The International Schools Review Forum

Hello folks,

I've been reading this forum for a bit and am wondering about the housing that schools provide and I look forward to reading about your experiences. I aim to teach internationally (hopefully in Europe) in the Fall of 2010.

I know housing varies from country to country, and school to school, and I am not expecting 5 star hotel luxury accommodations. However, I am curious to learn more about what to expect - will it be 4 white walls with minimum furniture and outdated appliances or will it be an environment that is somewhat comparable to a typical apartment in the U.S. I've researched a lot of international schools and although some mention that housing is provided or subsidized, I have not encountered any that describes or has pictures of their housing.

I am not sure if we can post pictures here and since pictures sometimes say a thousand words, I will gladly furnish my email if you have pictures to share.

Thank you again and I hope we get many responses :)

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At my school housing is subsidized. Upon arrival we were assigned local buddies to help us find decent housing in safe parts of town. I found a nice little furnished place that is less than the subsidy amount; the leftover money pays for Internet and utilities. Others decided to get bigger places above the subsidy so they could have family and friends stay with them.

The deal breaker for me with school housing would be if singles were required to share.

As you accurately stated, housing varies by country and school. We have been fortunate to have more than adequate housing at all our schools, ranging from a townhouse located in the "burbs" and a 20 minute drive from school, to a 3 bedroom home with yard within biking distance of school, to our most recent post a 3 bedroom apartment located within walking distance of the school.

Some schools will have housing for you, some will have housing for the first year and then expect you to find your own, some will supply a housing allowance. Some schools will provide extensive help in finding a house while others might not be so helpful.

I would definitely ask questions around housing during any interview you have. Does the school provide housing or simply an allowance or will you have a choice? Do current teachers find that the allowance covers the cost of housing, it doesn't in some cities? How will your transportation needs be affected by your housing situation? What do houses/apartments generally come furnished with? Does the school provide a relocation allowance (setting up a household is very expensive). Where are the amenities in relation to the housing, the nearest grocery store of any size or affordability at my current post is a 30 minute taxi ride away.

As you know housing is so important because it will serve as your retreat from school and it needs to be right for you.

At the previous school i was at, they provided half of the housing allowance but due to the high cost of living, we lost almost 70% of our salary.

Best to hold another job in addition to teaching.

what school twinkle toes?

I was lucky. In the 1990's, I taught in Austria. I had a huge private suite with a balcony overlooking the ski slopes. The suite was free. All of our meals were buffet, delicious, and more than I could ever eat. Meals were free. We didn't pay taxes and the work load was a breeze. Unfortunately, the school went bankrupt and closed, but it was one of the best experiences of my teaching career. There were other schools in the area; their teachers had the same deal and loved their schools. It wouldn't bother me if my living conditions weren't up to American standards. In my experience, I found that I wasn't in my room that much anyway except to sleep at night. As long as a room is clean and warm, I'm fine.