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Expatriates beware the cost of education abroad as it can eat into a salary package


Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

By Jan McCallum

When you are approached to take up a foreign posting, the cost of education is not likely to feature as a priority, yet if you are moving with family you could be stung if you do not get school fees written into your salary package.

There are several traps for people excited by the prospect of living in a foreign country, particularly if they use a good state-provided education at home.   School fees used to be automatically included in expatriate packages but in these cost-cutting times more employers are rating it as a private expense.  Also firms in countries where most people use state education may just not consider the issue of having to pay for education or have a policy of not covering school fees.  A boss whose children attend the local state high school may baulk at paying for your children to attend an international school that costs twice as much as private education at home.  You might have to convince your employer that you have no other choice if you are to take up the post.

To start with, a good education may not be available in the local system abroad, or it may not be what it seems.  For example, you can enroll your child in state schools in China, but only in ones approved to take foreigners.  You pay to send your child there and they are generally educated in separate classes for foreigners where educational level and language comprehension can vary widely.

There are many international schools in China and fees vary, but look at paying around US$20,000 for middle school.  An education to western standards can be well above the cost of a private education in your home country because international schools are paying an expatriate salary and living expenses of the teachers they bring from home.

Parents who are not used to paying for education can also be surprised at all the extras that go with private schools.  Uniforms, excursions abroad, lunch and the school bus fee will all add up and much of it is not optional.

Other extras may include tutors and lessons sent from home if the child is being educated outside your national curriculum and in another language, yet these will generally not be covered by your employer.

It is wise to ask around and investigate the options before approaching your employer with a nominated school.  There are a lot of websites for expatriates and the best ones are those that allow people living abroad to comment and exchange information.  Ask everyone you know if they can put you in touch with someone who has taken family to that country.  That way you will find out that the allegedly Canadian school is full of foreign national kids whose parents want them to emigrate to Canada or the Australian school fees are cheap because there are hardly any native teachers and all the Australians send their children to the American school.

The lesson with foreign education is that you cannot take for granted what is provided, or does not cost much, in your own education system.  You will save yourself and your family considerable anguish if you investigate your options and negotiate the cost into your salary package before you agree to move.