Growth opportunities, cultural exposure, brilliant faculty, and infrastructure exuberance —these are just some of the many benefits of sending your child to an international school in japan. Unlike many schools that use the traditional teaching method, international schools cut through the monotony and use innovative course work to provide hands-on learning. They allow students to learn through hands-on experience which uses the whole of their five senses, which aid the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development of the students.
With so many benefits, it comes as no surprise that more and more parents are choosing to send their children to an international school. But with a lot of options to choose from, how do you know which school is the right choice for your children? Cut through the clutter with this handy list of suggestions that we’ve put together for you.
Academic Standing
There’s no question that students who graduate with an international education are academically gifted. The goal is to find a school that provides a challenging curriculum and programme so that your children can increase their knowledge and enhance their comprehension skills. With a school that makes them work harder for any academic milestones, their intelligence and critical thinking skills will improve even more.
Excellent Curriculum
When you look for a school, consider its curriculum. What kind of programme does the school implement? One of the best things about international schooling is that it often involves an integrative learning experience.
Unlike other programmes that put an overblown emphasis on STEM subjects, international schools recognize the value of raising well-rounded students. That’s why they provide a curriculum that includes extracurricular activities in subjects like the performing arts, writing, sports, and more.
By encouraging students to participate in these activities, the schools nurture not just interests in STEM subjects, but also in the humanities, resulting in students who are academically strong with knowledge in culture and arts.
Global Networks
Many international schools have branches in other countries all over the globe. That means that students can connect with others who might be on campuses in the same country or from those all the world over. That makes for a strong global community.
The network makes it easier for students to participate in activities that broaden their perspectives, connect them with peers, and test their knowledge in ways that wouldn’t have been possible in a traditional classroom setting. It’s not just about completing a project or turning in an assignment—it’s the connection they make with their peers and what those connections bring: the realization that there is a bigger world out there.
Exposure to a global community helps them realize early on just how vast the world is, how many opportunities are out there when you know where to look for them, and how our differences make us unique while our similarities bring us together.
Local Partnerships
The schools will often have partnerships with local businesses or establishments that give the students opportunities to experience what the world is like when they step outside the classroom.
Some of these involve apprenticeships under well-known industry leaders. Some of these include tours in local businesses so they could see what it takes to run a business, to talk to entrepreneurs and gain insights from seeing their businesses at work. They get to do some of the tasks on their own, see up close and personal how hard—and sometimes, how fun—the work is.
Through the local partnerships, students get to experience these companies from a unique perspective. This early exposure also sparks interest in entrepreneurship. Also, you’ll find that many of the schools encourage the students to engage in volunteer work or to have sports affiliations. These are just some of the many ways the local partnerships benefit students of the school.
Commitment to the Community
One quality of good international schools is that they impact the community they’re in. After all, they teach their students the value of achieving greatness not just for personal gain. It’s greatness and intelligence that—when applied to situations or opportunities—could make a difference not just in their lives but in the lives of other people as well. That includes the community.
Many of the students have plenty of opportunities to do service work. Volunteering helps them gain skills in interacting with people, skills that will prove valuable to them later in life. By giving the students a lot of chances to hone their communication skills, these schools help the students grow more confident, improving their self-esteem as well.
Personalized Learning
At the heart of many international programmes is the idea that student needs should be addressed. Instead of the traditional teaching method in many classrooms that uses just one yardstick for an entire set of students, that often recognizes only one kind of intelligence, students in international schools are able to learn through hands-on experience and personalized teaching.
Teachers allow students to absorb information at their own pace. That’s the kind of learning environment that allows children to learn on their own. Teachers are there to facilitate the discussions, provide guidance, and offer help. Activities are centered on the needs of the students and teachers take extra care to ensure that every student is able to keep up with their studies by providing one-on-one instruction whenever needed. The personalized learning model is a boon that you can find in most international schools as they are abreast with the need to acknowledge every student’s educational demands.
International schools have small or average classroom sizes. Many of them also employ teaching assistants, which means teachers have more than enough time to devote to every student in the class. That’s ideal, as it means your children will benefit from more time and attention from the teachers.
Also Read: Benefits of International School
Wonderful Facilities
Exceptional campus grounds designed to provide the students with spaces where they could engage in sports and other extracurricular activities are provided by international schools. Because of the pandemic, many sports and other activities have grinded to a halt. Parents are more nervous about contact sports like football and schools are using their wonderful facilities to keep up the momentum. However, when it’s time to go back to physical classrooms, kids at international schools have access to grounds and facilities to enhance the learning experience of every student who has the privilege to access these amenities.
There’s also the fact that one of the best things about big campuses is that the space proves relaxing. The expansive grounds, the fresh air and trees—walking amidst this helps to reduce the stress that students might deal with every day. The sight of so many trees alone makes it easier to breathe, as studies show that green spaces have a positive and healing impact on people. Students who might be tired or stressed out benefit from exposure to these spaces.
Exceptional Teachers
Teachers have the biggest impact on students. It’s a common enough story that students still remember something their teachers told them when they were in third grade or even in first grade.
In other words, teachers play an indispensable role in the lives of students as they exercise influence on them. You will find that many students have their favourite teachers as role models. They aspire to become like them. They aspire to grow into inspiring individuals like them.
That’s why it’s important to choose a school that employs highly qualified and empathetic teachers. They are experts in their field, which means they can teach the subject matter even with their eyes closed. Aside from a wonderful familiarity with the subject matter, they also know the best teaching methods. They follow the teaching styles common in many international schools, one that values hands-on experience.
With experiential learning, they steer and guide students in the right direction. Another quality of these teachers is that they are passionate about what they teach and what they do. Many of them can choose another career. But they choose to remain teachers. Many do it because they adore kids. Many love the work and find the process of seeing those little eyes light up with comprehension fulfilling.
For many of them, few things in life are as satisfying as seeing their students develop from young children to mature young teens who are ready to take over the world. When you look for a school, that’s the kind of faculty you’ll want for your children.
Support System
Another quality of a great school is that it offers extensive and dedicated support systems. For instance, the teachers must be partners with the parents. They should be as invested in the development of their students as parents are about their children. They should care about their students, so if there are any problems or issues, they can quickly resolve the matter and inform the parents. That way, both parents and teachers can work together to help the students.
In the midst of the pandemic, for instance, many students might find it challenging to complete projects or participate in class. Some might suffer from stress or anxiety due to what’s happening in the world with regards to the virus.
That’s all normal. Those emotions shouldn’t be suppressed. The school and teachers must recognize that. And in recognizing that, will need to have plans in place to help them offer support and assistance to their students. Some of the schools might also encourage parents to provide support to one another and to work together to help their children cope with the changes that the pandemic has brought.
