The younger your child, the easier it will be for him or her to adjust to going to school in a new country. Coping with a new language and customs will be harder for older children. It is possible for teenagers to adjust, but it may take longer than for younger children.

Getting used to a new education system and leaving friends back in the UK are two of the main difficulties for the older child.

Not all countries have free education funded by the state. You should find out what education your child will be entitled to, whether you need to be a national of the country to qualify and how much you are likely to have to pay. Many countries have English-speaking international schools. Fees can be high.

Boarding schools certainly suit families who may be going abroad for a limited period. Many parents, however, want to keep their children with them but there are some parts of the world where there are no suitable schools.

For the families in this situation there is a third option: home schooling.

The leader in this field is the World-wide Education Service (WES) which supplies tutorial based learning courses for children aged 4-13 years.

All courses are based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales.

WES Home School Service is designed to create a school in the home where parents teach their own children. This is particularly beneficial where education facilities are limited or, where there is a need to "top up" local school education.

Courses in English, mathematics, science, humanities (5-13 yrs) and reception (4-5 yrs) are offered. Teaching support and assessment are provided by WES personal tutors – qualified and experienced UK teachers.

Home school families live and work in a variety of situations in over 100 countries form Argentina to Zambia – or even sailing around the world.

More info

www.weshome.demon.co.uk/teach.html