International School Jobs - Qualifications?

[farangajarn]

I am curious to know what people's experiences with international school teaching in Thailand has been. I teach at one in Chiang Mai and I find my job delightful. In the USA I literally left teaching due to the horrendous conditions and did other work. Moving here I did the usual teaching other kinds of schools and so know the debilitating conditions that can exist in many Thai schools..........admin nightmares, lack of work permits, low pay, huge classes. My last few years have been in direct constrast to that. I am 57 and have no age perception probelms at work. Small classes and interested students. What I consider to be pretty reasonable pay, vacations and benefits though some others, mostly directly here from western countries feel its not enough. It affords me a fairly comfortable lifestyle to the extent I have purchased a car and am buying a home strictly on local wages. I feel very fortunate. Of course there are probelms in any school and no job is heaven...........I mean thats why they pay us to do them..........but what are the experiences of others? I havent seen much in this forum on this topic and so am curious. THANKS>

[fromafar]

can anyone tell me the typical requirements for a job teaching at an international school in Thailand? I read elsewhere that a BEd is one of the main requirements at the very least?

Appreciate any replies

[PeaceBlondie]

I have always understood that the better (authentic) schools require a B.Ed, or a PGCE, or its equivalent, from the West, along with teaching practice and certification in the home country. There are exceptions, especially in the lower tier schools. Many of the fully accredited schools prefer to recruit overseas. Hey, we have such teachers here' I'll let them explain.

Welcome to the Teaching forum.

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks, farang ajarn - I had you in mind when I answered the earlier post. Our other moderator can merge your answer with the original post.

[Ijustwannateach]

Will do regarding merger- would also like to advise, Ajarn, that no matter what anyone else on this forum or elsewhere may tell you, you CANNOT buy a home- not even a CONDO- on local wages legally, UNLESS you are a permanent resident or citizen. To buy a condo you still have to prove (and have the paperwork to prove it) that the money came from abroad, even if you sent the money abroad first and had it come back later. If you don't have this paperwork, your legal right to ownership- even of the CONDO- can be challenged successfully. Hope it's not too late for you to investigate this.

Regarding the main topic- what I've heard about the true blue internationals is that they pay quite well but take their pound of flesh (especially bureaucratic paperwork).

"S"

[Ijustwannateach]

Regarding qualifications, I believe most of the true-blue international schools require actual LICENSING in your home country. Educational academic degrees are only a piece of that puzzle. Furthermore, they like to see at least 1-2 years of experience teaching in your home country. It depends partly on what subject you teach and what their needs are.

"S"

[mopenyang]

I am curious to know what people's experiences with international school teaching in Thailand has been. I teach at one in Chiang Mai and I find my job delightful. In the USA I literally left teaching due to the horrendous conditions and did other work. Moving here I did the usual teaching other kinds of schools and so know the debilitating conditions that can exist in many Thai schools..........admin nightmares, lack of work permits, low pay, huge classes. My last few years have been in direct constrast to that. I am 57 and have no age perception probelms at work. Small classes and interested students. What I consider to be pretty reasonable pay, vacations and benefits though some others, mostly directly here from western countries feel its not enough. It affords me a fairly comfortable lifestyle to the extent I have purchased a car and am buying a home strictly on local wages. I feel very fortunate. Of course there are probelms in any school and no job is heaven...........I mean thats why they pay us to do them..........but what are the experiences of others? I havent seen much in this forum on this topic and so am curious. THANKS>

I have also made the move to one of the top tier international schools and it is a whole different world. A very nice one and I echo most of what you have written. Students are attentive and interested in learning and seem to understand the importance of a good education. Salary and benefits also fall into the "whole different world" category and age is not a factor whatsoever. The only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner.

[farangajarn]

For my qualifications I was a teacher in the USA, I have a BS.Ed. and an MSW along with a TEFL certificate. My international school would require appropriate paperwork and degrees for hiring. Teaching experience counts for a lot and there is some flexibility about degrees. We do get teacher licenses and work permits and B work visas along with paying Thai taxes. Some teachers are recruited from overseas at job fairs. I have seen very little prejudice about hiring local teachers if qualified etc etc. Pound of flesh on paperwork? All I can say is its nothing like the pounds of paperwork you have to produce in public government schools in the usa due to overlapping country, state and federal oversights and programs.

ps on the owning the house bit I hear what you are saying but its in my spouse's name with me owning the building and having a 30 year lease on the land (an infruc).

