Any Parents With Kids At Ep Darasamuth ?

[lonexpat]

In this day and age, a good education is the key to a good career and good money.

You might be able to get away with putting your child into the Thai education system up to the age of 11, but, after that, to get a worthwhile education, they either have to go to an International school in Thailand, or, a good quality state school in a developed country (which is free).

If people insist on abandoning their kids to the Thai education system after the age of 11 just so that they can continue living in Thailand, then, effectively, they are sacrificing their child's future for their own desires.

People owe their children the best education that they can provide. Be that spending huge sums on an International school, or, making the sacrifice to leave Thailand, return home and enroll them in an education system that can prepare them for a good career. Anything less is selfish.

Let the flaming commence.

Good post except you are way off the mark about one thing. By the age of 11 the damage will be well and truely done. Swap 11 for 4 or 5 and you're good to go.

I'm sorry 'lonexpat' but I can't think of a single good excuse/reason why you would allow your child to have a sub standard education and I've got a pretty good imagination. If you have school age children and you can't afford a private education then quite simply you shouldn't be in Thailand or you shouldn't have had children.

I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but it's what I believe is true.

There"s a man who thinks he knows better then everyone else. Swap 4 or 5 for when a baby is born and I might give your reply more credence. Sorry to burst the bubble , pal but you"ve got the imagination of an Holier- than- thou **********.Do you honestly believe a parent with a good education but very liitle intelligence can raise a child better than a parent with no education but a high intelligent.Or in your case , money. Take a good look around you. The world is made up with more than what you percieve as being rightfully here.

[HongKongPhooey]

There"s a man who thinks he knows better then everyone else. Swap 4 or 5 for when a baby is born and I might give your reply more credence.

Read my post again. Not only did I apologise for sounding harsh but I also said that it's 'WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE'. How from that have you arrived at me thinking I know better than everyone else? I gave my opinion as to what I believe is right, if my standards are higher than yours then it's hardly fair to hold that against me is it?

I don't understand why you have changed my 4 or 5 years old and made it when a baby is born when you're the person whose kids are in the sub standard system, that doesn't make any sense. Lots of children never go to nursery and don't start school until they are 4 or 5 so why would it matter if they were living in Thailand until then? Again that doesn't make any sense to me.

Sorry to burst the bubble , pal but you"ve got the imagination of an Holier- than- thou **********.Do you honestly believe a parent with a good education but very liitle intelligence can raise a child better than a parent with no education but a high intelligent.Or in your case , money. Take a good look around you. The world is made up with more than what you percieve as being rightfully here.

I'm sorry but I honestly don't know what you are talking about. Who can raise a child better an educated stupid person or an uneducated intelligent person?? What does that mean and which one am I supposed to be?

My PERSONAL opinion is that I would prefer my kids to go to the PIA, but if I couldn't afford that I would be happy for them to go to Headstart. If I couldn't afford that then I wouldn't live in Phuket.

If there was another school that offered an education equal to that of one in my own country, (which isn't exactly great these days) then I would consider that as well. I would never allow myself to be in a situation where I had to provide a sub standard education for my kids in a foreign country when a better one is available in my own, and like I said I can't begin to imagine how one could arise.

If you think that makes me holier than thou then I guess I can live with that!

[thaiIand]

bangtaoboy, do you have children?

[easy_jim]

To get back to the ops original subject, I do have a child in Darasamut's English program and I have another joining P1 next year.

The English part of the EP is very good. The teachers seem genuinely interested in the children's development and are always available to discuss the child's progress. They have a low teacher turnover and in fact most of the same teachers have been there for the 3 years my child has been in the program. In the later years of the program the children do have the opportunity to earn Oxford English qualifications which are internationally recognised and I'm told that the children's results in those tests have been very good.

They do have weaknesses. The Thai administrators of the school insist on making the program very exam result orientated which I really think is wrong during the early school years. Still I am generally pleased with the English part of the program.

The Thai part of the program is still very much Thai style education. It is not how I think education should be and my children do not enjoy it. Just the same the school has a reputation for being one of the better Thai schools in Phuket.

Contrary to what some posters have been suggesting, you do not have to send your children to an international school to give them a good future or to feel morally superior about yourself. Sure it would be nice if everyone could afford to send their children to expensive schools but it is not the only thing that will decide their future.

You have to remember that if your children are half Thai and likely to treat Thailand as their home, then good Thai language skills are also going to be important to them and they will not get those from an international school.

Money can buy a lot but in the end it is the amount of care and attention that parents give to their children that will be the biggest factor in determining their future.

[Big Guy]

I have a son who went right through the EP at darasamuth. He did his two years in KG in thai then was straight into EP the year it started.

