Education… Education…

-The recent real estate boom that started a few years ago in Gangnam, my homeland…
-The pride and loneliness of the “wild geese dads” remaining in Korea…
-Even the vague anxiety about the high school grading system now…

No one can deny that all of these things have a deep connection with the word “education”.

The number one reason why Koreans immigrate to Canada is for “their children’s education”.

As a parent raising children, and as someone who has helped immigrant families or international students choose schools and housing in this place, I hope to provide some small help to many people preparing for their children’s education in this place by briefly summarizing my experiences and feelings.

Before coming here, you can get a lot of information through various study abroad agencies, immigration services, or the internet. Some people come here well-prepared and choose the right school and housing for their child, and adjust well and attend school. However, on the other hand, some people may feel confused due to the difference in local conditions from the information they received before coming here.

Before choosing a school and housing, let’s summarize the 4 important factors that you must distinguish and judge.

 

1. Depending on the duration of education,
Whether you are a formal immigrant, a short-term study abroad student for 1-2 years, aiming for university after medium to long-term study abroad, or planning to apply for permanent residency while studying abroad, your criteria for choosing a school may vary depending on various situations. It is natural that the criteria for selecting schools differ significantly for those who are early short-term study abroad students for English acquisition and those who are permanent residents at a young age.

2. Depending on the type of school,
Here, it is divided into three types: public, Catholic, and private. First, in the case of private high schools, traditional prestigious private schools require students to take the SSAT test during student selection. Even among general private schools, there may be schools that do not match the interview atmosphere, so you should be careful when making your selection.

Public and Catholic schools refer to the EQAO scores taken in grades 3 and 6 and the English and math scores for grade 10 in high school, as well as the parents’ educational background when looking at schools, but over time, the reputation of schools can change significantly.

3. Depending on the goal of further education,
Most people aim for general university admission, but if you are preparing for a specific performing arts field such as music, art, drama, dance, or sports, it is desirable to choose a school that is well-known and active in that area from middle and high school. From high school, there are also schools without ESL, so those schools can be challenging for immigrant children who are not familiar with English to adapt to. Even among public schools, there are schools that organize separate classes for intensive education for special universities or purposes, such as the GIFT program and the IP program.

4. According to the racial composition within the school,

this place has many areas where specific races are densely populated based on the characteristics of each region. Some people may think it’s not a big deal as long as the school has a good reputation, while others may not prefer a school with that kind of atmosphere, no matter how good the school is.

This issue is not a matter of right or wrong, but rather a matter of quality evaluation and preference.

However, in the case of short-term early study abroad programs with the main purpose of acquiring English skills in a short period, it would be the most effective to reduce opportunities to use Korean language as much as possible in daily and school life.

I have mentioned four issues briefly.

I hope you will carefully consider the above mentioned points and make a decision that will reduce trial and error.

However, just as there are superior and inferior laws, there may be a top priority in everything.

I think the key to the success of children’s education is probably the correct love and attention of parents towards their children. When children truly feel that they are receiving sincere love and attention from their parents, everything may naturally and smoothly fall into place.

Education…
Study abroad…
Immigration…

I hope you have good outcomes.