The International Schools Review Forum

it might be tiring to do so, but i for one appreciate it.

there might be disagreements but in general it seems unlikely that teachers would place any of the schools listed into the third tier of schools, at least. so, thanks.

v.

Possibly true, but what is the point, past a certain point?
There are schools on that list where I would never want to work (just looking at school, disregarding location). There are schools off the list I would place higher.
We've never managed to agree what the tier system is meant to measure. Everyone has their own yardstick. Some combination, typically, of what the school offers to teachers and what the school offers to students, plus often some points for location, and even within that mushy construct, we don't agree on what's better.

The definition of a tier 1 school is one that pays a lot of money for the region. The location of the school is also of high importance, although can be overridden with enough money.

Put it this way - any school in Thailand that paid $50,000+ a year would be a first tier school, irrespective of management, curriculum, student body etc. The same wouldn't apply in Saudi Arabia as the location drags the school down the tier list.

And if you're talking about some high conflict dump zone like Afghanistan, well...sure you could in theory have a tier 1 school there, but the pay packet would have to be so obscene to justify that level of risk that in practice you never get a tier 1 school in countries like that.

Would the following credentials qualify a school as a 'tier 1' in the Middle-east (or anywhere else for that matter)?
- Location: Dubai
- Non-profit
- Salary: US$70,000 (no income tax)
- Top international health insurance cover
- Benefits: US$36,000 (out of which teacher pays for own housing & flights); the benefits package is payable to each person in a teaching couple
- IGCSE & IB curriculum with high-achieving students (IBDP average 35+)
- possibly 1% local student population

Tier 1 can change so quickly if a bad administrator arrives. I currently teach at one of these Tier 1 schools and feel that there are many good features, but some that also bring it down a peg or two. So Tier 1 is a completely malleable concept.