Hi! First time using this forum...
My husband and I taught overseas (Kuwait and Mexico) and then came home to have our children. They are now 4 and 7 and we are ready to go back overseas. Now, though, I'm really picky about where I want to take my kids. Can anyone tell me about a school they have been at that is really great for family life? We do want to make half decent money, would like a school with low turnover (friends, etc) and would like good healthcare. Also, safety counts. I know - I want perfection! Anyway, if anyone has some good recomendations, please let me know.
Thanks.
Finding a Family Friendly School
Rather than providing specific names of schools, though Vientiane International School in Lao was a wonderful school for my 6, 7 and 10 year olds, I would suggest a number of criteria for you to use when looking at schools.
1. Where are most of the students that attend the school from? If they are mostly host country nationals this might pose some problems for your kids.
2. What is the health care system like in the city/country where the school is located? You would be amazed at how stressful worrying about healthcare can be. We once thought my youngest son had been bitten by a snake, but the nearest health care was across the river in Thailand and out of reach in the time we had. Luckily nothing came of it.
3. Are there school based activities for your kids? I know we would all like lives outside of school and off school grounds but having activities at school makes your life a lot easier. I mean more than simple after school activities as well. A real community based school offers all sorts of things for students to do. A non community based school empties out at 3:30. This is probably even more true as your kids get older.
4. What is the educational philosophy of the school. Believe me when I say they are not all the same. We recently left a school that has an inherently flawed system which didn't do our sons any academic favors.
5. Does the school recognize dependents in their package? Are all flights covered, is all tuition paid, is busing provided, relocation etc?
6. Are holidays affordable? We are now in a situation where going anywhere is costing us more than what we would like. I wish we had done a little bit more investigation before we signed on, not that this is a deal killer but lets face it most of us enjoy our holidays.
7. Can you get adequate housing for a family of 4? We have a really nice apartment right now but its my first experience in an apartment and I really prefer a house with a yard. Where will your housing be in relation to the school, can the kids walk? Will you be able to afford after school care if necessary?
8. Does the school employ other families? I don't think I would like to be the only working parent on a staff. Having principals with kids in the school is an added bonus.
9. Don't necessarily write off small schools, or schools in out of the way places because they are sometimes the diamonds in the rough. At the same time don't always assume that large schools will meet the needs of your kids.
These are only my thoughts. We have had an amazing adventure with our kids overseas and wish you the best of luck in your search.
1. Where are most of the students that attend the school from? If they are mostly host country nationals this might pose some problems for your kids.
2. What is the health care system like in the city/country where the school is located? You would be amazed at how stressful worrying about healthcare can be. We once thought my youngest son had been bitten by a snake, but the nearest health care was across the river in Thailand and out of reach in the time we had. Luckily nothing came of it.
3. Are there school based activities for your kids? I know we would all like lives outside of school and off school grounds but having activities at school makes your life a lot easier. I mean more than simple after school activities as well. A real community based school offers all sorts of things for students to do. A non community based school empties out at 3:30. This is probably even more true as your kids get older.
4. What is the educational philosophy of the school. Believe me when I say they are not all the same. We recently left a school that has an inherently flawed system which didn't do our sons any academic favors.
5. Does the school recognize dependents in their package? Are all flights covered, is all tuition paid, is busing provided, relocation etc?
6. Are holidays affordable? We are now in a situation where going anywhere is costing us more than what we would like. I wish we had done a little bit more investigation before we signed on, not that this is a deal killer but lets face it most of us enjoy our holidays.
7. Can you get adequate housing for a family of 4? We have a really nice apartment right now but its my first experience in an apartment and I really prefer a house with a yard. Where will your housing be in relation to the school, can the kids walk? Will you be able to afford after school care if necessary?
8. Does the school employ other families? I don't think I would like to be the only working parent on a staff. Having principals with kids in the school is an added bonus.
9. Don't necessarily write off small schools, or schools in out of the way places because they are sometimes the diamonds in the rough. At the same time don't always assume that large schools will meet the needs of your kids.
These are only my thoughts. We have had an amazing adventure with our kids overseas and wish you the best of luck in your search.
ACST
I've heard good things about the American Cooperative School of Tunis. It's a small school, in a safe location. I'd give it a good look:
http://www.acst.net/acst2007/
http://www.acst.net/acst2007/
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E.B. White
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:41 am
- Location: International School, South America
family friendly
While there are some very valid points listed above, I'll just add my two cents. As an international school teacher and parent of two, I would be MUCH more concerned with how family friendly the city you are going to is. Our school is, if anything, too family friendly - many times to the point where it feels like a mortal sin not to participate in things and commit to beinng at the school seven days a week. The only major thing as far as the school is concerned, is the type and location of the housing to which you are assigned. We have a beautiful, huge apartment, but many weekends our kids (the youngest in particular) seem to be under house arrest, because our housing (near the school) is nowhere near any friends' houses or apartments (outlying, tonier suburbs), and the city in which we live is not at all family-friendly unless you like malls. Since many administrators are well past the age where they are raising children or even remember what that was like, you would be well-advised to ask to speak to teachers with children before making a final commitment. We are relocating to a new school in August, and family-friendliness OFF school grounds was our highest priority. We think we found what we were looking for.
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jackieewing
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:54 pm
The Prem Centre
Jackieewing,
The Prem centre is an absolutely lovely campus which would be quite good in a lot of ways for families (kids could have a lot of freedom to roam around etc). I've never worked there but I have visited and talked to teachers there. Some of what they said were
1. The weather. It rains A LOT at times. Not so great if you are stuck indoors all the time.
2. The housing. Some of the people with kids felt that that housing was a bit cramped.
3. The workload. Quite a few complaints that it was too high. I think that you get extra boarding responsibilities etc.
4. The location. It is about 25 min out of Chiang Mai. That means if you want to go into town you either need to work round the buses or buy your own transport.
Like I said, this is all based on what I was told. I've never worked there. What I can say is that the location and the setting are beautiful (clean air etc) and if I had kids I think I'd definitely rather them be living there than in a city somewhere.
I considered applying for a job there myself but decided against it because I think I would go a little stir crazy living on campus and being around the same people all the time...that's just me though.
The Prem centre is an absolutely lovely campus which would be quite good in a lot of ways for families (kids could have a lot of freedom to roam around etc). I've never worked there but I have visited and talked to teachers there. Some of what they said were
1. The weather. It rains A LOT at times. Not so great if you are stuck indoors all the time.
2. The housing. Some of the people with kids felt that that housing was a bit cramped.
3. The workload. Quite a few complaints that it was too high. I think that you get extra boarding responsibilities etc.
4. The location. It is about 25 min out of Chiang Mai. That means if you want to go into town you either need to work round the buses or buy your own transport.
Like I said, this is all based on what I was told. I've never worked there. What I can say is that the location and the setting are beautiful (clean air etc) and if I had kids I think I'd definitely rather them be living there than in a city somewhere.
I considered applying for a job there myself but decided against it because I think I would go a little stir crazy living on campus and being around the same people all the time...that's just me though.
Blended Families
Premcenter is a family. Some liken it to a community.
package
Of course you need to consider what the package is like too since you've got to make enough to live on.
I looked at Uplands in Malaysia but their package was just too low. Don't think it would be much fun to try living there with kids on what they were offering.
I looked at Uplands in Malaysia but their package was just too low. Don't think it would be much fun to try living there with kids on what they were offering.
American Community School of Abu Dhabi!
Great school, location, package and kid friendly.