Schools In Koh Samui

[maccaroni man]

One school that manages to stay under the radar is the samui centre of learning, their new building already has the second floor completed and should be ready to move in by april. this is a very good school with the lowest tuition, real teachers and british curriculum i.e. 2 children 65k per term and they are not affraid to play footbal against blue water.

What, as opposed to fake one's at the other School's ??

many fakes at many schools

[MSingh]

One school that manages to stay under the radar is the samui centre of learning, their new building already has the second floor completed and should be ready to move in by april. this is a very good school with the lowest tuition, real teachers and british curriculum i.e. 2 children 65k per term and they are not affraid to play footbal against blue water.

What, as opposed to fake one's at the other School's ??

many fakes at many schools

Serious allegation there Mr Maccaroni...

[Gforbes]

I have read with interest the comments concerning the choice of education facilities on Samui. I am planning to move to Samui early in 2010 and I am seeking an education for my 11 year old daughter. I can choose Samui or a boarding school, so I have a broader choice than some. My daughter has been educated wholly within the 'International School' school system, with emphasis on IB, in China. I have not found anyone offering IB in Samui, which I find a little disappointing. IB gives a far greater 'international' qualification and one that is accepted worldwide and within the 'international school' community. The IGCSE base seems very narrow if I were to move to another country where there is less UK influence (like China). I note that most of the comments were made some time ago and I would like to hear how Open Gates new campus is proceeding, if Bluewaters has obtained their accreditation and any general, but non-partisan please, comments on these two schools and any others that may have opened.

[koheesti]

I note that most of the comments were made some time ago and I would like to hear how Open Gates new campus is proceeding, if Bluewaters has obtained their accreditation and any general, but non-partisan please, comments on these two schools and any others that may have opened.

Didn't Open Gates close earlier this year?

[carlitos_way]

I have read with interest the comments concerning the choice of education facilities on Samui. I am planning to move to Samui early in 2010 and I am seeking an education for my 11 year old daughter. I can choose Samui or a boarding school, so I have a broader choice than some. My daughter has been educated wholly within the 'International School' school system, with emphasis on IB, in China. I have not found anyone offering IB in Samui, which I find a little disappointing. IB gives a far greater 'international' qualification and one that is accepted worldwide and within the 'international school' community. The IGCSE base seems very narrow if I were to move to another country where there is less UK influence (like China). I note that most of the comments were made some time ago and I would like to hear how Open Gates new campus is proceeding, if Bluewaters has obtained their accreditation and any general, but non-partisan please, comments on these two schools and any others that may have opened.

Bluewater, hands down best School on the Island.

If they have obtaioned this or that, i don't know, but it's the best School on the Island, certainly for an 11 Year Old too.

[maccaroni man]

i agree that the IB is a far superior program than the cambridge. If you have the option of boarding and do not mind being away from your daughter then you will be doing her a great service by enrolling her in an accredited, fully certified school. To date no schools in samui have recieved the international accredidation however the small school in lamia will most likley be the first to accomplish this unfortunalty they can only handle children to age 12. Blue water imo is still a work in progress even if the fees do not reflect this fact. i recently had a parent who also had a daughter the same age as yours looking at a project here but he took a pass as he felt his daughet would not be happy with the lack of extra activities i.e. horse back riding, school band etc... all the things that the bigger schools offer.

[Comehome]

What about Panyadee school?

Have only seen the signs by the main road, other than that i don't know anything about them.

Does anyone know anything about them?

/comehome

[MSingh]

What about Panyadee school?

Have only seen the signs by the main road, other than that i don't know anything about them.

Does anyone know anything about them?

/comehome

Yeah, their costings are on a Par ( maybe a little less but not a lot ) with Bluewater yet the School, it's facilities & everything else to do with it are nowhere near as good as Bluewater.

[brzy]

oon-rak Nathon (kindergarten) and now oon-rak primary school, Maenam, i have 2 children attending ( 1 at each). 60-40 English teaching and runs the Thai semesters (2 per year).

[limbos]

brzy,

What are the prizes per semester at oon-rak Nathon and Maenam?

[maccaroni man]

brzy,

What are the prizes per semester at oon-rak Nathon and Maenam?

we have a family friend who has put 2 children in oon rak maenam, she is very happy and it is the lowest cost on the island for this type of school. about half the price of lamai which is half the price of BW

[MSingh]

brzy,

What are the prizes per semester at oon-rak Nathon and Maenam?

we have a family friend who has put 2 children in oon rak maenam, she is very happy and it is the lowest cost on the island for this type of school. about half the price of lamai which is half the price of BW

What is she very happy with then, the fact that she pays 75% less fee's than she would at BW or she pays 50% less than she would in Lamai ??

Or of course it could be of course that she's just very happy with the School ??

[maccaroni man]

brzy,

What are the prizes per semester at oon-rak Nathon and Maenam?

we have a family friend who has put 2 children in oon rak maenam, she is very happy and it is the lowest cost on the island for this type of school. about half the price of lamai which is half the price of BW

What is she very happy with then, the fact that she pays 75% less fee's than she would at BW or she pays 50% less than she would in Lamai ??

