Children & Schooling General Advice

[ArranP]

Hello

My Thai wife and I relocate from UK to Phuket May 2009.

My wife has a daughter aged 6 from a preivous relationship with a Thai partner. She currently attends a Thai Chatholic School in Nakhon Sawan, once we have chosen an area of Phuket to live in and are settled we will bring her down and enroll her in a local school.

Also we have just had our new born daughter, she is just over a week old.

I would like a similar good standard of education for both of daughters.

My wife has said she would be happy for her 6 year old to carry on attending a Catholic Thai School and for our new born to attend the International School. Due to the cost difference between these schools I think the level of education would also differ, maybe significantly ? I would like to treat both of our daughters equally and give them both the same opportunities in life.

I know there is an International school in Phuket and believe the fees are somewhere near 300,000 per year, but I don't know what other schools there maybe, for example Thai Catholic and how they compare or whether they teach english ?

I'm open to general advice and would like to learn your own experience regards putting Thai and Thai/Fallang Children through education in Phuket ?

Thanks for your responses.

Regards

Arran and Joy.

Edited November 12, 2008 by ArranP

[icebkk]

http://www.satreephuket.ac.th/

i dnt think its catholic but it has EP

http://www.phuket.net/phuket-living/schools.htm

i attended British International School phuket for a short time but in that time i found it a good school many diff people from the world, which i did not like much.. my friend is a farung boy 100% and he goes to the satree phuket school he said he enjoys is a lot. i think thats the best thai system school they got there im not sure.

http://www.montessori-thailand.com/introduction.htm

[torrenova]

Given that there are 6 years between your children, they will never be in the same school at the same time so direct comparisons are not available. However, I certainly understand your feelings regarding favouring one over the other; something which could come back to haunt you later on.

If fees are an issue and I think for many they are, then I would suggest paying relatively modest fees and using any supplementary cash for additional tuition where necessary. Then again, if the 100% Thai child does not speak English and has no intention of learning to a high degree of proficiency, then you have a ready made excuse for education differentiation.

[ArranP]

http://www.satreephuket.ac.th/

i dnt think its catholic but it has EP

http://www.phuket.net/phuket-living/schools.htm

i attended British International School phuket for a short time but in that time i found it a good school many diff people from the world, which i did not like much.. my friend is a farung boy 100% and he goes to the satree phuket school he said he enjoys is a lot. i think thats the best thai system school they got there im not sure.

http://www.montessori-thailand.com/introduction.htm

Thanks icebkk for the links and school views.

Edited November 15, 2008 by ArranP

[ArranP]

There seems to be a positive point about putting them through a Thai education system, that the child will identify with the Thai culture and what it is to be Thai, where they may not get this from International schools?

I was reading some posts from grown up half Thai / half Fallang children, where they commented on how they liked that they had this exposure/knowledge to the Thai culture.

This is also a valuable point when considering the education for a child.

Edited November 22, 2008 by ArranP

[ArranP]

Is there an agency/entity in Thailand I can contact to get advice on whether to put my child through thai education or international education system, the advantages/dis-advantages of both routes, options for going onto universities in Thailand and/or Britiain when they're older.

I don't want to be making decisions now that may limit them in the future.

Edited November 26, 2008 by ArranP