Education
Educational Assistance/ Consulting
Below are consulting services that provide individualized assistance in navigating the world of education overseas.
Services in Asia for Family Education (SAFE)
Serving families located in Asia
SAFE works with all schooling options including homeschooling, international school, online education, etc. Consultations (often online) are offered through individual memberships for families, paid on a yearly basis. SAFE offers two different programs for additional cost: one for children with special needs, and another for high school guidance. Annual conferences are held typically in spring, and families can access testing services for standardized testing, psychoeducational evaluation, and developmental testing. SAFE has three libraries (Chiang Mai, Penang, and India) full of books for families to check out, which include books for all age ranges and homeschool materials. When families pay for a membership, they have access to a developmental pediatrician, OT, SLP, and a specialist in reading and writing.
SHARE Education Services
Serving families located in Europe, ME, and EuroAsia
SHARE partners largely with organizations and agencies who will pay for access for families. (PI, IMB partners.) Individual consultations are offered, and families who are not under an organization that partners with SHARE can still access resources, however families covered by partner organizations are given priority. The main avenue through services being offered is conferences, both weeklong and mini conferences. SHARE has nurses, elementary education specialists, specialists in learning challenges, OTs, SLPs all on staff that will fly in for conferences. A testing team is also available at conferences to help with the Iowa test, standardized tests, and psychoeducational evaluations.
ANCHOR Education
Serving families located in Africa and ME
Provides educational testing and evaluation, educational consultations for parents including educational planning and special education needs. Also has resources for home-based schooling. holds conferences where testing happens: Iowa, diagnostic assessments, assessments for learning difficulty.
Debbie Kramlich
Lives in Thailand and serves families overseas
Debbie offers assistance with writing educational plans. She has experienced and offers families support in: children attending national schooling in a second language, advocating for your children in a second culture, as well as using dual enrollment and CLEP in high school to start college 1-2 years early. She also offers cross-cultural training for those transitioning to a new culture, help with supporting children in a new culture, and those wanting to flourish living abroad.
Education Planning for Families in Transitions
Put on by Interaction International and PACE
This is a course for parents preparing for their child’s education before launching to the field, as well as families that have had children on the field, or are transitioning from one placement to another. Typically an educational consultant with your organization will facilitate the course. Alongside their consultant, parents will learn about TCK issues, how to help their children transition among fields, and create a well-researched and practical plan for educating their children overseas. It is offered both online and at an in-person retreat.
Linden Global Learning & Support
Located in Berlin, Germany but serves families anywhere in the world
This organization serves both international schools and students. Educational services provided include academic coaching, psychoeducational assessments, counseling for kids and teens, learning and behavior support, occupational therapy, and speech language therapy. All services are provided online or face to face.
Schooling Options
Each section below contains advantages, limitations, and other considerations from the book The Globally Mobile Family’s Guide to Educating Children Overseas by Karen A Wrobbel. These provide a quick glance at factors that can be anticipated when considering each method of education. Sections below also include links for related information including accreditation sites, curriculums, and websites for specific educational institutions.
