The International Schools Review Forum

Is there anyone who has taught / is teaching there?

I would like to know about the school. Is it a good place to work in?

There is a comment on the other school in Ulaanbaatar (International School of Ulaanbaatar) but not this one.

Any information would be most welcome.

Thank you,
Wendy

ASU is currently in its first year and is owned by Mongolian business people, some of whom may be parents.

The Principal has to refer certain decisions to a consultant in Canada who then consults with the Board. This can slow the decision making process down somewhat.

Because the school is new, money seems to be an issue and the package doesn't compare to other schools in the region - eg 11 month contract.

Many of their staff have little international experience, which is also true of ISU.

Most of their students are Mongolian, from Upper Middle class to Wealthy families. Maybe about 10% Korean students.

It is very much an ESL environment, if you have little experience in this area consider it a great learning opportunity.

The Mongolian people are great, although the country is still coming to terms with its post Soviet life. Consequently there are a range of social issues which will take a long time to resolve.

Thank you so much for your input.

Do you know whether the money issue is reflected in a lack of resources. From what I have read there will not be local educational supplies.

Also, do you know whether the majority of the teachers are happy in the work environment?

Thanks
Wendy

I don't know how the money issue affects teaching resources.

I think quite a few of their teachers are leaving this year, they are advertising for about 6 positions on TIE.

The Principal, Frank Cullison, seems a nice guy so I don't know if people are leaving because of the school, the contract, the city or the climate.

Because its a brand new school there will be organisational teething problems, but the building is new, they have a nice gym and a small indoor pool.

Staff accommodation is on the school grounds, 1 minute from the school building - which is a huge advantage in winter when the temperatures can drop to minus 40. It also means you don't have to rely on public transport or the school bus to get to or from school.

I think the greatest challenge at the ASU is probably the level of English of the students, and the contract. They were only starting to recruit in March/April this year, which tells me that either the Consultant in Canada feels that the kind of teachers he's looking for are best found later in the year or that he doesn't have a good sense of the hurdles facing international schools in Mongolia. I suspect the latter.

I was keen to work ASU but because of the package and that they were only looking at recruiting in March I accepted a position elsewhere. A great pity.

Thank you once again for your insight. I really appreciate it.

Wendy

Hi Wendy(or anyone else interested)
Great to see you are asking questions and doing some research! I am currently teaching at the American School of Ulaanbaatar and would have no problem answering any of your questions. Email me at kdoongd@yahoo.ca and ask away!

I've been looking at the ads for this school that have recently appeared on TIE again. Interesting to read about the situation as it was last year.

Does anyone know if the situation has improved at all / significantly over the last 12 months?

I realise that working in Mongolia is unlikely to be the lap of luxury, but is the working environment a positive one? That can make the difference between tough external features being things that can be put up with rather than the straw that broke the camel's back.

Thanks for any further insights.