Overall, it seemed pretty decent. There were an abundance of schools/jobs, with many of them from the Middle East. Not sure where you want to go, but there was a good number of reps from Southeast Asia as well.

The ratio seemed good, I would say that it favored the attendees.

The location was good, but the facilities were small...the attendee reception rooms were crowded. There are four elevators, so wait time wasn't bad. The signup session was extremely crowded, with lines getting mixed up often. Part of the reason for this was schools who put a representative out front to screen applicants - they allowed those deemed "worthy" to go to the table to sign up for interviews, while others were turned away. It is a good system, but made for very crowded conditions.

I can't comment on the other fairs, as this was my one and only...but others might be able to enlighten you and give you a chance to compare...

Best of luck.

Shekou International School is the better of the two International Schools in Shekou...the other one is QSI...

SIS has been in existence longer, but has a smaller student body...there are many rumors as to why, including that they charge more ($17,000 per year vs. $11,000 for QSI) and that they have more stringent admission policies (QSI seems to accept anyone and everyone).

The curriculum at SIS is more grounded in what would be considered an 'American' system, with QSI's being centered around the Mastery Learning model...

The facilities at SIS have been upgraded...a year or two ago I would have given the edge here to QSI, but SIS has just moved their MS and HS into a brand new building and they have upgraded their existing facilities. QSI has moved their Preschool into a new building, and is in the process of remodeling...but they are still in a five story renovated shopping center...with two elevators that move slow...be prepared to climb lots of stairs at QSI...

The Directors at both schools have issues...I give the edge here again to SIS...the QSI director is two-faced and quick to point the finger of blame at anyone but himself...he finds scapegoats anywhere he can and will never accept responsibility, but on the other hand is quick to take the credit for any and all successes that occur. At SIS, the director can be very strict, but he is also fair and non-judgemental...while I agree with the previous poster that the SIS director can be a bit on the 'weird' side, he does a great job of keeping staff morale up...something I can't say for the QSI director.

Both schools are located in what is deemed the expat ghetto, and unless you make a concerted effort to get out whenever possible, it is easy to fall into the rut of hanging out with the westerners all the time, at school and away from school...

Hope this helps in some small way...

Cheers -n- Beers

:-)

Well, I don't know about which one is best, but I can tell you which one to stay away from (for the time being)...

Shekou, China!

The Director there is supposedly a seasoned administrator, yet has very poor management skills. He bullies the staff and this past year QSI - Shekou had its greatest level of teacher turnover in its history...25% to 30%!

Shekou is a great place to live, and if you can avoid contact with the director, the other people there are excellent, but based solely on the director, I would stay away from there.

Best of luck with QSI...they really are a decent company to work for.

:-)

are people either 1)too scared to talk about QSI schools? or 2)not versed on QSI schools?

I can't believe that with all the International educators out there, that no one is familiar enough with QSI to give more input. I'm guessing it must be #1 then...

Are you people really that scared of speaking up?

All I'm looking for is information (and some honest opinions)...

I'm looking for any information on The British School of Brussels, Belgium. I've been to their website, but was wondering if anyone had any other info to share. Thanks.

Sorry, BeenThere...didn't mean to scare you off...I truly am just looking for info...

are you still with QSI, or have you moved on? also, what region were you in with QSI? I'm interested in learning more. Thanks.