Opting to have your child attend a boarding school can be a dramatic change for most families. While they will no longer be under your supervision day-to-day, they will be immersed in a highly supportive atmosphere that will nurture their ability to be independent and responsible. When this is done in an international school environment, additional benefits are derived. Here is why you should consider admitting your child to an international boarding school.Â
International Exposure
You do not have to travel the world to become familiar with other people’s lives and cultures. An international school in Hong Kong will provide students with exposure to a diverse array of ethnicities, cultures, and religious backgrounds. In a boarding school environment, the level of exposure is much deeper as students get to live and spend the bulk of their free time together.
They come to better sympathize with each other’s diverging situations and learn to become more tolerant and understanding. This will play a key role in helping them develop a more well-rounded character that makes them more capable of adapting to life wherever in the world they wind up. It will also make them more comfortable in trying new experiences.
Living with others from different backgrounds can also help in clearing misunderstandings. Because students gain a deeper understanding of how other cultures and religions work, this can clear up biases. It also encourages students to gradually become less judgemental and more thoughtful in learning about others and why they may behave differently. This greater mindfulness can lead to great personal development that will result in a more well-rounded and global personality.
English Fluency
It is not surprising that Chinese languages are the most spoken in the world given their population numbers. Outside of this, the English language is the most dominant. It is the preferred option in the business world for cross-border communication and as the language of instruction in most of the elite higher institutions of learning.Â
International schools in Hong Kong also predominantly use the English language for their instruction. This ensures that no matter what cultural background students come from, by the time they graduate, they will be fully versed in the language. This will not only afford them more opportunities in their careers but will also enable them to better compete for spots at top universities.
Those that will travel widely will also find this skill beneficial in communicating in a world where English is the official language in 53 countries and is the second language in many others. Non-native speaking students will achieve greater fluency not just because the curriculum calls for it, but because they will have greater interaction with fellow students that are native speakers in a boarding school environment.
Extracurricular Facilities
Due to how much time boarding school students spend on campus, the administration needs to ensure they are kept constructively occupied when outside of the class. Academics will typically take precedence, but so too will other aspects of life. International schools invest heavily in sports, music, theatre, art, and science lab facilities so that students can cultivate other interests that may often become lifelong.
From athletic fields to music conservatory halls, there is much infrastructure that is put in place to ensure students can fully explore and train their talents and ambitions outside of the classroom. There is little room for boredom when they can easily take up a wide array of exciting and challenging pursuits.
There is much encouragement from faculty for students to participate in extracurricular activities, not just to keep busy, but also as a means to improving their chances of getting into top universities. These days, many admissions committees take more than just academics into account. They are interested in seeing other ways in which a student can demonstrate his or her discipline, ambition, and achievement. Many activities are also a good opportunity to showcase leadership abilities.
Independence
Life at boarding schools pushes students to learn how to be independent and responsible for themselves at a young age. This often gives them an edge over those that attend day school by the time they get to university. Boarding school students will already have learnt how to plan on everything from when to do laundry to how much time to spend studying at the library.
They tend to be more self-motivated, knowing that the effort they put in will very much determine how well they perform at school or whatever other endeavour. They do not need a parent or guardian to keep looking over their shoulder or reminding them of their responsibilities. Those that attend day schools are more accustomed to parental supervision and reminders and often take longer to overcome this learning curve.
They will also have learnt to take more of the initiative when it comes to such issues as choosing subjects, engaging in hobbies, making friends, and seeking help. When you no longer have a parent or guardian to turn to, you become a better and braver problem solver. A worthwhile trait to have when you are set to leave the nest and start building your own independent life away from family.
Lifelong Friendships
There is a deeper bond formed when you get to spend much more time with friends and classmates than is considered normal. More so when you get to live together for extended periods of time. You get to share in the same interests, struggles, successes, failures, and fun. You get a peek behind the curtain at their strengths and weaknesses.
Your peers can become your biggest support system and also friendly competitors as you all strive for success. Many of the friendships and acquaintanceships in these formative years will last a lifetime. There is always a strong feeling of affection and camaraderie that comes from later encountering someone you knew well in school later in life.
Students that are in the same class or dorm will eventually end up in diverse cities, universities, and careers. Their continued friendships can however make for excellent networking opportunities in the future that can be beneficial to their work or personal lives. Many international boarding schools also have alumni associations that help nurture these relationships and offer an opportunity to work together in aiding society.
Todd VanDuzer
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