After Visiting 160+ International Schools, I Realized Schools Matter Less Than We Think

"Sending my child to a top school guarantees their future?" This is the biggest lie I've ever heard.

What's the truth? Schools only account for 10% of a child's success.

I. Schools Aren't That Important This isn't just idle talk; it's a hard-won conclusion I've drawn from the past six years, after visiting over 160 international schools in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and China, touring top private schools in the UK, US, and Australia, and interacting with thousands of families with young children studying abroad. A child’s happiness and long-term success are shaped roughly as follows:60% by the child themselves, 30% by parents and the family environment, and only 10% by the school.

But most parents do the exact opposite — placing 90% of their expectations on the school, hoping education can replace parenting，thinking, "I'll just leave my child to the school and forget about it; if there are problems, it's the school's fault."

1. Real Case: Harvard Graduates from Second-Tier Schools

Yesterday I was chatting with two friends.

The first friend had three children: two in top 3 international schools in Bangkok, and one in a second-tier school. The result? The child from the so-called “second-tier” school was admitted to Harvard — and later transferred to Yale.

Another friend, about my age, had two children. Due to work, his children experienced public and private schools in China, the most competitive NIST school and another IB school in Bangkok, and public and top private schools in Canada.

Their conclusion was identical to mine: schools matter far less than parents think.

2. The Secret of Elite Schools: Not Good Teaching, But "Talent Selection"

You might still disagree: "Then why do so many students from Hengshui High School get into Tsinghua and Peking Universities every year? Why do so many students from Shenzhen College of International Education get into Oxford, Cambridge, and Ivy League schools every year? Isn't it because of the high quality of education?" High quality education? Of course! But that's not the fundamental reason!

The core reason can be summed up in two words: talent selection.

Their excellent grades and impressive academic achievements are because they select the best students with the strongest learning abilities from the very beginning. That's the truth!

Otherwise, why has Hengshui High School, having lost its privilege of "selecting the best students in the province," seen a continuous decline in its Tsinghua and Peking University admissions data in recent years?

II. We are educating future generations with an outdated system.

Did you know that Elon Musk is building a city in Texas, planning to send humans to Mars within 20 years and establish a self-sufficient city there?

It’s hard to imagine what schools will look like then.

I don't know, but I know there won't be grades, fixed schedules, or standardized tests. Instead of memorizing textbooks, children will likely need to learn how to survive on Mars—how to extract water, how to build habitats, and how to utilize Martian resources.

And what about us now?

We are still using a 19th-century system and 20th-century knowledge to educate 21st-century children.

The education system established in the 19th century was designed to train factory assembly line workers—students of the same age, taught in the same way, taking the same exams, and then assigned to different jobs based on their scores. It's 2026 now, and we're still doing it this way. Don't you find it absurd?

III. Since schools only account for 10%, how do we choose the right 10%? Chinese parents are among the most education-conscious groups in the world. Even if you now accept the reality that "schools only account for 10%," you still think, "Even with such a small variable, I want to give my child the best." So, how do you choose a school?

Today, I won't talk about superficial data like nationality ratios, student-teacher ratios, or academic rankings. We've shared too much about that in the past year; you can check our previous posts. Today, based on my six years of school visits and industry experience working closely with various universities, I want to share with you the core issues that are most likely to lead to pitfalls:

First, is the school legally registered?

This is the most basic, but also the easiest step to overlook. Many parents assume: A school that can operate, enroll students, and hold classes = a legal school.

But the reality is—not necessarily.

What you need to confirm isn't "whether classes can be held," but rather:

* Whether the school is officially registered with the local education authority.

* Whether the registration type is International School/Private School or Learning Centre/Tutorial Centre.

⚠️ The risk lies in this: Some institutions operate full K-12 courses under the guise of training centers. While problems may not be immediately apparent, there are significant risks regarding graduation certificates, university pathways, and exam eligibility.

In short: A legitimate school should be traceable; if it can't be found, it's a risk in itself.

