Pros And Cons

[chercheur888]

Hi there,

arriving soon in Phuket and would like some pro and cons about the mentioned schools for a 8 year old.

I am not rich and not poor, but it seems that BSI is a bit out of reach.

Thank you for your information's.

[soandso]

Hi,

I can't comment on any of the schools, but I would like to give you some serious advice about educational services on Phuket in general especially when it comes to homeschooling and foreign teachers.

First of all please be careful about any teaching offers in general that do not take part in an institutional and visible sorrounding. Government or private school with many classrooms, teachers, and activities visible to everyone are always to be preferred regarding "security" aspects.

When dealing with foreign teachers always (always!!!) ask for a recent criminal background check from their home country as well as proof for their educational qualification, no matter if they work at government institutions, private schools, Montessori or somewhere else.

Especially when it comes to homeschooling services extra caution has to be strongly recommended!

Next to this the quality of teaching is of course very important. If you and your kid(s) will stay here for limited time then stay away from the government schools. They will not educate your child to be fit for life in western societies but do everything to turn it into a functional member within this society.

It it the right of every parent (and duty of every school administrator) to make sure that their (foreign and Thai) teachers are qualified as professionals and persons but sadly this can't be guaranteed for all schooling places on Phuket at the moment.

To be honest it can't be guaranteed anywhere in the world but in Thailand/on Phuket you will have to be extra careful!

So please take care of this yourself.

And don't just ask parents about their experiences with schools. Ask their kids as well and listen between the lines ...

Best luck!

Hi there,

arriving soon in Phuket and would like some pro and cons about the mentioned schools for a 8 year old.

I am not rich and not poor, but it seems that BSI is a bit out of reach.

Thank you for your information's.

[baabaabobo]

I send my little fella to BIS (ex-Dulwich)and agree that it is very expensive BUT in terms of quality of education I believe it is the best the island has to offer.

QSI is a little cheaper and follows the American system but having "like, you know" met the "like, you know" kids that go there it's "like totally" not on my list.

Montessori have quite a good reputation but I believe they only have a primary school and do many lessons on the beach.

If you really cannot afford the BIS an alternative would be Kajonkiet Suka which although Thai has many farang teachers and uses English as the teaching language.

At the end of the day remember that this is your child's future so pay as much as you can afford.

This link gives further information : http://www.phuketmagazine.com/PM_Issues/Vo...hools_Guide.htm

[steelepulse]

Any idea of cost and facilites at QSI?  I couldn't find any info about cost or facilities on their site.

[ozymandious]

One other option not mentioned here yet is Horizons Learning Center.

It's a small experimental privet school with low student to teacher ratio. Teaching is done completely in English with qualified instructors.

more info can be found here Horizons-Phuket.com

Edited July 16, 2007 by ozymandious

[baabaabobo]

One other option not mentioned here yet is Horizons Learning Center.

It's a small experimental privet school with low student to teacher ratio. Teaching is done completely in English with qualified instructors.

more info can be found here Horizons-Phuket.com

Yes but this is a kindergarten/pre-school which takes kids from 18 months to 6 years old (now 8).

The OP's kid is already 8 and will need a primary education...

[chercheur888]

Thank you for your replies so far. I agree of course that education is more or less priceless, but is the education at BSI 100% better than the 2 others, because the price is double compared to the others?

[ozymandious]

One other option not mentioned here yet is Horizons Learning Center.

It's a small experimental privet school with low student to teacher ratio. Teaching is done completely in English with qualified instructors.

more info can be found here Horizons-Phuket.com

Yes but this is a kindergarten/pre-school which takes kids from 18 months to 6 years old (now 8).

The OP's kid is already 8 and will need a primary education...

yes the Pre-k and Kindergarten aspect has been funning for awhile now as green house. after the sentence you quoated is the group i was refering to for the OP's child. "We also manage a homeschooling group of students ages 10 – 14"

It's this middle school group I was referring too.

Ultimately chercheur should talk to every school possible and become the best informed he can before making his decision.

[Goldenbead]

My kids go to Horizons. They are 12 and 8. I would recommend this school very highly. As mentioned before, they have a low teacher to student ratio and their program is based on the Primary Years Program of the International Baccalaureate (sp) Organisation. They are about to enter the pre-authorisation phase for accreditation.

All the teachers are very well qualified and the service given to families is very personal. E-mail [email protected] for further information.

Good luck with your decision.

[fiddlehead]

I too have been looking at the options here in Phuket.

My son is only 2 so I have some time before he goes to school.

I have decided to go with the Montesorri school near Chalong. (Rawaii)

I believe in their philosophy and have been to the school to check it out a few times.

The kids amazed me in how they were so into what they were learning at the time and although were very polite to me when I spoke to them, they did not seem to be bothered by others and were very focused.

I was impressed. I noticed someone said they teach on the beach. Yes, they are right on the waterfront but there is a locked gate to the beach.

I believe a child's learning years between 2 and 8 are the most important in their life. So, even though it seems a lot of money, i will sacrifice during those years and pay what i have to for my child to hopefully be like those children that i saw there.