The International Schools Review Forum

hello,

This is my first time posting on the forum.

Does anyone have experience with Shekou International School in Shenzhen, China??? NOT the QSI school.

There are not any ISR reviews. I also tried many Expatriate blogs and or web sites and the News Week article but it's all rather secondary data.

Anything: opinions, stuff you may have heard, personal connections and or actual work experience...

I am an experienced Int'l school educator of 12 years but cannot get a feel for ISS- Shenzhen.

thanks

It is on my list.

My understanding is that it is a good school. It is a new school, and there is a heavy workload, as they build curriculum etc.

The fact that it is operated by ISS is a plus, as the package and facilities are very good.

In terms of Shenzhen, SIS is the school to work for. I worked for QSI and can tell you that even though QSI has more students, it is not because they are the better of the two.

Bob Dunseth, the SIS director, has been there for a number of years and because of this, has things at SIS humming along nicely. They have expanded campuses, and now have a separate HS facility (very nice). They have also just built a new outdoor sports facility as well.

I have several friends that have moved from QSI to SIS and tell me that it is a world apart.

Shekou itself is considered the "expatriate ghetto" as most expats live there and most never get out to experience China...they simply use the closeness to Hong Kong as a jump-off point to travel SE Asia. There is a great assortment of Western food in Shekou as well...

for info on Shenzhen, check out www.shenzhenbuzz.com and www.shenzhenparty.com

~gengrant

The school hires teachers who don't have university degrees and post them on the website as they do. When parents confronted the school director, Robert E. He lied about the facts. He said... in New Zealand, they call it a diploma, they don't call it a bachelors... Funny enough, there is another teacher who gratuated from the same university in New Zealand and taught at Shekou International. He got a bachelor degree from that university, not a diploma. I don't know how they get away from this kind of things nowadays when people can simply do an internet search and find out the truth.

Anyone have current information on the salary range at this school? Looking at the Search database, it says $45 000 for BA + 4 years, but also that teachers get taxed depending on their nationality. I've never heard of this happening at any other school. Any insight?

Taxation is determined by the tax treaty signed between your country and the host country. In absence, it will be local rates or whatever is determined by the host government. Some countries have tax arrangements that exempt certain professionals from tax. Teaching is usually one. Don't like paying more tax than me...well blame your government....

I have friends who were very happy at SIS. They enjoyed a decent salary and quality of life.

A previous poster mentioned Bob Dunseth. Bob's hard work and the work of his great staff helped to make this a great school. Sadly, Bob has since passed away.