Real-life example: In 2020, parents consulted about a school in Chiang Mai called "Today International." Those who know, know; I won't elaborate. Parents frequently ask us about schools we've never heard of, and upon investigation—some lack operating licenses, while others are simply masquerading as legitimate institutions.

Second, is the curriculum officially authorized?

This is the second frequently encountered pitfall. Many schools will say, "We have IB," "We can offer A-Levels," "We also support AP."

But what you really need to check is only one thing: Is there official authorization? And to what level? For example:

* IB is divided into PYP / MYP / DP

* Cambridge also has phased authorization.

* AP requires a College Board school code.

⚠️ Common Misconceptions:

* Only authorized for lower grades, yet advertising "direct access to the higher grades."

* Offering related courses, but lacking the authority to administer exams.

In short: Courses can be "taught," but the system must be "recognized."

Third, regarding college placement results, don't just look at "the best-looking one." This is the part most easily amplified by marketing. Those Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford offers displayed on school websites are likely from one or two top students.

What you should care about is: Where did the median students go?

What truly matters are these three questions:

* How many students are in the entire grade? What percentage received offers from top universities?

* Where did those who didn't get into the top 30 go? How many students took a gap year or didn't get into any schools?

* Is the college placement data stable? What are the data for the past three years?

The real risk isn't "the lack of top students," but rather: can the majority of average children be reliably supported at this school?

Fourth, your child clearly had better options.

In recent years, we've received an increasing number of transfer applications, and the common complaint is that parents were clueless when they came to us; they just followed their friend's child to a particular school, only to find it wasn't what they wanted.

When we look at the child's report card, we see there are many good options. Bangkok alone has over 100 international schools, and parents, without doing their research and blindly following their friends, have chosen the least suitable option for their child.

If your friend isn't an expert, please take the time to consult professionals, and ideally, visit the school with your child in person.

Fifth, is the school "doing education" or "doing business"?

This is actually quite easy to determine. You can pay attention to:

* Understanding the background of the school owner. The temperament of educators and business people is different.

* Looking at the investment in teachers. A conscientious international school should have teacher costs accounting for at least 60% of its total costs. If it's lower than this, be wary. • Examine the expansion speed. Is the school frequently expanding its enrollment? Is it rapidly replicating multiple campuses? Is the enrollment rate far exceeding its teaching capacity?

As the saying goes, "It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person." Education is not a business for quick profits.

Do you know who the investors behind many established international schools in Thailand are? Bangkok Bank, the BTS Skytrain Group, and various wealthy families. International schools may be the least profitable part of their entire business empire. Those truly dedicated to education need passion and patience, not short-sighted profit-seeking.

Sixth, is the school's financial situation healthy?

This includes, but is not limited to:

* High expenditures on mandatory projects and activities

* Mandatory collection of tuition fees for one year or more

* Fundraising through foundations

If a school exhibits any of these characteristics, it's safe to assume its finances are under pressure, or even have serious underlying issues. Reputable international schools typically allow tuition payments to be made on a semesterly basis.

We have students in almost every international school. We can obtain firsthand feedback from parents about each specific school. If you have any questions about a particular school, please contact us.

IV. In Conclusion: Suitability is More Important than "Best"

The last, and most important, criterion is not "Is this school good or bad?", but rather: Is it suitable for your child and family?

Every school has a clearly defined "suitable group" and "unsuitable group." The real way to avoid pitfalls is not to choose the most expensive or most popular school, but to avoid a path that is incompatible with your family's financial situation.

Therefore, stop believing that "a good school = a good future."

Instead of pinning all your hopes on schools, focus more on cultivating your child's intrinsic motivation and creating a positive family environment for growth.

Schools are just tools; what truly determines a child's future is always the child themselves and you, the parents.

By clarifying these bottom lines, you can at least ensure that this 10% of variables doesn't go wrong.

If you, as a parent, have any further questions about school selection, you are welcome to register for the International Education Exhibition in Shanghai on March 28-29. Come and chat with me there!