Or of course it could be of course that she's just very happy with the School ??

of course she is happy with the fees, but she is very happy with the staff, the location and the education that her children are being given btw she was also very happy in lamai but distance and time away from home were a factor in moving her children.

[DeannaHiorns]

I'm Just wondering if any of you guys could help me.. one i just signed upto this site like 10minutes ago to try and find some answers so please be paitient with me if i've done this all wrong

Soo anyway the real reason is..

Im a 17year old girl living with my father in Koh Samui, i have 10 GCSE's all B grade and above.. but i really would like to do my A-Levels so i can go onto university, but i cant seem to find a school (international) that provides education for any children after the age of 16. Schools such as blue water and open gate only seem to go upto GCSE's and after that where do these children go? please please please help me..

i'd really appreciate it.

Deanna

[Rooo]

I'm Just wondering if any of you guys could help me.. one i just signed upto this site like 10minutes ago to try and find some answers so please be paitient with me if i've done this all wrong

Soo anyway the real reason is..

Im a 17year old girl living with my father in Koh Samui, i have 10 GCSE's all B grade and above.. but i really would like to do my A-Levels so i can go onto university, but i cant seem to find a school (international) that provides education for any children after the age of 16. Schools such as blue water and open gate only seem to go upto GCSE's and after that where do these children go? please please please help me..

i'd really appreciate it.

Deanna

Firstly let me say, welcome to Thaivisa.

Regarding your question,I doubt if you will find anything on Samui, but then I could be wrong. I suggest, you direct your question on HERE & see what response & advise you might get. I am sure you aren't the only one in that predicament.

Good luck.

[JimShortz]

Hi Deanna,

I'm afraid you are out of luck. You would need to go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai to get a school that would offer you the A levels that you would like to study for!

Sorry about the bad news...

[Boo]

you could contact the UK education department about doing A levels remotely/home schooling & speak with somewhere like Bluewater about getting tutors & whether they would be prepared or able to assist in exams. Otherwise as others have said, Samui doesn't yet offer A level education facilities.

[brd]

I was a teacher on Samui although I wasn't at either school, I heard many good things about Bluewater but rarely very much about Open Gates. I think they only recently opened up a primary section and Blue Water in turn have only recently opened up a secondary. Blue Water was started by dissatisfied parents on the island, and I hear the PTA is still very strong (whether that is a good thing or not I don't know!). But their facilities are good and there are very good reports about the standard of teaching.

I would say though that following the British curriculum leaves little time for anything else and the one negative I have heard is from parents of mixed nationality children who would like their children to have a more bilingual education. The children will miss out on some aspects of Thai culture by being in an international school - there is so much that children learn at school besides the set lessons - respect for elders, Thai etiquette and the like will not be learnt as intesly as they would at a Thai school. Oonrak in Nathon is going to be opening a primary school next year (at present they are just a kindergarten). They are striving to provide a bilingual education within a Thai schooling system, but face challenges as well. One curriculum is enough to fill a timetable to trying to teach two similtaneously is always going to be problematic.

you are so right we did the same for our son whom we sent initially to international school in Bangkok and after 4 years we changed him to a bilingual school so arrogant he had become totally ignorant of anything of Thai culuture because International is certainly not any longer to speak english only. International schools are only good for those temporarily living in Thailand not for those looking for long term to be in Thailand. The change was very stimulating for his Thai speaking knowledge and very educational for the Thai behaviour we have so much ourselves respect for as foreigners. Bluewater has an excellent reputation in Koh Samui.

[rysamui]

Surely for Western families the best they can do for their children in education is far and away from the shores of Koh Samui. Koh Samui "schools" simply do not have the resources to offer children especially of senior school age the facilities to push them towards higher education.

[DeannaHiorns]

Thank you everybody for your help well my step mother comes from lampang in the north of thailand which is very close to chiang mai. the other thing is, it is really easy for me to go whether for school as im fluent in thai aswel. the only thing is i like living with my dad. really appreciate all your help and i may try speaking to blue water about them helping me thanks guys.

[maxheadroom007]

I'm Just wondering if any of you guys could help me.. one i just signed upto this site like 10minutes ago to try and find some answers so please be paitient with me if i've done this all wrong

Soo anyway the real reason is..

Im a 17year old girl living with my father in Koh Samui, i have 10 GCSE's all B grade and above.. but i really would like to do my A-Levels so i can go onto university, but i cant seem to find a school (international) that provides education for any children after the age of 16. Schools such as blue water and open gate only seem to go upto GCSE's and after that where do these children go? please please please help me..

i'd really appreciate it.

Deanna

Hi Deanna,

Really sorry but there isn't anything in Samui, I have 3 children and they go to Blue Water (and are changing schools very soon), which doesn't provide anything for A levels and very little for IGCSEs. Most people chose to go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, even KL, there are many more schools there with fully qualified teachers, be careful in Samui, many teachers do not have the qualifications needed, even though some schools will tell you they have! Could you be self disciplined enough to complete a home study course? It may be worth looking at? Good luck!