International schools are the best place for children to start their studies. They have all facilities and equipment that are required for building a child’s education need, care and career.
There are some features to parents look for the international schools to better future for their children
International curriculum
Most international schools follow internationally recognized curriculum such as International Baccalaureate program. The IB education model is accepted in almost all continents and smoothen's entry into college. So, it gives a winning edge to the child in the real world.
Teaching and Learning
International schools tend to put more emphasis on inquiry-based learning. This means that your child will be learning through questioning and doing rather than being 'taught'. Although this type of learning is being practiced in some other board schools, the majority rely heavily on textbooks for all subjects.
A good example of the difference in learning approaches can be seen in how schools approach reading. In many other board schools, readers are 'taught' and children are drilled in vocabulary from the books through dictation tests and the memorization of answers.
By comparison, in international schools, children progress with reading at their own pace and are not tested on vocabulary. Instead, they are encouraged to write book reviews which engage thinking. Books are also used as a springboard for other activities such as writing.
Exposure to global culture
International schools have students from different nationality and sometimes even faculty from across the globe. Students are therefore exposed to different cultures and lifestyles. This kind of global exposure is hard to come by in a regular school. This is a very important benefit of enrolling in an international school.
Exciting career prospects
For staff who choose to stay in one particular location for an extended period of time and who gain good experience and skills, promotion opportunities are very good including middle and senior leadership positions.
Approaches to English
International schools place far less emphasis on grammar since many of the students are native speakers. Children who acquire English naturally use grammar correctly by instinct rather than by memorizing rules. During the early years, emphasis on writing is placed on nurturing creativity and the expression of ideas rather than grammatical accuracy.
As a result, many international school teachers do not believe in using red pen to correct all errors. They do not want to discourage children. A good example of this is phonetic spelling. Children are encouraged to use their knowledge of phonics to spell, rather than learning words by rote. These early attempts at spelling which may be incorrect but make sense phonetically are encouraged and gently corrected.
By comparison, most other board schools focus on grammatical rules and spelling accuracy, often through drilling. Grammar is sometimes taken out of context. For example, a worksheet may practice only one tense using unnatural English in order to teach a rule. Children learn the rules but may not be able to apply them in authentic situations such as speaking or writing in context.
Teachers tend to focus on grammar when marking and it is usual to see a lot of red pen on written work. Some children become so afraid of making mistakes that it affects their creativity. On the other hand, some children feel comfortable with rules.
Emphasis on extra-curricular activities
Most of international schools place a great deal of emphasis on extra-curricular activities like sports, dramatics and talent shows. The curriculum aims at all round development, so your child gains a lot of confidence and learns value lessons in competitiveness and sportsmanship.
Finance
The major disadvantage of international school is their fees. School fees for international schools tend to be significantly higher than other board schools. International schools tend to have more camps and overseas trips which can add a major financial burden.
The learning approaches from teacher to the student should be inquiry based learning but not like memorizing the answers. The difference between the international school and the board school is explained clearly below.
Inquiry-based learning
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Traditional learning
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Pros
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l Suits active learners who learn through questioning things and doing research.
l Encourages thinking skills.
l Allows for differentiation (weaker students can be placed in smaller groups of similar level to aid learning).
l Develops lifelong learning skills.
l Fosters and rewards creativity and out of the box thinking.
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l Suits passive learners who prefer to acquire knowledge with less active participation.
l Suits learners who like to memorize material within given ‘model answers’.
l Provides clear framework and structure.
l Gives parents more control in revising since they can refer to specific textbook pages.
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Cons
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l Some learners find project work difficult.
l Certain parents feel less able to help their child without a clear cut framework.
l Less focus is put on exam techniques.
l Less focus is put on rules relating to particular subjects.
l ESL students may participate less actively due to low self-confidence in language proficiency.
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l Assessment is often based on exams.
l Ability is not always accurately reflected since some students perform well in class but buckle under the pressure of exams.
l Does not always promote retention of information (students may forget the material after the exam).
l Parents emphasize marks and results often comparing their child with others.
l Teachers cannot take care to individual needs
l Class sizes tend to be larger.
l Creativity may be discouraged if it doesn’t fit the ‘model’ answer.
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