Geopolitical crisis and schooling: what to do when your child's school goes online during a pivotal year

This morning, a mother contacted me from Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Her two children attend international schools: one is sitting the IB next year, the other the IGCSEs. School has been online for weeks. The geopolitical situation in the region is uncertain. And she asked me the question dozens of families are asking in silence: « Should we send our children to Europe to finish their schooling? »

This question isn’t theoretical. It affects families in the Middle East today (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain), but it has affected families in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Hong Kong in recent years. And it will come back. It’s a structural reality of expat life in certain zones.

This article is a concrete decision guide for families living this situation right now.

First reflex: don’t decide in panic

The worst decision is one made under stress, in a single week. Pulling a child out of their school, repatriating them to Europe, enrolling them in a boarding school. These are heavy, expensive, and emotionally violent decisions for the child. They may be the right ones, but they must not be taken in a rush.

Rule #1: before making a move, evaluate the likely duration of the disruption. If it’s 2-3 weeks of online school, the impact on education is minimal. If it’s 3-6 months, it’s a real problem. If the situation is structurally unstable (risk of prolonged conflict, possible evacuation), you need a plan B now.

The 4 options, from least to most disruptive

Option 1 — Stay and optimise online schooling

For whom: families whose security situation is manageable, whose child is relatively autonomous, and whose online school is functioning reasonably.

What it involves:

• Accept that pedagogical quality will be lower than in-person (this is a fact, not a judgement)
• Set up a rigorous work framework at home: fixed hours, dedicated space, controlled screens
• If the child is preparing the IB: check that Internal Assessments and the Extended Essay can be completed online
• If the child is preparing the French Bac: contact the AEFE lycée to understand any exam accommodations
• Supplement with private online tutoring on critical subjects (maths, sciences, English)

Advantage: zero social disruption for the child, no uprooting. Risk: if the situation deteriorates, you won’t have a plan B in place.

Option 2 — Transfer to a school in a more stable neighbouring country

For whom: families who have relatives or contacts in a stable neighbouring country (UAE for families in Saudi Arabia, Jordan for families in Lebanon, etc.).

What it involves:

• Find a school that accepts mid-year transfers (many do in crisis situations)
• If the child is in IB: check that the new school is an accredited IB school and can integrate them into the same programme
• If the child is in British curriculum: IGCSEs are standardised, transfers are generally smooth
• Manage temporary housing (family, flatshare, residence)
• Budget: tuition + temporary housing, potentially €3,000-8,000 per month depending on the country

Advantage: same curriculum continuity, limited disruption. Risk: high cost, emotional instability from changing environment mid-year.

Option 3 — Repatriation to France (or Europe)

For whom: families with a family anchor in France (grandparents, aunts/uncles, family home) and whose child speaks French fluently.

Two sub-options:

3a — Enrolment in a French public lycée

• Free (except boarding, ~€2,000-3,000/year)
• The child joins the French system: French Bac, Parcoursup the following year
• The trap: if the child was in IB or British curriculum, switching to the French system mid-year is brutal — different programmes, different methods, grades don’t transfer
• When it’s relevant: the child was already in an AEFE French lycée abroad → transfer to a mainland French lycée is smooth (same programme, same Bac)

3b — Enrolment in a French private boarding school

• Cost: €8,000-25,000/year depending on the school
• Examples: Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (international sections), École des Roches, Lycée Ermitage, some Jesuit or defence boarding schools
• Advantage: full supervision, the child is looked after 24/7
• Risk: significant culture shock if the child has never lived in France

Option 4 — Boarding school in the United Kingdom

For whom: families whose child is in British curriculum (IGCSE, A-levels) or IB, with strong English, and a comfortable budget.

What it involves:

• British boarding schools are the most experienced in the world at welcoming international students mid-year — it’s their core business
• Cost: £30,000-50,000/year (€35,000-58,000), all-inclusive (tuition + boarding + meals)
• The child continues the same curriculum (IGCSE, A-levels, or IB if the school offers it)
• Transfer possible even mid-year for boarding schools with available places
• Visa: no specific visa needed if the child holds a French or EU passport

Advantage: curriculum continuity, structured and supportive environment, British boarding school expertise in emergency intake. Risk: very high cost, long physical separation (the child doesn’t come home every weekend), emotional shock of departure.

The IB-specific case: what you need to know urgently

If your child is in the IB Diploma (the last two years), an interruption is particularly critical because:

1. Internal Assessments (IAs) count for 20-30% of the final grade and must be supervised by an IB-accredited teacher
2. The Extended Essay requires an official IB supervisor
3. Final exams (May) are organised by the IBO and cannot be taken « freelance »

Consequence: an IB student who leaves their school must be transferred to another accredited IB school to continue the programme. They cannot finish the IB at home or in a non-IB school.

List of IB schools in France: check the official IBO site filtered by « France » + « Diploma Programme ». There are about 25 IB schools in France (Paris, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Lille, etc.).

List of IB boarding schools in the UK: the choice is much wider (~200 IB schools, including most major boarding schools).

The French Bac / AEFE-specific case

If your child attends a French AEFE lycée abroad:

• Transfer to a mainland French lycée is the simplest administratively: same programme, same Bac, same spécialités
• Contact the rectorat of the target académie — they have emergency procedures for repatriations
• The child can also enrol in CNED (France’s national distance learning centre) temporarily, while waiting for an in-person place
• Bac exams are organised by the ministry — in case of crisis in the exam zone, AEFE organises replacement centres or accommodated online exams

What I tell families who contact me in an emergency

1. Don’t compare yourself to families who stay. Every family situation is unique. Leaving isn’t « abandoning », staying isn’t « reckless ». It’s an individual calculation.

2. The child needs to be included in the decision, especially at 15-17. A teenager pulled without explanation from their environment, friends, and landmarks, without having had a say, risks an emotional collapse that will weigh heavier than 3 months of online school.

3. Start with the most reversible steps. Register with CNED (reversible), contact boarding schools about available places (reversible), contact the rectorat (reversible). Don’t cancel the lease or de-enrol the child until the plan B is confirmed.

4. The emotional cost is also a cost. A boarding school transfer costs €35,000/year but also 12 months of family separation. Factor this into your calculation, not just the financial one.

5. A schooling interruption of a few months rarely ruins an education, even in a pivotal year. Universities, exam systems, and admission panels are used to atypical files. A student who lived through a geopolitical crisis and bounced back is a more interesting profile, not a weaker one, than a student with a linear trajectory.

Key takeaways

• Don’t decide in panic — evaluate the likely duration of the disruption before acting.
• 4 options from least to most disruptive: optimise online, regional transfer, France repatriation, UK boarding school.
• For an IB student: the transfer must be to an accredited IB school (the programme cannot be completed freelance).
• For a French Bac / AEFE student: transfer to a mainland lycée is the smoothest option (same programme).
• Include the child in the decision, especially if they’re 15+.
• Start with reversible steps (CNED, boarding school inquiries, rectorat contact) before burning bridges.
• A few months’ interruption doesn’t ruin an education — universities know how to read an atypical path.

Going further

• IBO — Find an IB School (filter by country)
• AEFE — French schools abroad network
• CNED — mid-year enrolment
• Binational families: how to navigate between two systems
• IB Diploma: adapting your application to 3 systems
• United Arab Emirates country guide

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Article written by Constantin Mardoukhaev, co-founder of Axiom Academic. Constantin supports francophone expat families in complex orientation situations — including when geopolitical urgency disrupts school choices.