All parents want the best education for their children. They want them to become healthy, happy adults who contribute to society in a positive way and to succeed financially. Most parents are willing to invest whatever resources they have to attain these objectives. For the middle class, one way of achieving this objective is to send their children to an international school. But even after weighing the often substantial costs and benefits of international education, it’s not an easy decision to make.

There are several factors to consider. For example, the education infrastructure and facilities provided by international schools are substantially better than of free-of-charge government schools. Well-equipped classrooms and excellent student-teacher ratios enable teachers to draw out the full potential of students and provide targeted guidance on a one-to-one basis. Yet, great infrastructure and good teachers don’t guarantee students success or value for money for parents. The magic of education requires more than fine buildings and laboratories, and talented teachers.

To acquire real education, factors which are far harder to pin down have to come into play. For instance, the culture of the chosen school has to be affirmative and supportive, providing a conducive teaching and learning environment. Relationships between teachers and students have to be positive and the leadership should be inspiring. Huge institutional budgets can’t per se guarantee these intangible qualities which are the hallmarks of an excellent international school.

Some studies in the United States indicate there’s very little difference in the learning outcomes of private and public schools in America, especially in subjects such as mathematics. This is unsurprising because with relatively high levels of investment in public education, great facilities and excellent teachers, the gap between private and public schools can narrow to a slender difference. The Centre of Education Policy in the US has reported that there’s no evidence that fees-levying schools necessarily improve students’ academic performance. However, they did find evidence that private schools are better in developing the analytical and critical thinking skills of students.

In the UK, researchers analysed examination results of thousands of students to ascertain if parents derive any real benefit from investing in expensive private school education. In that country, the evidence seems clear — private school students have an advantage. Although there are exceptions to the rule, this is usually because of peculiar socio-economic factors in particular localities. A more recent study conducted by UK’s ministry of education, indicates that only the most able state school students exhibited better learning outcomes than the average private school student. Moreover, a London School of Economics research study some years ago indicated there was “ample evidence” that students educated in fees-levying private schools earn more, and are more likely to land the best jobs. Indeed, the LSE study indicated that the average return on aggregate investment in private school education was between 7-13 percent — not at all a bad return in the European context.

Stepping back from statistics and research results, it’s easy to see why the choice is rather bewildering. For one thing, the data is highly contextualised. Parents have to carefully choose between private and public school education in the US because the quality gap between them is not always clear. Much the same could be said of European education. However, in developing countries, the gap between state funded education and fees-levying schools — especially international schools — is huge. But the benefits are also huge. The value and meaning parents see in the education they pay for, will vary from individual to individual.

Admittedly, international school education is an expensive investment, but it’s an investment — not expenditure — in exceptional facilities, progressive teachers, high-calibre leadership, globally respected curriculums and internationally accepted certification supplemented by excellent extra-curricular and sports education. It’s best quality education which inspires children through engagement with music, drama, the arts and community service. It opens the doors of the world’s top-ranked universities and provides a truly transformative experience of character building and skills acquisition.

But is it worth the cost? I believe it is. International school education provides access to truly extraordinary opportunities. Besides the benefit of a rich learning environment and the chance to emerge a confident global citizen, there are numerous advantages in the underlying philosophy and approach of international education — notably, developing the rigour of critical thinking and a high degree of confidence and self-sufficiency to name a few.

But let’s be clear, an expensive international education doesn’t guarantee a child’s success — it only makes it possible. The factors that transform possibility into reality which money can’t buy, are the drive and motivation of a child. If a young person seizes but a few of the manifold opportunities offered by top-ranked international schools, the return on investment can be phenomenal. Without that X factor, cost-benefits are a dicey proposition.

(Dr. Jonathan Long is principal of the Woodstock School, Mussoorie)