Should we educate my child in India?

Should we educate our child in India?

on 09-05-2007 20:41

According to Arul Israel, a Mathematics teacher in Birmingham, Indian parents do have concerns about their child being educated in the UK.

"Most parents who try to weigh their options about educating their children in India or the UK have themselves not spent enough time living in the UK. The majority of such parents are young professional Indians in the 25-35 age group, who have been living and working in the UK for an average of 5-6 years," she says.

Mr Ebrahim Kashyap, an Assistant Headmaster, agrees. "The apprehensions are very understandable. For hundreds of Indian parents wishing to educate their child in the UK, these apprehensions root from their unfamiliarity with the British culture and moreso with the education system. Needless to say, the UK has one of the best education systems in the world. What we need is a medium to cultivate awareness among immigrant parents about the quality -- and values -- their children will gain from education in the UK."

So what are these common apprehensions? We asked Chai Samosa members to send in the doubts that worry them most. Here are the Top 10 doubts about educating a child in the UK:

Will they learn to respect us as parents -- so strongly ingrained in Indian culture and family values? Will they take care of us when we grow old, and not send us to a retirement home?
What if they face racist abuse at school?
Bullying is so common in UK schools! I don't want my child to be bullied.
Will my child be able to mingle with other kids? They are not really extroverts.
We are non-vegetarian. I don't want my child to eat pork, ham or beef etc in the school!
In UK school, my child will learn only English. He will refuse to learn Hindi or our mothertongue (Tamil. Telugu etc). How will the child then communicate with his family when he goes back home?
I don't like this whole idea of sex education. Our Indian outlook to love, sex and relationships is very different to that in the UK.
There is no household help in the UK -- unlike in India. At least grandparents or someone can take care of them once they reach home, as both of us are working. It is not possible here with the school timings.
I don't want to send my child to a state school. And private schools are very expensive! Can't afford it. India is cheaper, better!
Indian students are much brighter than British students of a comparable age. Maybe because there is so much stress on mathematical and science subjects... the quality of education in India is definitely better.

And now one question from us: do you agree with the questions asked by parents above? This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

And watch this space as we explore each of these questions in further detail, dispensing the myth from facts, helping you gain all the information you need to make a wise decisions!

Last update: 31-10-2007 16:13

Published in : , Raising Kids

Keywords : study, school, nursery, concern, bullying, quality, education, standards

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