoid being prosecuted for libel.

All twelve schools leapt to declare that their school was the one school that did not have a drug problem.

The Thai schools of course stuck their collective head in the sand, you'd have to stick your own head in the sand to miss the materialism and narcissism that pervades Thailand's top schools.

Respect - respect up the food line - yes they do that well.

And schools in the UK don't have drug problems?

Yes they do.

But I'd argue that schools, the police, welfare, social services and the health care system don't stick their head in the sand over the issue. And I'd also argue the drug problem here in Thailand is way way worse than back in the UK Schools.

[GuestHouse]

The possible overwhelming reason for moving back to the UK would be to get reduced home-rate university fees.

SX

I don't know the circumstances under which you have come to work in Thailand, but if assigned to Thailand by a UK based company you can access UK based University fees for your children on the basis that you moved to Thailand because it was a requirement of your UK employment to do so.

Its a well hidden rule but its a rule that exists....

reread op, clearly states he plans to run his own business

Re-read my response, it was to the point made by Street Cowboy

[benalibina]

Stay in the UK and use the schoolholidays to go with your kids to thailand. Better for them and something to look forward on for yourself.

[wedders]

I've a 5 year old half Thai daughter, already bilingual English/French, with rapidly improving Thai. She attends an international school affiliated to the French system in Pattaya. Including half board and school bus the fees are 11500 baht per month.

Other than her stays in Thailand, for about 3 months a year since she was 2 she's been at school in France.

She's a far more contented chìld when she's in Pattaya. The classes are a third of the size, the attitudes less regimented, the teachers less stressed.

And contrary to the rather sarcastic and probably uninformed views of an earlier poster, it is often in the interests of the child of separated parents to have access to both - and not only that, a half-Thai child brought up solely by, say, an English father in the UK, will likely have little or no spoken/written Thai or knowledge of Thai culture when s/he reaches adulthood. I think that is a major loss, if the opportunity to benefit from both ways of life is there.

Also even if the cynics are right and the OP is 'selfishly' looking for a new Thai relationship, so what?! Two issues here - we shouldn't have to entirely sacrifice our happiness to dedicate ourselves to our kids, and secondly there are major benefits for the child, on an emotional level, to have a contented parent, rather than a lonely, miserable one.

I've brought up bilingual kids to adulthood before, including 2 on my own from their early teens, and in my view they are more rounded and tolerant as a result, when compared to local kids with narrow parochial attitudes mostly from being born and raised by parents in one place, leading to little or no understanding or experience of alternatives. That applies to kids from anywhere in the world.

So on balance, even if academic standards are lower here in Thailand, I think this is more than offset by the combined benefits of being genuinely raised as a cross-cultural child, multilingual, access to the families of both mother and father, and exposure to different and sometimes conflicting worldviews from an early age.

Thailand critics will of course say that this culture has its faultlines, and of course that is true. But the bankrupt and ailing West is run by the product of our so-called superior education systems, steeped in the success-at-all-costs philosophy, and I for one am not proud of the often smug, self-interested, lazy and intolerant youngsters it seems to produce.

So nothing's perfect, it's not an either/or situation, it depends on so many factors. Good luck to the OP if he goes ahead, hope it works out.

[hotandhumid]

I've a 5 year old half Thai daughter, already bilingual English/French, with rapidly improving Thai. She attends an international school affiliated to the French system in Pattaya. Including half board and school bus the fees are 11500 baht per month.

Other than her stays in Thailand, for about 3 months a year since she was 2 she's been at school in France.

She's a far more contented chìld when she's in Pattaya. The classes are a third of the size, the attitudes less regimented, the teachers less stressed.

And contrary to the rather sarcastic and probably uninformed views of an earlier poster, it is often in the interests of the child of separated parents to have access to both - and not only that, a half-Thai child brought up solely by, say, an English father in the UK, will likely have little or no spoken/written Thai or knowledge of Thai culture when s/he reaches adulthood. I think that is a major loss, if the opportunity to benefit from both ways of life is there.

