Children whose parents take them abroad to live are typically reluctant, at first, to leave their friends and the security of their home culture and language. But data compiled as part of a larger report on expatriates finds that more than nine in ten UK expat parents believe their children gain from such experiences.
Among the main advantages, cited by eight in ten of those interviewed, is that the youngsters learn to become more self-reliant when living in a foreign country.
The NatWest International Personal Banking (NatWest IPB) Quality of Life Index, undertaken in conjunction with the Centre for Future Studies think tank, surveyed British expatriates from across the world. Almost 60% of those UK expats surveyed reported having at least one child, with 3% having two or more.
NatWest IPB head Dave Isley said the reported revealed an important element of the “far-reaching benefits” most UK expats report experiencing as a result of living in a foreign country.
Other findings of the study:
• Three quarters of expat parents say their children gain from being exposed to a “different cultural experience”
• Seven in ten believe the education their children are getting from their foreign schools is better than they would be getting at home, with New Zealand’s education system regarded as the best by those surveyed
• Canada’s education system was rated second to New Zealand’s, while Spain’s was rated the poorest (see chart, below)
• More than half (55%) of the UK expatriates surveyed are living in non-English-speaking countries, where they said their children were finding learning the local language “much easier” than they would if they were not in an environment where it was used all the time.
The research, part of a Quality of Life Index study with input from a Financial Confidence survey, was carried out for NatWest International Personal Banking by the Centre for Future Studies between 08 August and 27 October 2008, with additional polling conducted in November 2008 and repeated in April 2009.
NatWest International Personal Banking is the Jersey-based offshore-specialist arm of Royal Bank of Scotland, many of whose clients are UK expatriates. Further information on NWIPB may be found at www.natwestinternational.com.
How UK expat children are benefiting
Benefit % [ranked in order]
Learning to be 82%
self reliant
and independent
Learning from a 76%
different cultural experience
Learning a new language 75%
Making a wider 68%
circle of friends
Higher educational 67%
standards
Have an active 63%
and diverse social life
Able to embrace diversity 61%
Learning to adapt 60%
to new situations
Have a sense of 54%
adventure
schools and education ranking
Ranking Country
1 New Zealand
2 Canada
3 Singapore
4 France
5 Australia
6 Hong Kong
7 China
8 USA
9 South Africa
10 UAE
11 Portugal
12 Spain
Source: Centre for Future Studies
