I found this news quite surprising, as I have always thought that sending a child to boarding school would be much more expensive than other alternatives.
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live away from their family.
Tthis article suggests that more parents are saving money by doing just this! Personally, I would never want my children to go to boarding school as I wouldn't like to miss any of their childhood stages. What do you think? Is boarding school a better option for some children and parents? After you have completed the gaps with the correct missing word, let me know your opinion.
Lesson by Caroline
Rising numbers of young children are being sent to boarding schools as recession-hit parents are forced to work longer hours in the downturn, it emerged today. Figures show almost 14,000 pupils aged seven to 13 are boarding at private preparatory schools in Britain this year – an increase of more than five per cent in just 12 months. More schools are also building _1_ boarding facilities to cater for rising demand among parents, it was revealed.
School leaders claim that parents are attracted by "the value of the experience", insisting it promotes greater _2_ among children and develops social and organisational skills.
But it was claimed that the rise may also be driven by the economic climate, with mothers and fathers _3_ to work increasingly long hours to make ends meet.
David Hanson, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), said many families saw boarding as a cheaper _4_ to hiring a full-time nanny.
Some parents are also attracted by the rise in "flexi-boarding" – flexible arrangements that allow children to stay for few nights a week without making a full-time _5_
Boarding is believed to be much cheaper than many forms of childcare, with a full-time nanny in parts of the south-east costing as much as £40,000 after tax. One headmaster said: "Busy professionals are realising the _6_ of sending their children to these schools, which offer excellent facilities, healthcare, education and social environments, that can give them complete peace of mind, rather than paying for a nanny of uncertain quality." He added: "Paying a nanny is terrifyingly expensive. You don't tend to think about it at the time as you pay it in monthly or weekly chunks, but when you _7_ it over the year you're staggered by how much you've spent."
Mr Hanson said that flexi-boarding was the "major driver" of the rising demand.
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