Education Options For Families Living Abroad

A two day seminar introducing homeschooling overseas seemed excessive as my only child at the time was still in diapers. To be honest, I was still adjusting to the idea of homeschooling. I understood our choice to pursue business development abroad would result in an alternative method of educating our children, but I did not know anyone who had been homeschooled, much less homeschooled their own child. Both my husband and I enjoyed our positive experiences attending public schools, although we both earned college degrees, neither of us studied education. Our future in homeschooling was to be out of necessity. I wondered how we would ever be able to sufficiently educate our children.

These days there are various reasons for homeschooling, plentiful options for curriculum and resources, and many experienced homeschoolers to learn from. It has even become trendy, not to mention necessary during the COVID pandemic. Though homeschooling is becoming more common, what does educating children overseas really look like? How is it done? Is homeschooling the only option?

As our work has brought us to an underdeveloped region overseas, the resources for educating our native English-speaking children are limited. Homeschooling, however, is not the only option available to expats. Other options include international schools, local schools, and boarding schools.

Each of the various options have advantages and disadvantages. International schools can be a great option, as they typically have high academic standards and provide a diverse student population. Many use English for instruction, but there are also international schools specific to other languages. Though the cost of an international school can be prohibitive for some, the biggest obstacle is often location. International schools are usually located in large, populated cities. Attending a local school, on the other hand, is an option in almost all areas, rural or metropolitan. Local schools require a degree of fluency in the local language, which not all expat children will initially possess. Academic standards and student oversight can vary widely in local schools as well. Boarding schools often offer high academic instruction and can be chosen based on language of instruction, but often are located far from the place of business of overseas workers resulting in decreased opportunities to visit one another. The popularity of boarding schools has waned over the years resulting in fewer options and limited enrollment as well. The up and coming option of homeschooling has become increasingly advantageous through diverse curriculum choices and flexibility. Educating can be accomplished most anywhere and conform to pretty much any schedule, but it takes the time, energy, and direct involvement of one or both parents.

While there are advantages and disadvantages to each option, much of the decision depends on the individual family’s goals and situation. My husband and I desire to equip our children with the skills necessary to pursue the degree or employment of their choosing. We also desire to remain living together as a family unit until our children’s education or employment needs can no longer be met in a shared place of residence. These goals have driven our decision to homeschool. As we live in a rural setting, international schools have not been available to us. Our school-age children have all attended local schools, but our aim with this has been to provide community interaction and language practice, not academic instruction. While goals can vary, there are aspects each expat abroad will face that are common with every homeschooling family.

Homeschooling in any setting requires the intentionality and effort of the parents to provide instruction for the children. Depending on the available time of one or both of the parents, this may not be feasible. Because I have worked only part time while my husband works fulltime, I am able to homeschool our children. The demands on my time as a mother and teacher have, at times, resulted in our employing local help for household chores.

Though there are many resources available to homeschoolers now, accessing these overseas is greatly limited, as most settings will not share your native language. As English speakers, we purchase all our homeschooling curriculum, workbooks, and English based materials from the United States. This requires a great deal of planning ahead. Shipping can be expensive and sometimes unreliable. We usually time our orders with trips to the United States so that we can fly our materials back with us. In the United States, homeschoolers often rely heavily on libraries and interaction with other homeschooling families. In other countries, the libraries, if available, provide mostly national language literature, and other homeschooling families may live several hours away.

In this day and age, the internet provides many opportunities, such as communicating with other homeschooling families and even distance learning. Thus we have been able to take advantage of many online and downloadable resources. This school year we are even trying an online course for our oldest son. Though there are many courses available, online learning requires a reliable and consistent internet connection, which is not always available in rural overseas settings. Online learning also requires a diligent, self-motivated, and honest student who can responsibly finish their lessons independently. This type of learning is not well suited for young children who are still developing reading and studying skills. The feasibility of online learning may also depend on your time zone. While some courses offer an independent work schedule, others have set times the student must attend, creating difficulties while living in an area that may be several hours different.

One last aspect of homeschooling abroad which is important to consider is knowing the requirements of your home country. Different countries, even different states in the U.S., have varying requirements for educating students at home. These may or may not apply to overseas homeschooling, but it is important to understand which requirements do apply so as to enable our children to return to their passport country and reenter the education system there.

As my husband and I have pursued community development abroad, homeschooling our children has been the best option for our family. During the seminar I attended 12 years ago, I learned the importance of understanding the situation overseas and developing educational goals for your family. Whether your family chooses homeschooling, a local school, an international school, or a boarding school knowing what your family’s needs are and what is actually possible to pursue is crucial. Though numerous books and presentations on homeschooling have been extremely helpful during my journey, the most helpful resource for me has been learning from others who have gone before us, both in the U.S. and overseas!

Helpful Resources from one Expat Family