Also even if the cynics are right and the OP is 'selfishly' looking for a new Thai relationship, so what?! Two issues here - we shouldn't have to entirely sacrifice our happiness to dedicate ourselves to our kids, and secondly there are major benefits for the child, on an emotional level, to have a contented parent, rather than a lonely, miserable one.

I've brought up bilingual kids to adulthood before, including 2 on my own from their early teens, and in my view they are more rounded and tolerant as a result, when compared to local kids with narrow parochial attitudes mostly from being born and raised by parents in one place, leading to little or no understanding or experience of alternatives. That applies to kids from anywhere in the world.

So on balance, even if academic standards are lower here in Thailand, I think this is more than offset by the combined benefits of being genuinely raised as a cross-cultural child, multilingual, access to the families of both mother and father, and exposure to different and sometimes conflicting worldviews from an early age.

Thailand critics will of course say that this culture has its faultlines, and of course that is true. But the bankrupt and ailing West is run by the product of our so-called superior education systems, steeped in the success-at-all-costs philosophy, and I for one am not proud of the often smug, self-interested, lazy and intolerant youngsters it seems to produce.

So nothing's perfect, it's not an either/or situation, it depends on so many factors. Good luck to the OP if he goes ahead, hope it works out.

Very good post that.

[hotandhumid]

It always seems so "money is everything" approach most on posters on this forum consideration in the Education of their children, I for one would have loved for my children to have had the opportunity to go to school in Thailand, vs the educational system in the US. The lack of values or respect for others in that drug infested, materialistic school system.

A couple of points. The reason it that it seems the approach is 'Money is everything" is because if you don't have or don't have access to significant amounts of money you will not get access for your children to the best education available in Thailand - And the gradient between the best and the rest is not one any parent would reasonably choose to let their children slide down if they had any other alternative.

With respect to the "The lack of values or respect for others in that drug infested, materialistic school system" while I feel this a tad harsh it is nevertheless a fairly accurate description of the problems within the Thai educational system - Depressingly, it is an accurate reflection of the top schools in Thailand.

A couple of years back an Thai sociologist released a report on the use of drugs in Bangkok's top 12 schools, she named all the schools but stated (and provided the de-personalised evidence of her research) that her study team had found wide spread drug use amongst 11 out of the top 12 schools. A very clever ploy to avoid being prosecuted for libel.

All twelve schools leapt to declare that their school was the one school that did not have a drug problem.

The Thai schools of course stuck their collective head in the sand, you'd have to stick your own head in the sand to miss the materialism and narcissism that pervades Thailand's top schools.

Respect - respect up the food line - yes they do that well.

And schools in the UK don't have drug problems?

Yes they do.

But I'd argue that schools, the police, welfare, social services and the health care system don't stick their head in the sand over the issue. And I'd also argue the drug problem here in Thailand is way way worse than back in the UK Schools.

Mmm. I don't think you are convinced what you say is true, and I'm certainly not. There are big drug problems in the UK with youngsters today.

[i claudius]

Our son spent his first year in a Thai school ,he then was in a British school until he was 12 when we came back here ,we then put him in a very good private school (nowhere near 600,000 baht a year) as one poster said ,he is now in university and doing extremely well, he loved being in Britain and loves being here . so make of this what you will , by the way we live just outside Pattaya , and he hasnt become a degenerate or a wild child visiting the bars and living the night life as some posters would have you believe happens if children are brought up here.

[YeahSiam]

Also even if the cynics are right and the OP is 'selfishly' looking for a new Thai relationship, so what?! Two issues here - we shouldn't have to entirely sacrifice our happiness to dedicate ourselves to our kids, and secondly there are major benefits for the child, on an emotional level, to have a contented parent, rather than a lonely, miserable one.

He COULD sort himself out with a relationship back home, you know. Ok maybe not as young and acquiescent (unless he's minted) but he'd be fine. Oh I'm so SORRY, he wants to play the field with lots of DIFFERENT young women?

