South Korea is a country with one of the best education systems in the whole world, so it is not a surprising thing that so many people from all across the globe want to get an education or to educate their children exactly in South Korea. In turn, it is important to mention that the country welcomes internationals students. There are 45 international schools in the country that follow the US, British, Japanese, German, French and Chinese curriculum. Most of the international schools are situated in such big cities as Seoul and Busan.
Despite a number of international schools, there are so many applicants that sometimes parents and children have to attend an interview to secure a place. In the most cases, an international school in South Korea has a waiting list, so the earlier you register, the more chances to be enrolled.It is important to note that not everyone can be enrolled at an international school. Each school has some of the requirements listed below:
- Children who apply to international school must have foreign citizenship;
- A family who wants to send their child to international school must have permanent residence in any country of the world, but not in South Korea;
- One parent must be a citizen of some other country, but not South Korea;
- Sometimes, a family who wants their children to study at international school must have South Korean citizenship but have lived overseas for at least three years.
The process of enrollment varies from one school to another. Yet, in the most cases, parents will have to provide records and results from the previous school if any, proof of all required in South Korea vaccinations and a medical report. After all, a child will have to pass an admission test.
Education in South Korea is quite expensive compared to some countries. Depending on a school, tuition fee varies from $15,000 to $30,000 per year. It is important to mention that there are some additional fees, such as fees for bus travel, after-school care, books, and activities etc.
When it comes to the school calendar, international schools in South Korea mainly follow the North American one, which means that school starts at the end of August and lasts until June with a winter break of a month.