Why study in the UK?
The prestigious British education system holds a solid reputation and great history all over the world. Each year more parents decide to send their children to study in the UK in search of a quality education centered on excellence and the future.
It offers a broad and balanced curriculum, along with good pastoral care and a range of extracurricular activities. Therefore, studying in the United Kingdom is not only important for the professional future of students, but also in their development as independent and confident people who are prepared for adult life.
With our long experience in this educational system, we at ninetonineworld want to share with you our 7 reasons why studying in the UK is a safe and good choice for your children.
1 – A pragmatic education
The British curriculum is based on independence, creativity and critical thinking. With this type of education, students learn to apply theory to practical and personal cases. This helps them to use critical thinking and develop confidence and autonomy through a process of trial and error when making decisions. This type of teaching is very motivating, as students can see first-hand how what they learnt in the classroom can be applied to their daily lives. It is easier for them to learn and interiorise the theory through case studies that they have to carry out themselves. The independence they are given often results in more doubts and queries than normal which are resolved in the classroom with the help of their teachers and peers, thus applying an interactive teaching.
2 – A tailored education
In English schools, classes are divided by level, which allows students with the same academic ability to be in a class together and advance in their studies at their own pace. Moreover, differing from other models of education, the number of students in a class is smaller in the UK, with the average number of students per teacher being a little less than 10, allowing pupils to have more individual and personalized attention. Teachers adapt to the requirements of each child and teach the subjects according to the type of learning required by every individual. This tailored teaching allows each student to learn at their own pace and enables them to set personal objectives they aim to reach by the end of the academic year. The student’s efforts to achieve these goals are constantly reinforced by teachers, giving them greater self-esteem and perseverance throughout their education.
3 – Wide range of subjects available
The British education offers a variety of different subjects as opposed to other educational systems. Apart from the core subjects like Maths, Science, English, Geography and History, students can choose to take more creative subjects, with each school having their own offering. For example, Design and Technology, Music, Art, Cooking, Textiles (sewing), Ceramics, History of Art, Drama, Photography, Philosophy, Economics, Business and many more. This allows students to break out of their comfort zone, discover their talents and thus develop their free and creative thinking. What’s more, in schools in the UK, each subject often has its own classroom so the students move around in-between classes and associate each subject with a different environment.
4 – Language improvement
The best way to learn a language is immersion in the country and culture. By studying in a UK boarding school, your children will live with native students. They will only be able to communicate in English, meaning they will learn to cope with the language quickly as they face daily situations with their peers and teachers. They can perfect the language much faster and attain useful vocabulary for day-to-day life.
5 – Interact with other cultures
Developing oneself in a multicultural environment offers students the opportunity of having a global vision to which they may not be used to. Living with people from other countries and cultures helps enrich their personal growth as they must learn to interact with people potentially very different from themselves. Students learn to listen to very different opinions to their own and see things from another point of view, which sparks curiosity for questioning their own beliefs and gaining confidence in themselves and what they think. This is very useful for their future as they face an increasingly interconnected world.
6 – Global recognition
The UK takes second place in the rankings list of countries with the best educational system, currently with half a million international students receiving some type of education whether it be primary, secondary, or higher education. By getting an education in the UK, students have the opportunity to receive certificates like the GCSEs, A-levels or International Baccalaureate (IB), which are recognized internationally by universities and companies alike. From primary school, students learn tools and skills like teamwork, independence, critical thinking, and others, which continue to develop throughout the course of their school years so that when they finish, they are prepared for higher education and the working world.
7 – Advantages for your child’s future
Living away from home in a new country with another language and culture, far from family and friends, is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen independence and personal growth. By having this experience from a young age, students are better prepared when entering university, and afterwards in the world of work. Studying in the UK opens many doors for their future, as it is home to some of the best of universities in the world, such as Oxford and Cambridge. The UK offers very different and topical university degrees in comparison to other places in Europe and the world, thus making studying in the UK an advantage for students in order to have more opportunities when it comes to choosing a career.
8 – An education of excellence
Unlike the educational systems offered in other English-speaking countries such as the United States, Ireland or Canada, the British education system offers an education of excellence because of its wide and modern curriculum and the individual teaching from the teachers. This system which treats students as individuals to maximize their academic potential, teaches students to solve problems by developing their critical and creative thinking, and to work in a team with others very different to themselves. This system also offers opportunities to apply theory outside the classroom, whether in field trips, activities or events that are part of the academic curriculum. These factors ensure that at the end of their school career each student is an individual with their own talents and thoughts, prepared for a global and complex future that they will face with perseverance, confidence and autonomy.