OK well that's it, then. Head down the school right now, pull 'em out of class, toss 'em in the cargo hold of the 747 and let's roll !!

But seriously, there'll be more than enough time to get laid when the kids have finished school in the UK.

Whatever benefits there are to having, as you say, a "contented parent" who gets his end away regularly, surely they'd surely pale into insignificance against the drawbacks of having to re-settle in and fully acclimate to Thailand not to mention having to go through the trial and error of finding a school offeriing anything approaching the quality of education available in a good British school.

While there is merit in what you say elesewhere in your post, being brought up in two or more cultures doesn't necessarily guarantee that children will emerge significantly more rounded. I'm sure there are people who can porvide similarly self-serving, anecdotal evidence of how a lack of grounding in one culture can adversely affect a child. Sure there are advantages to being multi-lingual but I'm sure they can learn to speak,read and write Thai in the UK and, moreover, it's not as if they can't go to Thailand and immerse themselves in their heritage later is it?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

While there is merit in what you say elesewhere in your post, being brought up in two or more cultures doesn't necessarily guarantee that children will emerge significantly more rounded. I'm sure there are people who can porvide similarly self-serving, anecdotal evidence of how a lack of grounding in one culture can adversely affect a child. Sure there are advantages to being multi-lingual but I'm sure they can learn to speak,read and write Thai in the UK and, moreover, it's not as if they can't go to Thailand and immerse themselves in their heritage later is it?

Almost impossible to fit in later.

After age 12 you will never learn to read and write Thai sufficiently to get gainful employment.

At 8-11 definitely doable.

Edited June 25, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[rayongchelsea]

Simple the child comes first..happiness is secondary, if you have to chose..

Basically the Thai system of education is poor, Thailand is not a developed country..

Anyone who says drugs aren't a really big issue in Thai schools is wrong..

The top international schools here are very good..

[GuestHouse]

In conclusion, the fact that drug use had been seen at any high school would not deter me.

Nor me, it was very much more a concern regarding broad cultural issues, and a determination not to subject the little GHs to the materialism and narcissism that pervade Thailand's private schools which drove the choice to send them to UK state schools. (albeit two schools right at the top of the UK state schools performance league tables).

But mention drugs and people think they understand enough to rant .... so they rant.

[Dararasmi]

I can't help but laugh at the concept of having enough money to move to Thailand. Used the be, that financial position was called don't have a pot to piss in.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Dararasmi

[lucjoker]

Just to let you know the background Kids 5 and 8. I am divorced so no pressure. Solely my idea, although their mother is Thai so would probably live near her as better for the children to have contact with both parents.

Oldest boy not too happy living in Uk after living in Thailand previously.

I could perhaps home teach for 6 months but if the children are going to live in and work in Thailand then they would need to go to a Thai school and learn to write Thai as well as speak it.

I believe as well as education social wellbeing and happiness has to be considered also.

you have to choose for your kids !

Or live in a muslim oriented england or in a budist oriented Thailand.

In the first case :they only need to speak the english language and write it a little bit.

In the second case : the must go to a simple thai school ,just to learn to write and read thai,teach them english yourself .Later the will be the upper class since no ordinary english bloke speaks or read thai ,and no ordinary thai can read and speak good english .So big future for your son in Thailand.

Stay away from expensive "english" schools,the (ex-postman or taxi driver) teachers there are crap ,and in the end he will not be able to read and write thai,so

no extra opportunities . Kids have to learn languages !

I have 2 boys (4 and 5 y) The mother is thai ,i'm belgian . the two kids speak thai ,flemmish,some french and english fluently and are learning to write now in

thai and english. by the age of 10 ,we will take a chinese nanny (who can not speak english) so in about 2 years time they speak mandarine .All this without a

lot of effort ! The kids absorb languages as sponges .

Yes ,i know i make mistakes in english ,but if i write in french ,flemmish or german only a little group will understand.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

No talking about half-farang or children of Thais working other countries normal people have to work to eat.

