Again, this will look different for every family and situation, but you can be certain that Team Expansion will make every effort to help you protect and educate your children in whatever area you end up serving.
There are many options, depending on your kids, your ministry setting, and your family preferences.
Any given missionary family might use one of these, a combination, or a completely different solution.
Public Schools
One option is the local public schools.
One option that you can look into is the local public schools. This choice is especially beneficial for younger children, who will pick up the local language quickly and learn their new culture through immersion with ease.
Many parents who send their children to the neighborhood schools will often still supplement at home some of the subjects that might be overlooked in the local curriculum, like English (spelling, reading, writing) and American history.
Christian or International Schools
Some areas have private international schools.
In some areas, there are international private schools that will help your children thrive. These schools often have academic standards that more closely reflect the expectations you have for your kids, and they provide a more familiar setting and system.
The classrooms are usually set in English, so the transition from a Stateside education to a cross-cultural one is less of an adjustment.
These schools represent many cultures and worldviews, so your children will have friends from all over the world.
Of course, there might be reasons why this is not an option for you. The cost might not be financially viable for your family or ministry. The nearest one might be so far away that you’d have to consider boarding your children away from you. Or there might not be one available at all.
Homeschool, Co-ops, or Private Tutoring
Some parents choose to employ a private tutor for their children.
In some settings, the schooling option that works best for the families involved is to educate their children at home. And for each family that decides this, it will look different.
Some use online tools and programs and only supervise the time. Some partner with other Christian families to create a co-op home school option, where they each take on different subjects or grades and help teach each other’s children.
Other families raise the additional support to engage a private tutor/teacher from the States who will move with them and live in their country of service purely to educate their children.
For more information, to take the next step, or to ask your own question, fill out this quick, no-obligation profile.
What schooling option worked best for your family? How do you think the education choices helped or hurt you later on? Let us know in the comments.
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