Thailand is an amazing place to live and work. There are large numbers who are offered the chance to relocate there for work. It is little surprise that many do so, with huge opportunities to embrace the local culture and make the most of their time. However, such decisions become a little more complicated if children are involved. While parents are likely to acclimatise easily enough, their offspring might find it an altogether different ordeal.
They are leaving friends and relatives behind and need to start again, although they have their smartphones and the like to keep them in touch. Education is important, especially at an age when it won’t be long before they become young adults. Parents have decisions to make, which can be assisted by entering the phrase British secondary school Bangkok into their search engine. The following paragraphs might help those in such a predicament.
A child’s future can be determined in many ways by the decision of which secondary school they attend. It might seem a few years away, but it won’t be long before they are taking exams and hopefully continuing in further education, which will lead them to their chosen career path. Identifying the school with a suitable curriculum can go a long way in helping with this, with thoughts also including any possible permanent return home during their schooling or soon after to minimise disruption. One way of assessing the quality of the establishment is to ask for university destination lists and exam success rates to help decide. Schools with consistent placement into reputable global universities tend to offer excellent teaching.
There are lots of questions that a parent can ask of a school, making an appointment to do so, or checking reputable online sources and reviews written by others who have gone through the same process. Finding out about the class sizes makes sense, as those with smaller ones usually mean more individual attention and better support, especially important for students adapting to a new environment or those who decide to learn a second language. Seeing how many available teachers are for extra help, mentoring, or guidance is also recommended, while there is nothing wrong with parents having a role in their child’s education.
A physical visit will help to identify the school’s priorities. Looking at classrooms, science labs, and libraries is important to assess their educational standards. Sports fields, creative arts studios, and tech labs might be the preference for those who have brought up youngsters bursting with creativity who yearn to get involved in extracurricular activities. A school that has modern, well-maintained facilities suggests investment in all-around development, not just academics.
The Bangkok traffic is legendary, and not necessarily in a positive way, as it can be extremely congested. A long journey to school will mean getting out of bed early and can mean that a child’s energy levels drop later in the day, and their academic performance also suffers, as concentration is affected. Ideally, it makes sense to choose a school that is close to home or offers a safe, reliable transportation service with reasonable travel times. Some schools provide transport, which will help with the situation, especially if parents are unavailable to offer lifts.
Considering whether the school caters for classes in the Thai language and has options for studying a third language, such as Mandarin, French, or Spanish, can prove invaluable for them in later life, especially if the family is settled and will be staying in Bangkok for some considerable time. Being multilingual can lead to increased career opportunities, with many businesses needing employees who possess those skills. Maybe they can practise while away, enjoying a weekend family break. The whole process of moving to a new school can be extremely stressful for a youngster, be stressful for teens. It is wise to ask about counselling services and what support is provided when needed. A strong support system is vital during the emotional ups and downs of those years entering adolescence.
While getting the best education possible for a child is important, so is ensuring that it is affordable and within a family budget. It would be extremely embarrassing and detrimental to a child if they had to change schools because it cost too much. Finding out about the fee structure as well as expenses will ensure against such eventualities, as well as ascertaining whether lunch, uniforms, transport, excursions, and exams are all included in the fee or require additional payment. Chatting to other parents and seeing if their kids enjoy going to the school can prove to be as good a way of making a final decision as any.
It is important to consider carefully which British secondary school to send a child to in Bangkok, as it will be paving the way for their future.