Not many Thais are really international speak perfect English and have good education they can compete no problem getting good jobs change any time they want more and more too in future with asean and so on.

If they have Thai mother have enough education can still learn perfect Thai in UK too come to visit grandma on holidays.

Anyway up to you just talk about what I see.

Your written English isn't all that good, what are your native languages?

[MrHammer]

In conclusion, the fact that drug use had been seen at any high school would not deter me.

Nor me, it was very much more a concern regarding broad cultural issues, and a determination not to subject the little GHs to the materialism and narcissism that pervade Thailand's private schools which drove the choice to send them to UK state schools. (albeit two schools right at the top of the UK state schools performance league tables).

But mention drugs and people think they understand enough to rant .... so they rant.

Fair enough, but while I am sure narcisism and materialism is a big issue in Thailand, based on my own experience in those kind of enviroments in my own country (and we were not rich), those kind of issues are exactly the same, probably everywhere. But if I understand you correctly, it is that in the UK and elsewhere you can get a good education in high schools and schools that are for the middle class where as in Thailand you're forced into these upper class schools with the problems you describe and I think you're right about that.

[belg]

if you can afford the 600.000 - 1.000.000 baht per year school fees for lets say 15 years... better put them in private (not international) for 50k per year and give them the 15x600.000 or 15x1.000.000 when they are 18

they will be very pleased with that, more than a piece of paper that proves nothing

[Stjohnm]

Stay in the UK, that would be my advice, doing business in Thailand is more trouble than its worth, British Schools are by a million miles better than Thai schools, the international schools can be just as expensive as UK private schools & in a lot of cases the qualifications earned aren't as valuable in the eyes of a university or perspective employer as comparable qualifications awarded by schools & colleges in the US or EU.

Then theres the NHS, however cheap medical care is in Thailand you'll still need an insurance plan & they can get pricey if you're not in the peak of health any preexisting conditions won't be covered.

Bottom line Thailand is a great place to live if you're single, retired or both but unless they're half Thai don't even think about moving out here if you are raising a family. Once your children are old enough for boarding school & you are running a business thats earning you a decent crust & money isn't a concern, then thats another story. If you are looking for business opportunities in Asia set up shop in Singapore or Hong Kong they have far better business regulations & Tax rules.

[Colonel_Mustard]

I think a school (non-intenational) in Thailand will severely hamper a child's future options and I suspect the vast majority would be limited to careers in Thailand.

If you want them to have more choices, then educate them in a decent school outside Thailand or an international school.

[caz]

Hi we have lived here for 2 years and my grandson is in Thai education and is now 8yrs old.He loves his school, he is at a school recommended to us that has an English Programme.Although he is half Thai he was unable to speak any Thai ,within 4 months he was fluent with both verbal and written.He is also now leaning Manadarin Chinese.He is very happy at his school and the level of learning is very good .He does in fact get more homework(which has to be done) than my other grand chldren in the UK or Oz.The fees are also very reasonable.Another bonus is the weather and he is learning Mai Thuay and loves Surfing,Swimming etc none of which he could do in The Uk given the weather for one.

[recycler]

I don't know what give you this idea:

"not so many restrictions and red tape of what can be achieved regarding running your own business"

Thailand is all geared up to make you loose your money, making money here is a whole different thing and not so easy with red tape you have never dreamed of!

If you want to pay for good education for you kids in Thailand you need to make much more than in the UK. Combined with the by now almost equal level of prices of food and clothing. The additional school fees will more then make up for the lower cost of accommodation. If you can choose, stay in the UK until your kids go to university or so than see how it is in Thailand.

[winstonc]

Where they go to school depends on where they will be living and working as adults.

If you think that are going to live and work in Thailand, then they need to learn to read and write Thai in a Thai school.

If they are only ever coming to Thailand as 'tourists', then the UK is the place for them to be educated.

I am a Thai/American child who was educated in America and worked in America.

