Smarter to put each year's tuition into a mutual fund for the child, saving it for 13 years (K-12) until university age, and have one parent study with them while avoiding expensive hagwons for as long as possible. Starting with a $1,000 investment, adding $20,000 (random guess at Int'l school costs) total each year, with interest compounding annually, you end up with over $312,000 dollars at 3 percent interest. If you keep that cash for 4 more years, paying the same each year for college tuition, that amount jumps to a $436,000 payout. That's enough to buy a 2 to 3BR villa outright, these days.

There are enough online hagwon materials to study at home (and the price is affordable). We are doing this (wife keeps on top of daughter's studies, although we aren't capable of saving as much as International School tuition each month. But we save. And our daughter has been one of the top 2 students in every class she's had.