INTERNATIONAL V. NATIONAL SCHOOL: THE QUESTION

Going to an international school is still uncommon. Unusual considering the very nature of our lives. Be it in the movies we watch, the labels we don or the exotic food we eat, everyday we unwittingly sample a small morsel of another nation- essentially living internationally without even leaving our towns. Economically this has widely been accepted as the case with the advent of the EEC and the EU, and even more so in popular culture (we now eat so much sushi it's been making international news for example) yet our education has seemed not to respond. This dilemma seems to have been exacerbated by the sorry state of affairs that has seen many national curriculums remove a compulsory modern language. This is of course a real blow, particularly as bilinguality is becoming an industry standard in an increasingly global job market. Of course, an international school is not just about languages, it is about an entirely different form of education, one that standardises all nations allowing for easy emigration, job prospects and acquiring a challenging and diverse set of skills including various sciences and humanities. These qualifications are known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), and are rapidly being regarded as the solution to this malady. So why hasn't the IB become the hottest ticket in schooling? It may well be due to the strange and unfounded myths surrounding this kind of education.

The largest culprit is the idea that children are sent off to some remote and isolated part of the country that no doubt parents fear would be a kind of unfamiliar camp for their loved ones. Whilst formerly, international schooling was synonymous with boarding, IB schools can now be found in cities all over the world. Perhaps you are looking for an international school London-based, you might be pleasantly surprised as to just how easy it is to find an IB school London with high levels of education and student satisfaction.

Of course, it doesn't stop there. Other myths about price and entrance requirements also cloud this fantastic opportunity as parents worry about costs of international schooling and the strain for a child to join these illustrious ranks. However, many international schools are no greater in price than a reasonably priced private school teaching the national curriculum, an option which in many respects is a lesser alternative. Meanwhile international schools are open to new students at any age, having completed any level of schooling previously. It's truths like this, of inclusiveness and value for money that has made IB schools a decision many parents never regret.