I earned heaps of money but was unhappy most of my adult life (and all my childhood).

If I could do it again, I would go back and be educated and live in Thailand.

(But then again, if I hadn't earned all that money, I might have ended up miserable in Thailand too)

if only if only hindsights a fantastic ,,,,,,,, no disrespect just saying,,,

[Chicken George]

My kids are better off here in Thailand. 9 years and 3 years. They speak Thai and eldest is excellent at his English. He learns and can speak Chinese. I have and still do only let them watch TV in English. They are Thai but have been to the UK my eldest going to school there for 3 months. I just think this way round living here and being excellent in English will give the choice for themselves where to live and work in the future..We are happy here which means a lot to them. Living in the UK I would expect them to forget their Thai. They do not have to go to ecpensive international schools to do well here. Extra English and Chinese is all they need. Well English first. Maybe to Uni to study and study subjects in English. Children study hard here . Just my thoughts from our lives here.

[bkk_mike]

I've literally gone the opposite way...

Kids have been going to International school in Thailand since kindergarten, but we moved back to the UK so that they have more than the 3 year minimum in the EU that's required for them to be eligible to receive student loans and avoid the International-level University Fees.

If your kids are clever, top 2 or 3 in the class, and looking like they're headed to a good University (hard to tell for a 5yo, but you should have something of an idea for the 8yo), stay in the UK.

If they have some sort of learning difficulty (dyslexia or similar), then to be honest, they'll still be better off in the UK system as they'll get support for it that simply isn't available here.

If they're somewhere in-between, then it becomes a harder decision. If you take them to Thailand, there's always going to be plenty of regular jobs for Thais (assuming their Mum is Thai), that speak good English. In world terms, Thailand doesn't pay very well, but you can have a decent life here, and if they do end up going to a good University here, they could always go and do a Masters abroad, which opens the door to International firms. I'd just worry a little if they're in the Thai school system that their English might deteriorate badly.

One thing I will say - International schools here, at least the one my kids went to (Regents in Bangkok) - there genuinely isn't any real behavioural problems. My kids had never experienced bullying, or even seen a fight in the playground until they went to the UK (and were pretty shocked at what they saw there.).

[remobb]

Most talk about International schools. There is an alternative, Bi-lingual schools. I teach at a bi-lingual school and have done so for 13 years. My son is 12 years old and has been going to the same school I teach at. He speaks and understands Thai as a native, his reading and writing, well we are trying to improve but he can manage. His English is perfect for his age in all aspects. He is Thai born though. Most of this has been down to the schools teaching not mine. Our school is not perfect in some respects but the students are all well behaved and we do not have any problems regarding drugs etc. The school fees are around 65,000baht per year and we have to pay for the books, around another 5,000baht. I must add that I am a single father so he has not had any help from his Thai mother. He is a well adjusted kid and very happy, I am very proud of his achievements. However, I also know that when it comes to employment (a Thai national) even Thai companies prefer someone that has a degree from abroad. The problem you will have to deal with is that your kids are farang (assuming) and always will be so they will not have the advantages of Thai kids.

As for business, you think the red tape is easier here! I would never start a business here as it will never be mine 100% and even if it was I would never feel safe on being able to hold onto it for many reasons, mainly down to being a farang and sooner or later you are going to get scammed in some way.

Just my opinion.

[hotandhumid]

My kids are better off here in Thailand. 9 years and 3 years. They speak Thai and eldest is excellent at his English. He learns and can speak Chinese. I have and still do only let them watch TV in English. They are Thai but have been to the UK my eldest going to school there for 3 months. I just think this way round living here and being excellent in English will give the choice for themselves where to live and work in the future..We are happy here which means a lot to them. Living in the UK I would expect them to forget their Thai. They do not have to go to ecpensive international schools to do well here. Extra English and Chinese is all they need. Well English first. Maybe to Uni to study and study subjects in English. Children study hard here . Just my thoughts from our lives here.

I would echo those thoughts, except not allowing them to watch thai tv.