[grtaylor]

My international school requires a degree (minimum BA, BSc or BEd) + national certification + a minimum of two years experience in a "real" school, i.e. not a language school. ESL teachers, in addition, are required to have an ESL qualification.

Basically, you need to have the qualifications which would allow you to teach in your home country. State Certification for the USA, PGCE for England, etc., etc.

G

[Scubadude770]

I am curious to know what people's experiences with international school teaching in Thailand has been. I teach at one in Chiang Mai and I find my job delightful. In the USA I literally left teaching due to the horrendous conditions and did other work. Moving here I did the usual teaching other kinds of schools and so know the debilitating conditions that can exist in many Thai schools..........admin nightmares, lack of work permits, low pay, huge classes. My last few years have been in direct constrast to that. I am 57 and have no age perception probelms at work. Small classes and interested students. What I consider to be pretty reasonable pay, vacations and benefits though some others, mostly directly here from western countries feel its not enough. It affords me a fairly comfortable lifestyle to the extent I have purchased a car and am buying a home strictly on local wages. I feel very fortunate. Of course there are probelms in any school and no job is heaven...........I mean thats why they pay us to do them..........but what are the experiences of others? I havent seen much in this forum on this topic and so am curious. THANKS>

I have also made the move to one of the top tier international schools and it is a whole different world. A very nice one and I echo most of what you have written. Students are attentive and interested in learning and seem to understand the importance of a good education. Salary and benefits also fall into the "whole different world" category and age is not a factor whatsoever. The only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner.

I would like to interview some of the top tier international schools in Thailand for my daughter to attend. Looking for an English language curriculum in science and math as well as a thai curriculum.... Chiang Mai, Hua Hin , or others would be viable however not interested in BKK or Pattaya.

[beammeup]

I am curious to know what people's experiences with international school teaching in Thailand has been. I teach at one in Chiang Mai and I find my job delightful. In the USA I literally left teaching due to the horrendous conditions and did other work. Moving here I did the usual teaching other kinds of schools and so know the debilitating conditions that can exist in many Thai schools..........admin nightmares, lack of work permits, low pay, huge classes. My last few years have been in direct constrast to that. I am 57 and have no age perception probelms at work. Small classes and interested students. What I consider to be pretty reasonable pay, vacations and benefits though some others, mostly directly here from western countries feel its not enough. It affords me a fairly comfortable lifestyle to the extent I have purchased a car and am buying a home strictly on local wages. I feel very fortunate. Of course there are probelms in any school and no job is heaven...........I mean thats why they pay us to do them..........but what are the experiences of others? I havent seen much in this forum on this topic and so am curious. THANKS>

I have also made the move to one of the top tier international schools and it is a whole different world. A very nice one and I echo most of what you have written. Students are attentive and interested in learning and seem to understand the importance of a good education. Salary and benefits also fall into the "whole different world" category and age is not a factor whatsoever. The only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner.

I would like to interview some of the top tier international schools in Thailand for my daughter to attend. Looking for an English language curriculum in science and math as well as a thai curriculum.... Chiang Mai, Hua Hin , or others would be

viable however not interested in BKK or Pattaya.

I also would like to know which schools are the top tier schools in Thailand and which are the best? I will relocate to the area once I decide on a school for my 3 kids. They are currently going to a bi-lingual ashool which is OK but all the other kids are Thai so their language skills are not developing adequitely. I know they are expensive.

Edited October 5, 2008 by beammeup

[grtaylor]

I am curious to know what people's experiences with international school teaching in Thailand has been. I teach at one in Chiang Mai and I find my job delightful. In the USA I literally left teaching due to the horrendous conditions and did other work. Moving here I did the usual teaching other kinds of schools and so know the debilitating conditions that can exist in many Thai schools..........admin nightmares, lack of work permits, low pay, huge classes. My last few years have been in direct constrast to that. I am 57 and have no age perception probelms at work. Small classes and interested students. What I consider to be pretty reasonable pay, vacations and benefits though some others, mostly directly here from western countries feel its not enough. It affords me a fairly comfortable lifestyle to the extent I have purchased a car and am buying a home strictly on local wages. I feel very fortunate. Of course there are probelms in any school and no job is heaven...........I mean thats why they pay us to do them..........but what are the experiences of others? I havent seen much in this forum on this topic and so am curious. THANKS>

I have also made the move to one of the top tier international schools and it is a whole different world. A very nice one and I echo most of what you have written. Students are attentive and interested in learning and seem to understand the importance of a good education. Salary and benefits also fall into the "whole different world" category and age is not a factor whatsoever. The only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner.

