SCHOOLS ABROAD OF INTEREST TO AMERICANS

Reviews

Where to Start Career Planning

Dr. L. F. Lowenstein

The Advising Quarterly

Eliot House

The Corporate Expatriate

"Porter Sargent has once again produced a handbook of Schools Abroad of Interest to Americans. This is the seventh edition and it is the most invaluable of books for those seeking schools throughout the world especially Americans as it covers all of Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and Canada. There is also a section on post-secondary and specialized opportunities.

This book is essential for anyone counselling parents within the school setting or in private centers or clinics on further schooling overseas. It is also a book of value to psychologists involved in education. There are some introductory chapters dealing with What About School? (Educational Consideration in the Overseas Move) for parents who are likely to be placed in various parts of the world for short or longish periods. There is a description of Educational Systems of Other Nations including the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Canada. This is followed by a list of Educational Associations and their functions. It would be especially wise to consult the Association of International Schools, or the International Schools Association based in Switzerland. A number of other associations listed in various parts of the world could provide effective and useful information to parents. There is also a list of International Educational Consultants, which will be of considerable value to those seeking information about schools or systems in various parts of the world.

Needless to say this is a book which has too many valuable uses to mention. It should certainly be part of every school, especially International Schools where there is a considerable amount of movement of young people to other schools throughout the world."

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“Listing 975 elementary and secondary schools in 132 countries around the world, Schools Abroad of Interest to Americans can be valuable to a number of users. Some of the different users might be American families located overseas, non-American parents wanting their children to have a U.S.-style or international education, or students looking for specialized or postsecondary learning opportunities outside the United States. All the schools in the book have American students or consider applications from Americans, and many schools offer American-style curricula.

Schools Abroad has four sections. The first section consists of a series of illustrated announcements for some of the schools in the book. Schools have paid for these announcements so that they can give the reader a subjective view and factual understanding of their unique goals; educational philosophy; environment; and academic, athletic, and extracurricular offerings.

The second and largest section contains an alphabetical list of all the schools, organized by continent, country, and city or town, so the reader can focus on the geographical area of his or her interest. Each school listing includes the following information:

• Type of school: boarding or day, coed or single-sex, and age groups served;
• Contacts: address, phone number, and principal’s name;
• Academic program: focus of curriculum, examinations for which students are prepared, languages, curriculum style, and special courses or programs;
• Enrollment: number of males and females, number in elementary and secondary divisions, number of U.S. students, number of graduates, and percentage going on for postsecondary education;
• Faculty: total number, number full-time and part-time, number of men and women, and number of U.S. and other nationalities represented on faculty;
• Finances: tuition, miscellaneous expenses, and scholarship aid (if offered);
• Summer program: type, specialty, fee, and duration;Physical facilities; and
• Miscellaneous: date school was started, type of organization, religious affiliation if any, calendar, and U.S. educational association membership.

At the end of each institutional listing is a narrative description of the school, offering further information on a school’s academic and extracurricular programs, enrollment, physical environment, location, and history.

Section III of Schools Abroad lists three types of special opportunities for students overseas: (1) colleges, usually with American-style curricula, enrolling U.S. students for semester or degree programs; (2) academic, travel, or living-abroad programs operated by U.S. agencies or schools or by overseas schools; and (3) summer programs offering study, recreation, travel, or home stays. Institutional entries in Section III also include the same detailed information as for Section II entries.

The last major section of the book lists data on schools for which only limited information was available at the time the book was published.

Additional features of Schools Abroad are short essays on international schools and on the educational systems of Canada and several European countries. There are lists of international educational associations, consultants, and sources of additional information, and a list of the U.S. regional accrediting agencies for American-style schools abroad. Schools Abroad has an index of all the schools listed as well as a glossary of foreign educational terminology and U.S., British, French, and international examinations.

Schools Abroad fills an important need for several groups and is a good resource for an advising center serving secondary school age students who are interested in study outside the United States.” - Dudley Cunningham

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“A valuable reference, this book lists 975 elementary and secondary schools in 132 countries.

Each school is summarized in a common format:

• School name and summary, e.g. K-12, day
  
• Address and telephone
  
• Academic head of school, including title and educational credentials
  
• Curriculum summary and exams given
  
• Enrollment, including sex, age-levels, #U.S.
  
• Faculty summary, including #U.S. teachers
  
• Tuition and scholarship information
  
• Summer session information
  

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“This is a Bostonian publication in its sixth year. Conservatively clothbound and just about pocket-sized, it runs the risk of being mistaken for an up-market reference book and care should be taken to ensure that it is not appropriated by a librarian.

As it is aimed at the American market, the schools listed tend to be English-speaking but the catalogue is by no means restricted to schools offering the American curriculum. The book should, therefore, be of interest to a reasonably international readership.

Section 1 comprises the bulk of the text and is subdivided into geographical regions. The countries in each region are then dealt with alphabetically and a short background introduction to each country of approximately 150 words precedes descriptions of the international schools to be found there.

The following information is provided, where possible, on the schools: address, age group catered for, curriculum, tuition fees, subjects offered, the name of the Principal, whether it is for boarding or day pupils, boys, girls, or both, and a brief description of its facilities. There then follows a short editorial paragraph which singles out items of particular interest or amusement; an elective in the Russian Revolution appears to be the course of which the TASIS England American School in Surrey is proudest!

Section 2 is an information guide and entries cost the schools nothing. Should they wish to expand upon the brief summary given of their services, there is a preceding section in which advertisements and photographs may be placed for a fee.

The book is well indexed with page listings by country as well as by school. There are additional sections, at the back of the guide, on postsecondary schools, specialized opportunities, summer sessions and additional schools.

Like any reference manual, it takes a little time for the reader to find his way around but, once this minor obstacle has been overcome, it should prove invaluable to the international employer of expatriate families.” - Camilla Sharp

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