Perhaps in the eyes of some parents, guardians will only help in emergencies; other parents think that guardians are just a formality. But in fact the role of a guardian is much greater than that. The role of a guardian includes:

1. Promote communication between parents and schools and help children secure school resources

British schools use English to communicate with parents, and written documents such as report cards and teacher comments are not exclusively written in Chinese. Add to this the eight-hour time difference, international long distances and other issues, and communication between schools and parents will face many difficulties. Guardians who are fluent in English can help parents communicate with the school and become a bridge between parents, schools and students. Although small class sizes are prevalent in the UK, it is difficult for schools to take care of every student, and sometimes they inevitably favor local students. With a guardian, you can help your child fight for their rights, such as changing classes and arranging a change of dormitory. In addition, the school holds 1-3 parent-teacher conferences every year. If parents are unable to attend, they can entrust their guardians to attend, ask questions and requests on their behalf, and provide feedback to parents on the teacher’s opinions.

2. Take care of children’s lives and guide their growth

The UK's education, climate, water and soil, lifestyle, interpersonal interactions, etc. are all very different from those in China. Even many graduate students in their twenties need a year and a half to adapt. In addition, young international students are still in adolescence and are not familiar with worldly affairs. They can easily feel lonely and homesick when they are alone outside, which makes them unable to concentrate on their studies. They may even make bad friends and develop bad habits.

Therefore, it is part of the guardian's responsibility to take care of the lives of young international students and help them handle police station registration, stationery purchase and other matters like parents. At the same time, guardians should also help children actively integrate into the new environment, regulate their psychological emotions, and cultivate correct values.

3. Pay attention to the child’s health condition and make appropriate arrangements for medical treatment

The bodies of young international students are still growing, and the British climate is cold, windy and rainy, which can easily make children with weak constitutions feel uncomfortable. Children at this stage don’t quite know how to take care of themselves. Therefore, it is another responsibility of the guardian to pay close attention to the child's physical condition and make a timely appointment with a GP (doctor) or private doctor for the child. The UK's NHS universal health insurance system basically provides free medical care, but the medical treatment process is complicated and time-consuming. If you don't know how to see a doctor, it's normal to have to wait in line for two or three weeks if you have strep throat. Therefore, it is very necessary to have a guardian who understands British medical care and has medical experience.

4. Reasonably arrange a total of 4 months of vacation per year

 There are many holidays in the UK, which can take up one-third of the whole year, including half-term holidays, Easter, summer vacation, Christmas, and Exeat (that is, dormitories have weekend holidays and students must leave school) up to 6 times a year. Except for winter and summer vacations, other holidays are neither long nor short. Children may not have time to go home, and parents may not be able to fly to the UK. So what should children do during their holidays? At this time, the guardian can arrange for the child to live with a host family. Homestays are often local British families, which is an excellent opportunity to learn English and a window to integrate into British culture. In addition, guardians can also find tutors for their children, assist their children in arranging travel transportation, accommodation and meals, and ensure their safety, or participate in volunteer, internship, scientific research and other activities to enrich their holiday life. When returning to China during the winter and summer vacations, the guardians mainly help the children select suitable air tickets, arrange transportation, and are always ready to deal with various problems during the journey.

It can be said that teachers are “parents at school” and guardians are “parents outside school”.

5. 24-hour emergency contact

Guardians are on call 24 hours a day to handle emergencies, such as sudden illness, traffic accidents, property damage, international flight delays, and campus situations, such as school violence, suspension, and dismissal. Professional guardians do not strictly have off-duty hours, their phones are always on, and they are located at most three hours' drive from the school. However, their role is still very important. After all, parents are far away from home. Who doesn’t want someone to come to their children as soon as possible to help them get out of trouble?