I would like to interview some of the top tier international schools in Thailand for my daughter to attend. Looking for an English language curriculum in science and math as well as a thai curriculum.... Chiang Mai, Hua Hin , or others would be

viable however not interested in BKK or Pattaya.

I also would like to know which schools are the top tier schools in Thailand and which are the best? I will relocate to the area once I decide on a school for my 3 kids. They are currently going to a bi-lingual ashool which is OK but all the other kids are Thai so their language skills are not developing adequitely. I know they are expensive.

Where are you living now?

[PeaceBlondie]

Correct me if I am wrong: the top tier international schools are so farang you seldom hear Thai spoken, in classrooms, playgrounds, or staffrooms. They try to imitate the very best secondary schools in the West. As such, they are fully accredited in the USA and/or the UK.

I went on a boat trip with the senior class from the best int'l school in Bangkok. No Thai language, just talked about getting into Stanford and Purdue, Oxford and Cambridge. Theyu mostly spoke English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, etc.

[Scott]

The true-blue international schools are probably OK, but we've had a number of teachers leave our bilingual school for international schools and none of them were happy. The wages were good, but the work load was enormous. We have 3 who have requested to come back as soon as we have an opening.

I don't know if that is a normal situation, and I am not implying that our school is fantastic, but at least the 2nd and 3rd tier schools have many problems with administration and with students.

Glad to hear your experience is good and your happy.

[PeaceBlondie]

To both parents of Thai or luk krueng children who have asked about the best international schools in Thailand, I might advise them to consider whether the children are ready for it. If the students have been in one of the best bilingual programs for several years, and know how to give essay type answers spontaneously by voice or by pen, they may be ready. If they are really fluent in English. If they know how to think for themselves and analyze problems critically. I knew a non-Thai, naive Asian 7th grade girl at Prem, who was being taught sex education. She had to answer open-ended questions about teen-age pregnancy, how to say know to sexual advances, how to report inappropriate sexual behavior, explain wet dreams, etc. Not the sort of questions your typical Thai student can answer. She had to read an article about Sumerian culture, and had to explain why the Nile overflowed in Egypt. She read Mark Twain books unabridged, etc.

[beammeup]

To both parents of Thai or luk krueng children who have asked about the best international schools in Thailand, I might advise them to consider whether the children are ready for it. If the students have been in one of the best bilingual programs for several years, and know how to give essay type answers spontaneously by voice or by pen, they may be ready. If they are really fluent in English. If they know how to think for themselves and analyze problems critically. I knew a non-Thai, naive Asian 7th grade girl at Prem, who was being taught sex education. She had to answer open-ended questions about teen-age pregnancy, how to say know to sexual advances, how to report inappropriate sexual behavior, explain wet dreams, etc. Not the sort of questions your typical Thai student can answer. She had to read an article about Sumerian culture, and had to explain why the Nile overflowed in Egypt. She read Mark Twain books unabridged, etc.

Well then perhaps we want to know what the top tier schools are so we can avoid them? Actually I would like to know what the top schools are and the second tier schools and even the third tier as a basis to start investigating them for future placement of my chilldren. Any info from people who know would be helpful. My kids have been in a good bilingual school for a few years as they are still young. The time is approaching to move them to an International school. I have seen their web sights. Is the price the only thing I can go by? i was hoping someone here might give me a quick run down on what school is what.

[Scubadude770]

To both parents of Thai or luk krueng children who have asked about the best international schools in Thailand, I might advise them to consider whether the children are ready for it. If the students have been in one of the best bilingual programs for several years, and know how to give essay type answers spontaneously by voice or by pen, they may be ready. If they are really fluent in English. If they know how to think for themselves and analyze problems critically. I knew a non-Thai, naive Asian 7th grade girl at Prem, who was being taught sex education. She had to answer open-ended questions about teen-age pregnancy, how to say know to sexual advances, how to report inappropriate sexual behavior, explain wet dreams, etc. Not the sort of questions your typical Thai student can answer. She had to read an article about Sumerian culture, and had to explain why the Nile overflowed in Egypt. She read Mark Twain books unabridged, etc.

