Private Schools In Chiang Mai

[Dustoff]

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Or 13-year old was home Tuesday because the school wanted all the childred to study at home for a big test coming up.

He is home again today with the same excuse. No school today.

Does the private school you send your children to communicate such things?

We have tried several times to get a school calendar but they say none exists - consequently we never know when there is a no-school day until our son tells us the day before. Surely the teachers must have some kind of a calendar so they know when they are working?

I am getting a little tired of depending on a 13-year old to tell us what is going on with school.

He goes to Vachiralai School in Saraphi...

[jaideeguy]

The short answer is NO....they don't communicate or even seem to know what's going on day to day. They love to supprise us. Our kids are now home with the H1n1 and they just closed the school without any explination to the parents re: the the flu. That's Suan Dek, San Kapheng and should have been closed a week ago, then maybe avoid exposure/illness and possible death. Head teacher has her head burried in the sand and denies H1n1 altho it's been confirmed. No accountability for private schools???

Could maybe an outbreak in your kid's school?? and mid term exams are comming up.

[Puwa]

I have to say that CMIS is really good about communicating. The kids bring home a daily planner with notes on homework, notices, announcements, and individual teacher comments when needed. As parents, we are supposed to sign the planner each evening to acknowledge that we have read it and know what's going on. Plus there's a weekly email newsletter for the school. I'm sure there's room for improvement, but it's a pretty good system and the school takes it seriously.

[PeaceBlondie]

I have known students at Lanna, Grace, Nakornpayap, APIS, etc. The annual school calendar is published by June. Students have task lists; parents must initial it daily. Grace parents of various nationalities know one another.

Many Thai teachers don't know today's schedule.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Just kindergarten in my case, but they announce field trips a decent amount of time in advance. Also there's a daily individual report on the goings on.

[doppa]

prem do there very best to be as informative as possible, i must get 3/4 e mails a week announcing measures of one thing and another, folowed by a monthly newsletter e mailed.

there are continiously asking for parent feed back, or parent involvement, this new creditation they earned , i think also demands a pretty high communication between school and parent.

at class level, we have a parent/ teacher communication book, where i can ask any question that i feel needs an answer,and vice versa, plus e mail,and telephone numbers of teachers , admin, upto the chief, so all in all it's pretty darn good.

[Mapguy]

Dustoff, I suggest you go to the school --- with a smile --- a couple of times with your lovely wife. Check it out. Your child will probably be totally mortified, but never mind!

Here's a gross generalization or two regarding Thai schools. When you get to the good ones, they do become more sensitive to parent response. Anyway, give them a break. What parent has ever been successful getting any decent information about anything out of a 13-year-old son ?! Certainly not mine!

Cheers!

[Dustoff]

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Interesting responses indeed - Thanks!

Turns out that the school provided a couple of days for students/parents to put "home study groups" together in preparation for the mid-term exams. They sent the notice home with our kid and he finally produced it from his computer desk where he stuffed it. He is now in no internet, no television, no cellphone mode for a few days so he can "study" the consequences of his actions.

I also found out, after all this time, that my wife did NOT ask the school for a calendar but asked da kid to do it. She and I will be making an appointment to meet with school officials next week.

There has likely been threads, but I can't seem to find them, that list the varying private schools along with location and price, yes? We chose Vachiralai partly because it's location in Saraphi is handier than some of the others, even though they do not offer any bus/van service for our area. We very seriously considered Varee but he did not pass their entrance exams. Grace is close but if it has any Christian influence whatsoever, we are not interested.

Thoughts? I want very much to provide an excellent education for my step-son but need to find a school that inspires an interest in learning, which we think is far more important than their curriculum.

Thank you all again for your input so far...

[hml367]

Hello, Duster.

I don't know what is on the link, but at the bottom of the school's web site there is a link that says Calendar. What I saw of the web site is in Thai. Maybe you can have the good looking one look at it.

I think most schools do have a calendar. It is being able to get it that may be the problem.

MSPain

Edited September 18, 2009 by hml367

[PeaceBlondie]

Dustoff, Grace is the only super-fundamentalist school. Lanna might be closer. Lanna is across from the DL office off Hang Dong Road, 12 meters south of the airport, not on the take-off/landing pattern unless you're in a helicopter.

[haybilly]

Dustoff, Grace is the only super-fundamentalist school. Lanna might be closer. Lanna is across from the DL office off Hang Dong Road, 12 meters south of the airport, not on the take-off/landing pattern unless you're in a helicopter.

I was considering posting a topic to try to get some feedback of peoples' experiences, positive or negative, and their attitude towards education provided at Lanna--I guess it would not be appropriate to hijack Dustoff's topic [ or productive as people may not read this far down]--but I have heard much good about Lanna and am of a mind to move my daughter there in the not too distant. Incidentally she goes to Varee at the moment and was none too kean on the idea of a move as she loves it there, plus she has many friends, but if only for the fact that Lanna is based on the British teaching model it could well be to her advantage--anyone care to comment??

[PeaceBlondie]

My comment about Lanna being closer is geographical to Hang Dong, not a reference to Grace's Christian doctrines.