Posted 21 Jan 2010

People who are insular, shy and have a lack of faith in their abilities stand to gain the most from taking a gap year abroad, it has been claimed.

Vicky Tuck, principal of The Cheltenham Ladies’ College and former president of the Girls’ Schools Association, wrote in the Telegraph that "mollycoddled, inflexible and insular" people will find that a gap year shocks them into reality and makes them more self-sufficient.

"It’s no wonder that employers recognise the benefit of gap years as much for their character-forming value as for the worthwhile volunteering," she explained.

However, in order to make the most of these opportunities, the parents of younger gap year travellers must be willing to let their children go out into the world and explore it.

Ms Tuck advised guardians to turn their nervous energy to more practical matters, such as helping their offspring to find insurance and research vaccines.

Meanwhile, those who would like to volunteer abroad should start by browsing through the multitude of options available through travel expert i-to-i, Nicola Iseard wrote in the Guardian last week.

Category: General Travel