Well then perhaps we want to know what the top tier schools are so we can avoid them? Actually I would like to know what the top schools are and the second tier schools and even the third tier as a basis to start investigating them for future placement of my chilldren. Any info from people who know would be helpful. My kids have been in a good bilingual school for a few years as they are still young. The time is approaching to move them to an International school. I have seen their web sights. Is the price the only thing I can go by? i was hoping someone here might give me a quick run down on what school is what.

My child is quite young (5 months). What my wife and I are trying to do is position ourselves in a community that has close proximity to the school we decide on.

In Hua Hin there is a private school that has an English option for Math and Science along with the regular Thai curriculum. I found the school on the web but have not been able to locate it again to get the name The school advertised a very high quality aquatic program and had a olympic size pool pictured on thier website. I am interested in some feedback about this school along with any others that may have a similar curriculum option regarding English used for Math and Science.

Any advice is welcome and appreciated.

[Warhammer820]

The true-blue international schools are probably OK, but we've had a number of teachers leave our bilingual school for international schools and none of them were happy. The wages were good, but the work load was enormous. We have 3 who have requested to come back as soon as we have an opening.

I don't know if that is a normal situation, and I am not implying that our school is fantastic, but at least the 2nd and 3rd tier schools have many problems with administration and with students.

Glad to hear your experience is good and your happy.

How much do bilingual schools pay and what are the requirements? I don't have any experience yet, but I will be certified in America in less than a year.

[Scott]

The base salary is about 35,000++ for the bilingual programs for a run-of-the mill bilingual school for a person with a degree. If you have a teaching qualification, then you can look at a starting wage that is higher.

In the Bangkok area, be skeptical of a salary that isn't between 35-40 baht per month. There are schools that start higher. Make sure they offer health/accident insurance and other benefits. Some include housing as well.

There are a lot of variables in working conditions, time-off, work load, so be sure and look at the entire salary package.

[Kilgore Trout]

can anyone tell me the typical requirements for a job teaching at an international school in Thailand? I read elsewhere that a BEd is one of the main requirements at the very least?

Appreciate any replies

A B.ed by itself is worthless, you must have a teaching certificate, i.e., be qualified to teach in a western country (the better int. schools require that you are qualified to teach in your home country)

Although most B.ed programs require you to obtain a teaching cert. as part of the program; some do not, such as those who obtain a B.ed in Thailand. Even a masters in education is absolutely worthless with out the teaching certificate or pgce (real pgce, not pgce i)

[Kilgore Trout]

Correct me if I am wrong: the top tier international schools are so farang you seldom hear Thai spoken, in classrooms, playgrounds, or staffrooms. They try to imitate the very best secondary schools in the West. As such, they are fully accredited in the USA and/or the UK.

I went on a boat trip with the senior class from the best int'l school in Bangkok. No Thai language, just talked about getting into Stanford and Purdue, Oxford and Cambridge. Theyu mostly spoke English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, etc.

One distinction; at the better int. schools the children are taught to refer to people by their nationality/culture. Not the word "farang." For that reason, graduates at these schools tend to be more open minded and less racist.

[Scott]

The OP is from 2008. Please exercise care in the more recent addition to the thread, since the quotes from 2008 may no longer be correct. In short, don't quote them.

[Warhammer820]

A B.ed by itself is worthless, you must have a teaching certificate, i.e., be qualified to teach in a western country (the better int. schools require that you are qualified to teach in your home country)

Although most B.ed programs require you to obtain a teaching cert. as part of the program; some do not, such as those who obtain a B.ed in Thailand. Even a masters in education is absolutely worthless with out the teaching certificate or pgce (real pgce, not pgce i)

I thought it was impossible to graduate without passing the certification tests for all schools. My school requires that the certifications tests are all completed before graduation.

[Scott]

I expect that there are variations from school to school, however, you can obtain a Bachelor's in Education, but not be a licensed teacher. You can get a law degree, but not be licensed to practice law.

The International schools affiliated with a foreign country will likely demand that you be licensed in the home country and that you be experienced.

Locally certified schools will most likely honor a degree without a license from another country, however, a license from your home country makes getting a license here easier and more expedient--at least it did in the past.