My 2 are 4 and 1, and there isn't a chance in hell of them going to school and living in the UK. Perish the thought.

Also worth noting that so many kids in the UK now leave school and there aren't any jobs for them anyway.

[hotandhumid]

I've literally gone the opposite way...

Kids have been going to International school in Thailand since kindergarten, but we moved back to the UK so that they have more than the 3 year minimum in the EU that's required for them to be eligible to receive student loans and avoid the International-level University Fees.

If your kids are clever, top 2 or 3 in the class, and looking like they're headed to a good University (hard to tell for a 5yo, but you should have something of an idea for the 8yo), stay in the UK.

If they have some sort of learning difficulty (dyslexia or similar), then to be honest, they'll still be better off in the UK system as they'll get support for it that simply isn't available here.

If they're somewhere in-between, then it becomes a harder decision. If you take them to Thailand, there's always going to be plenty of regular jobs for Thais (assuming their Mum is Thai), that speak good English. In world terms, Thailand doesn't pay very well, but you can have a decent life here, and if they do end up going to a good University here, they could always go and do a Masters abroad, which opens the door to International firms. I'd just worry a little if they're in the Thai school system that their English might deteriorate badly.

One thing I will say - International schools here, at least the one my kids went to (Regents in Bangkok) - there genuinely isn't any real behavioural problems. My kids had never experienced bullying, or even seen a fight in the playground until they went to the UK (and were pretty shocked at what they saw there.).

That last paragragh doesn't suprise me at all, another reason why my kids won't be going anywhere near the UK.

Interesting point about the 3 year scenario though, I never knew about that.

[rotary]

Just to let you know the background Kids 5 and 8. I am divorced so no pressure. Solely my idea, although their mother is Thai so would probably live near her as better for the children to have contact with both parents.

Oldest boy not too happy living in Uk after living in Thailand previously.

I could perhaps home teach for 6 months but if the children are going to live in and work in Thailand then they would need to go to a Thai school and learn to write Thai as well as speak it.

I believe as well as education social wellbeing and happiness has to be considered also.

There is a web site called: BRAINPOP

They have some free info but they do charge a fee of $100 a year. All English and really good with lots of interactive stuff that ties in with the school my kid attends. Now I see they have a section for home school. You might be able to combine home school with a Thai school and do ok I think.

[kruangfaifar]

I don't see much mention here of the obvious (to me) advantage of having kids study in Thailand and that is the improved chances that bilingual and multilingual job applicants have when applying for work here with multinational companies and international operations of Thai companies. There are huge numbers of good professional positions available in Thailand with such companies and kids who apply for jobs who can read and write Thai are very desirable candidates for employment. I read recently that BoI applications are ever increasing in both number and value. Many foreign investors worry about compliance with local laws and customs (as they should) so hiring multilingual staff is one good way of mitigating risk. Multilingual Business Development staff offer advantages to employers too. I was traveling through the Midlands/North England last week by train and saw numerous derelict factories. Flying into BKK this morning I saw numerous factories under construction and it is 20 degrees warmer here. I know where I'd rather be. Schools here seem to be more inclined to teach Mandarin and Japanese as far as I know. Each to their own but I think LoS would be a good place to school children. Surely it is well worth asking the kids what they want to do. I previously pushed my step daughter to study at an expensive international school and she went from being top of her class in many subjects to bottom almost overnight because e.g. learning Maths taught in English was much harder for her than learning Maths taught in Thai. She quit the school and enrolled herself back in her previous school in Phitsanulok on her own initiative and is now much happier, learning more and saving me heaps of money in the process.I am proud of her and appalled at her British ex teacher who didn't pick up that her performance was suffering because of the language issue (he could have called me to discuss but didn't bother). I also feel bad that my good intentions had a negative impact on her education. She is happy and doing well and on her way to being truly bi or multilingual. Younger kids may be more difficult but teenagers may know more about what is good for them than we give credit for.

Edited June 25, 2013 by kruangfaifar