Schooling for a 15 year-old?

[Gregt Jaeger]

We’re seriously considering Panama for retirement in the next 18 months however schooling for a 15-year-old is a must. Outside of Panama City are there any good options?

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Hi Gregt,

Thanks for visiting the forum. Many of the foreigners moving here today have children and find the private school system in Panama City convenient, as there are many private bilingual schools which here are very affordable as compared to the U.S. and other countries.

Though the schools differ in many ways from schools in the US or Canada, expats here say there are many pros for their kids, such as growing up bilingual, attending private school where classes are small and personalized attention is a given, and learning from international friends. Some of the schools here may offer internationally recognized accreditation such as the IB or International Baccalaureate, making it easy for graduates to apply for colleges in the US and elsewhere. You would need to do the due diligence yourself to find out what accreditations your school of interest offers.

We always recommend that you bring your kid(s) down for a long vacation if at all possible, so they can get a feel for the place and you can start to understand how they may or may not adapt. Young kids and young adults seem to find it easy to learn enough Spanish to feel included.

One of the things to take into consideration is that waiting lists at the best schools are long…so it is best to come down and start inquiring sooner rather than later. There are a handful of options outside of Panama City, for example Coronado has an international school that has attracted quite a few expat kids.

Private schools can cost $45 to $1000 a month (tuition), though most are in the $150 to $350 a month range. Also there may be one-time “capital contribution” or donation fees of $0 to $10,000. Coronado International School charges fairly modest fees. A private investment by the family-owned Eisenmann Group, the school adds value to Coronado. Much of the town was developed by the group, which continues to sell land and property there. The school does not ask for a capital contribution or donation. Students pay about $700 a year for registration (this includes supplies like pencils and notebooks). Monthly tuition is $325-$350, depending on the grade. There is a new international school in Boquete (http://www.aib.edu.pa/web/) but I do not at this juncture have any additional info about that facility. However if you are interested in mountain living it might be worth reaching out to the school or visiting. Our correspondent in Chiriqui, Linda Card, is an excellent expat living resource if you are interested in the Chiriqui region, and you can reach her via Chiriqui@internationalliving.com.

There are quite a few expat bloggers out there that are raising kids in Panama, you might reach out to them, for example: http://slaglesatlarge.blogspot.com/p/directory-boquete-schools.html.

We on occasion cover this topic, though most of our readers are empty nesters or very close to it. A lot of readers have found this article helpful: http://internationalliving.com/2013/04/planting-our-kid-in-rural-panamaand-watching-him-grow/

Hope this helps.

Regards,

IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch

[Gregt Jaeger]

Thanks Jessica, great information. We look forward to visiting in June.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Our pleasure, thanks Gregt. Enjoy your visit!

Best,

Jessica

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