Marie and Jacob were excited about moving to Hong Kong. Jacob had a new job with a multinational corporation with offices in 37 different countries, a job that promised to send them all over the world. Marie, a travel writer, was thrilled. She would live in interesting places she could write about. And their two children, ages 4 and 7, would learn new languages, have a broad and rich worldview, and meet people from many countries.

So they flew off to find a new home. They quickly learned that one of their first decisions should be where their children would go to school. Chinese schools had an excellent reputation and this had some appeal for Marie and Jacob. Both believed this would be the best way to connect to the local culture and the best way for their children to learn Chinese. They had always been active in their communities and figured that having children in the local schools would open doors for involvement and connection.

But as they thought about their long-term plans, including moves to new countries every few years, they began to worry. Would it be good to hop from local school to local school? It was one thing to ask young children to learn Chinese, which they could probably do easily on the playground. But as the children grew older, was it reasonable to expect them to study biology, math and history in the languages of their ever-changing host cultures? What if one country taught chemistry at age 14 and another at 16?- their kids might get it twice or not at all, depending on when and where they moved. Would their children have trouble earning their diplomas within the expected period of time?

In asking these questions, Marie and Jacob joined the thousands of global families every year who try to make wise decisions on their children's behalf. Luckily, there are several options available that allow students to progress through a single curriculum and set of requirements, even if they move from country to country.

The first decision parents should make is a long-range one: 'What kind of diploma, or secondary school certificate, do I want my children to earn?' If they want their children to have the option to return to their home country as an adult, they will want them to have diplomas that are recognized and well-respected there.

This does not necessarily mean that they must have their home country's national certificate, however. Universities increasingly understand the meaning of different countries' secondary school certificates and examinations, and have policies about which are acceptable for admission (see Sidebar 1).

On the other hand, there are several secondary school degrees that command wide respect throughout the world because of the high-quality and challenging curriculum on which they are based. Some of these have schools in many different countries, allowing children to move relatively easily within their systems (See Sidebar 2).

International Baccalaureate

Perhaps the most widely-recognized certification is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, a degree given to those who have completed a two-year rigorous course of study and have passed the IB Examination. The IB is offered in 1321 schools in 110 countries. The Programme allows students to complete their countries' national or state requirements as well as those for the IB Diploma. The curriculum is both broad and intensive, incorporating the best of many countries' educational systems.

To earn the IB diploma, students must take a course in each of these six areas:

* Language:
oral, written and reading skills in the home languages, and familiarity with their cultures' literature.

* Second Language:
written and spoken skill in a second language.

* Individuals and Societies:
a course in history, economics, geography, business, information technology, philosophy, psychology, or social anthropology.

* Experimental Sciences:
a course in biology, chemistry, physics, environmental systems, or design technology, with an emphasis on moral and ethical issues.

*: Mathematics
a mathematics course.

* Arts:
production of a creative work in visual arts, music, theater, dance, or film. (A second subject from one of the first five groups may be substituted for the course in the Arts group.)

Three or four of these courses must be taken at an advanced level. In addition, students must : (1) study how bias can affect thought, and how to analyze the bases of rational argument, (2) engage in some arts, sports, or community service, and (3) write an extended research essay.

Students' work is evaluated by their teachers and by a worldwide network of 3400 IB examiners. Performance is compared to a standard criterion used in all locations rather than to other students in the school, consistent with the goal of the IB Organization to provide a single standard of excellence in all its programmes.

The IB Organization also oversees programmes at the younger grades; these are not a prerequisite for completion of the IB Diploma. The Middle Years Programme, for 11-16-year-olds, covers a broad curriculum and emphasizes the interrelatedness of traditional disciplines. The Primary Years Programme, for 3-12-year-olds, is organized around six interdisciplinary themes (for example, 'Who We Are' and 'How the World Works') and six academic areas (for example, social studies and science).

Universities around the world recognize the IB as an indicator of a top-quality education. Some will give university credit or advanced placement to students with the IB, depending on the score the students earned on the IB exams. And some will waive the requirement to take entrance exams for students with the IB.

European Baccalaureate

The European Baccalaureate (EB) was designed to ease relocation within Europe. It is offered by European Schools of the European Union (EU), which offer free education for the children of staff of the EU. There are European Schools in Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and the UK.

The seven-year EB curriculum requires the study of a first and a 'first foreign' language, mathematics, science, history, geography, ethics/religion, and physical education. Some of the study of history and geography must be completed in the first foreign language. Like the IB, the curriculum prepares students for further education or employment within Europe and other countries as well. The EB gives its recipients all the rights of any secondary-school certificate in any European country.

French Baccalaureate

In the French system, secondary students attend lycée. While not as common as IB programmes, there are French lycée in a number of other countries. The graduates of a lycée earn one of three Baccalaureate ('Bac') degrees: the general (preparing students for advanced education in sciences, fine arts, literature, and human sciences), the technical (preparing students for technical colleges or engineering), or the professional Baccalaureate (preparing students for employment).

