Educational Options
If you have children in Korea, broadly speaking you have three options for their children's education. These are
1. Local Korean school
2. Homeschooling
3. International school
Each option has its own advantages.
Local Korean school
Foreigners are free to send their children to Korean school. This is an option especially for those children with sufficient Korean language skills. Children lacking fluency in Korean might find it difficult to adjust to Korean school. Korean schools are divided into public and private schools. Public elementary schools are free (except for school lunches, for which you must pay). Private elementary schools tend to be much more expensive then their public counterparts, but at the middle and high-school level, prices are comparable. Regardless, private Korean schools are much cheaper than even the cheapest international school.
Homeschooling
These days, thanks to the Internet, homeschooling has become a real option for parents, particularly for non-Korean speaking families who don't want to pay for an international school. If you've got the patience and dedication, there are a number of websites that will help you build structured curricula for your children, such as Homeschool.com and the US Distance Learning Association. (www.usdla. org).
International school
Most foreigners eventually send their children to one of Seoul's international schools. Be prepared to spend US$12,000-20,000 a year to send your child to an international elementary, middle or high school. That being said, international schools provide a quality foreignlanguage educational environment. Englishlanguage international schools usually follow American or, in some cases, British curricula. If you've got children with special needs, be sure to check if the school provides necessary services and facilities.
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