Middle School "semester abroad"?

[TimK]

My wife and I are considering a "semester abroad" with our 12 year old daughter in SG beginning in January of 2011. Our daughter is currently attending a public IB international middle school in the USA, and will be starting Mandarin language classes in the fall. We've discussed the idea with the staff at her current school, and they are supportive.

Ignoring for the moment the considerable cost and logistical considerations, we're looking for feedback to determine if the experience would be worthwhile for all of us. Our intent is to provide an enriching cultural and academic experience, and to promote a positive racial identity (our daughter is adopted from China). We're thinking that instead of waiting until high school to do a semester abroad, do it now, and go along ourselves instead of letting her have all of the fun

We're considering enrolling her in one of the IB schools that include Mandarin. Our assumption is that her classmates would be a mix of expats and locals. is this true in general? Which schools should we consider?

I'd appreciate any feedback and suggestions.

Tim

[funkyhomestay]

Hi Tim,

I used to study in US for awhile. I will definitely encourage you to send your child to study mandarine. I can remember alot of my American friends who are really eager to learn chinese from me. Singapore system is great due to is bilingual education system, just a lot more stressful. However, coming from both education background, i feel that studying in Singapore until High school creates a good foundation, however, I will definitely feel that college/university in the States or UK will be a better deal.

[carolynW]

Hey Tim,

there is an IB school here that has about 50% chinese content called the Chinese International School (CNIS). Am not sure if your daughter will be in Grade 6 or Grade 7. If you look thru the posts on the school, it has mixed reviews, I think more bad gets written than the good. Considering you are only looking for a semester, I presume it should be ok.

I don't know much about Grade 7 in that school but up to grade 6, the Chinese nationals that send their kids here are very pleased with the school, the chinese is on par with the schools back in Beijing and because of the small size of the school you get alot of one on one esp for language.

The school from grade 1 onwards splits the kids into 3 grades of chinese class, if you have no chinese at all, if you have some and if you can speak chinese or have a parent that is chinese that can help you at home.

I have kids there and I think they are thriving, though if my kids could go to a school with higher chinese content, I would send them there (it is the school with the most chinese content in singapore).

As for moving here and visa's... I guess a semester should be easy ie you may have to travel in an out or make a special request, I think your daughter should have no problem with the application of a student visa and the school is v helpful in applying it, your wife should have no problem also as the "accompanying parent", you I am not sure, u may just have to do the travel in and out ev 2 weeks....

I have another suggestion for you though, I visited schools in Beijing and there is a wonderful-wonderful small one called Daystar, it is up to grade 6 only and it is half montesorri and half chinese curriculum. The staff and admin are very switched on and the school is very well organised. I could go on and on...

Maybe that could be an option for a semester abroad? they are out in Shunyi (near the airport) tho and not in the city.

Or if you guys are very flexible a semester is not a big deal in your child's overall education as opposed to the experience, you may consider doing a semester where she is originally from? there is a good tour group that may be able to help you in organising something locally for a semester incl schools though of course you may not have International Schools in the non-beijing, shanghai or guangzhou area. The tour group is called Lotus Tours. They are organising our summer semester for the kids in Guilin.

PM me if you want more info on any of the above.

[carolynW]

Lotus Tours btw does specialises in connecting US families with their adopted chinese child's home town and visiting their country of birth. The owners are very helpful. Google Lotus Tours, Louie, Lea.

[carolynW]

ok after using lotus tours this year, I would like to highly un recommend them and am sorry I even posted them up here. We had a bad experience and then it was compounded further.

If you guys have any friends that are traveling from the US to Asia with their adopted kid, try to avoid these guys.

[scarbowl]

The truly "international schools" here do not have many Singaporeans as they require special MOE approval to attend. You'd be best to enroll in Raffles or one of the governmental schools.

That said, a semester here is more likely to be disruptive to her education than complementary. The systems here (outside of the International Schools) are too radically different from her US experience. It would not likely help her grades or competency.

Also, for her to adjust to a new environment, make new friends, learn the teaching pedagogy, etc for only one semester seems rather cruel to me. She has 4-5 really difficult months and then back home. Why put her through this?

You might consider a summer Mandarin program in Taiwan or the PRC.

[carolynW]

I would disagree with the view, I think a semester abroad is a wonderful experience, if the child has the right type of attitude. Also I think the age is right as well. I loved my different semesters abroad and as for school work it was not difficult to "catch up" again but mainly I didn't fall behind. I think
it may be hard if the semester is in a US where kids there have cliques but other places in the world like Africa or Asia where kids want to make friends with you will a different experience.

The important thing would not be school work but the experience of a new culture and people.

[TravelingCircusof5]

If you want to expose her to culture and history or her native land, then why not China? We've been living in China for almost 5 years with our kids. We go to Singapore for holiday and relaxation because it is less different and feels more like the USA. Therefore, I am not sure it is the place to show her how different the world is...Also, I'm not sure that Middle school is the right time for a semester abroad (I would wait until she is older.) Unless it is a very organized program, you are really going to disrupt her year. Why not just a long summer holiday instead? I think what you imagine as an exciting opportunity would end up a very stressful year for your child. If you do it during the summer, she can enjoy it and not stress about changing schools, etc. I myself studied abroad but not until college, in a structured exchange program.