Like the IB, the French Baccalaureate is based on a very challenging and widely-respected curriculum. Students in this three-year program study broadly but also specialize in literature, economics and social science, or scientific areas. Students who complete the 'Bac' may be admitted automatically into a French university.

In some schools, the Option International du Baccalaureate (OIB) is available for bilingual or multilingual students. Students take history/geography and language/literature courses in and about their second language and culture. For example, British students could take British history and literature instead of French history and literature.

Universities around the world regard the 'Bac' with great respect. For example, highly-competitive Barnard College in New York City gives an entire year's worth of credits to holders of the French Baccalaureate.

British GCE-A-Levels

In the British system, students study all major academic subjects until age 14 when they select eight or nine GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) subjects to study. At age 16, they take exams in these subjects. Those wishing to stay in school then begin to specialize further by choosing up to three or four subjects to study in depth. At the end of two more years of secondary school, they take 'A-level' examinations in these subjects. Generally, universities require A-level passes in two or three subjects for admission.

Graduates of the British system have received intensive and rigorous education in their chosen subjects. There is general respect for the A-level examinations around the world. Unlike the other systems described here, the emphasis in the final years of the British secondary schools is on specialization rather than broadly-focused education.

German Abitur

There is no national German curriculum- most decisions are left to the local authorities. But generally, children attend a primary school for four years, then choose one of three types of schools, depending on their academic abilities and their future plans. Academically-oriented students go to a Gymnasium. At the end of the Gymnasium years, students take a series of examinations, called the Abitur. This degree, too, is widely seen as a mark of a good education.

US American High School Diploma

Like Germany, in the United States there is no national curriculum or school structure. However, in general, American students of varying academic abilities go to the same school, throughout primary and secondary schools. All students study all major subjects throughout high school, regardless of their future school or work plans. Schools based on the American curriculum typically emphasize problem-solving skills, mastery of core academic subjects (mathematics, science, English, foreign language, and social studies), and a well-rounded and emotionally-balanced approach to learning.

Talented students can receive a challenging education, especially by enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP courses are designed to be taught at the university level; each school system sets its own rules for who can enroll in these courses. The AP program administers national examinations in 19 subject areas. Good performance on these examinations is recognized around the world as evidence of high-quality education. Students may earn university credit or placement in advanced-level courses.

Some states require students to pass a competency exam before graduation but many do not. Unlike some of the European systems, there is no national exam required for a high school diploma. University admission in the US is based not only on exam scores, but on course grades throughout high school, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and a written essay.

Advice

Parents facing educational decisions should consult the web sites listed in the sidebar, and learn as much as they can about their options. There are many ways to expose children to the wonderful opportunities inherent in an internationally mobile lifestyle, while maintaining stability in their educational progress.

SIDEBAR 1

A Sample of Comparability

Oxford University accepts students from many different countries, judging each applicant on a variety of merits besides examination scores. However, their suggested examination score levels from around the world provide a useful insight into how a university assesses cross-cultural comparability. For a longer list of country score levels, see www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/int/1st.shtml.

International Baccalaureate: A total score of 36 points, with 6 or 7 in one or more subjects offered at the Higher level

European Baccalaureate: An average of between 75 - 80%, with scores of between 8 and 9 in specified subjects

France: French Baccalaureate with an average score of 15

Germany: A final total mark in the Abitur of between 1 and 1.5 (on the traditional scale of 1-6) with scores of between 13 and 15 in individual subjects

USA: Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) score of 1400 and 3-4 SAT IIs or 2 or more AP exams, with grades of 4 or 5

UK: A-level grades of AAB

SIDEBAR 2

Find a School

These web sites all include information about educational programs and/or extensive lists of schools that offer an international curriculum of some sort:

www.ecis.org: European Council of International Schools

www.schoolsworldwide.com: Directory of English-speaking schools worldwide

www.ibo.org: International Baccalaureate Organization.

www.ucas.ac.uk/quals/intquals/appb.html: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK: information about the European Baccalaureate

www.nc.uk.net/home.html: Description of the British National Curriculum

www.cobisec.org: The Council of British Independent Schools in the European Communities

www.fobissea.org: Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia

www.schulweb.de: Lists of German schools around the world.

apcentral.collegeboard.com: US Advanced Placement program

www.state.gov/m/a/os/c1684.htm: US State Department's list of American international schools around the world

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About the Author: Anne P. Copeland, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of The Interchange Institute, is a clinical psychologist and consultant specializing in cultural issues. She is the co-author (along with Georgia Bennett) of Understanding American Schools: The Answers to Newcomers: Most Frequently Asked Questions, available from The Interchange Institute (11 Hawes Street, Brookline, MA 02446 USA, www.interchangeinstitute.org or (617) 566-2227). This book includes a full discussion of how American schools work, with international comparisons to other countries' systems, and the answers to 75 questions commonly asked by newcomers to the United States.