Boarding School
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If families are anticipating returning to their passport country, boarding schools can help develop a sense of “home” or belonging to the country, as well as help with acculturation purposes. Boarding schools can provide specialized services that may not be available where the family lives. If the family is experiencing transitions, this type of schooling can provide stability and continuity for students both academically and socially. It can also prepare a student for studying university in a third country, and could offer the student opportunities for more experiences with another language and culture.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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Students will be separated from their parents for weeks or months at a time when they attend a boarding school. Often this option is expensive and the full cost of boarding may not be covered by the parent’s agency. It is possible that the student’s exposure to the host culture will be limited. It also may introduce a third country into the family’s mix, in which the student may not be as connected to either the passport country or the country of the parent’s international assignment.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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The school’s accreditation and child protection policies are of high importance. Most boarding schools are “needs-aware”, which means applying for financial aid will be taken into account when deciding whether to admit a child or not and may hinder a child’s acceptance. The grade that a student will enter matters, as some schools have limitations on the number of students they will admit and some will not accept new seniors. It is important to consider how will you parent and keep connected from a distance. It is also important to build a positive relationship with the dorm parents.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
Schools:
Accreditation Search Websites:
Research:
Caution and Hope for Boarding School Students - TCK Training
Distance Education
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Distance education can take place anywhere provided there is reliable internet connection. Parents can rely on trained teachers to select materials, plan and facilitate lessons, and evaluate learning. Online education makes possible prompt communication with teachers and classmates. Students have a degree of flexibility with their learning. Studying through an accredited or recognized program may make the recognition of credits or transferability of credits easier than homeschooling.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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There is a need for reliable and affordable internet connection. Costs may be high as each student may require a computer if there is more than one school-aged student in family. Students will need technological skills and ability to use the device in a educationally appropriate way, which takes practice. Students with low reading and comprehension skills are unlikely to thrive in online courses. Since socialization is not occuring at school, parents need to consider their students’ needs in this area. If learning language and connecting to the host culture is of value, parents may want to consider ways for children to engage.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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It is important to ensure that there are quality controls for the program you choose. Parents should verify that schoolwork will be recognized by educational authorities in their homeland or future global assignments. Accredited school will ensure the teachers are trained in providing distance education.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
Accreditation Search Websites:
Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
International Council for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDE)
Homeschooling
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Parents have the ability to teach and instill their values while homeschooling, as it provides maximum parent/child interaction. Homeschooling can be done anywhere and on the go. Parents can determine what are the best teaching and learning experiences for their child. Families can teach their children about both home and host cultures throughout the curriculum, and typically families can complete studies in less time than typical school day, which creates more time for other enriching activities.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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Children may have a limited exposure to other values outside of the family, so parents need to identify ways to help children encounter other perspectives and how interact appropriately and think critically about them. While it may be a positive, maximum parent-child interaction can also be a limitation. Often homeschooling requires significant time commitment by one or both parents. If the family is on the move, in transition, or without a home base, learning on the go can introduce a lack of a sense of home and may limit the child’s ability to form friendships and be a part of a social group. Parents may be unaware of the typical grade-level expectations and may over or under challenge children. As with when children only learn from one teach, a parent’s own strengths and limitations will be reflected in the curriculum. It is also possible that some families may discover it challenging to find time for homeschool.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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Children need to have opportunities for socialization with children of own age. It is important to investigate the legality of homeschooling in the host country.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
Research:
Mitigating Risk Factors for Homeschooled TCKs - TCK Training
Note:
Ask around in your area for in-person homeschool curriculum fairs, as sometimes they will offer standardized testing.
Host-Country School
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Children are able to live at home and participate in normal family life, as well as be a part of local community life. There is an opportunity for students to learn one or more additional languages through formal study and informal interactions. Host-culture school is likely to be convenient and inexpensive for the family.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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There will likely be a language difference, and because of that the student will likely need academic support throughout stay in host country. There will likely be subjects the students needs to learn outside of school, i.e. English, grammar, and history. The country’s culture and educational aims may not line up with family’s educational aims and desires for their child. This includes how material is taught, if the culture focuses on memorization versus critical thinking, discipline methods and approaches to motivation being different. Attending a host-culture school may not adequately prepare the student for repatriation. There may also be a challenge in cultures where the local religious beliefs and practices are taught in schools.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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School administration might differ in their view of having a foreign student in the school who is still learning the local language, as well as the teacher’s willingness to have an expat student. Students may experience challenges, discrimination, or favoritism due to foreign status.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
Research:
Caution and Hope for TCKs Who Attend Local School - TCK Training
International School
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It is easy for students to transfer among schools due to having similar educational approaches among international schools. Often these schools are similar to the student’s homeland or have “international” credibility. English is often taught in these schools.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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Often international schools are expensive. Children may not be motivated to learn the local language, since they will be using English with their classmate. There is also limited contact with a range of people from the host culture.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
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The school being accredited is important. Depending on what they are, it may not meet the needs of parents of diverse cultures. The school may or may not provide special education services.
(Wrobbel, 2021)
Research:
Mitigating Risk Factors for Christian International School Students - TCK Training
Mitigating Risk Factors for International School Students - TCK Training
Note:
Keep in mind the schooling system of the international school (IB, American, British, etc.) when thinking about long-term educational plans. Switching in-between systems can be tricky.
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