He has now just finished his second year at Satree in their EP.

He speaks reads and writes english like a native speaker, and was able to before starting secondary school so I believe Darasamuth did a good job.

I see someone complaining about exams, I believe these are necessary although western culture as moved away from this. Once you leave school and enter the workforce you are rated and judged by your peers on ability to do your job so getting used to this from a young age through testing is appropiate.

As for the international schools, they are more designed for expats rotated incountry for work as they only teach english.

I live in thailand, my son lives in thailand so I believe it is essential that he learns Thai and about the thai culture.

[thaiIand]

what is your son going to do in thailand once he graduate? Most of you sending your kid there are limiting your child to 1 country and a 80k per month salary(if they are extremely good and lucky)

[seaeagle]

what is your son going to do in thailand once he graduate? Most of you sending your kid there are limiting your child to 1 country and a 80k per month salary(if they are extremely good and lucky)

Surely you mean 8k per month! 80k in UK would be pretty dam_n good, so doubt that's a benchmark for salarys here.

[thaiIand]

with a darasamuth education, the average salary you could expect your child to get in the UK is about 7.2pound an hour.

in thailand, 2.5k baht per day tops and most likely 500baht per day

[napalm]

with a darasamuth education, the average salary you could expect your child to get in the UK is about 7.2pound an hour.

in thailand, 2.5k baht per day tops and most likely 500baht per day

Sure , most Darasamuth students will seek employment in the UK straight after P6..... Please go away......!

Edited March 2, 2012 by napalm

[lonexpat]

There"s a man who thinks he knows better then everyone else. Swap 4 or 5 for when a baby is born and I might give your reply more credence.

Read my post again. Not only did I apologise for sounding harsh but I also said that it's 'WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE'. How from that have you arrived at me thinking I know better than everyone else? I gave my opinion as to what I believe is right, if my standards are higher than yours then it's hardly fair to hold that against me is it?

I don't understand why you have changed my 4 or 5 years old and made it when a baby is born when you're the person whose kids are in the sub standard system, that doesn't make any sense. Lots of children never go to nursery and don't start school until they are 4 or 5 so why would it matter if they were living in Thailand until then? Again that doesn't make any sense to me.

Sorry to burst the bubble , pal but you"ve got the imagination of an Holier- than- thou **********.Do you honestly believe a parent with a good education but very liitle intelligence can raise a child better than a parent with no education but a high intelligent.Or in your case , money. Take a good look around you. The world is made up with more than what you percieve as being rightfully here.

I'm sorry but I honestly don't know what you are talking about. Who can raise a child better an educated stupid person or an uneducated intelligent person?? What does that mean and which one am I supposed to be?

My PERSONAL opinion is that I would prefer my kids to go to the PIA, but if I couldn't afford that I would be happy for them to go to Headstart. If I couldn't afford that then I wouldn't live in Phuket.

If there was another school that offered an education equal to that of one in my own country, (which isn't exactly great these days) then I would consider that as well. I would never allow myself to be in a situation where I had to provide a sub standard education for my kids in a foreign country when a better one is available in my own, and like I said I can't begin to imagine how one could arise.

If you think that makes me holier than thou then I guess I can live with that!

Question. Who was your first teacher? Miss Jones. It"s a misconception that many people make. You as a parent are the first line of education your child recieves. Obviously your children will be brought up to think they"re more privaliged than the lower class because Daddy"s a high roller. You remind me of Fascist Germany. Blond hair and blue eyes .

[KarenBravo]

with a darasamuth education, the average salary you could expect your child to get in the UK is about 7.2pound an hour.

in thailand, 2.5k baht per day tops and most likely 500baht per day

Sure , most Darasamuth students will seek employment in the UK straight after P6..... Please go away......!

If a child is of mixed nationality, it would be useful to give the child the choice of working in either country, yes?

No chance of a good job, never mind an actual career in the developed world if all they have is a Thai secondary education.

Critical thinking is not part of the curriculum.

[Big Guy]

If a child is of mixed nationality, it would be useful to give the child the choice of working in either country, yes?

No chance of a good job, never mind an actual career in the developed world if all they have is a Thai secondary education.

Critical thinking is not part of the curriculum.

Who has said anything about only having a thai secondary education.

The thai universities and thai persons studying overseas are not all students from international schools.

[KarenBravo]

Thai universities? They're a joke. Ever had a conversation with a Thai graduate from one? They have roughly the same education as a 16 year old school leaver from a developed country.

Also, a Thai degree doesn't count in developed countries.

You guys can wriggle all you want, but, the fact is the Thai education system is abysmal and if there is a choice between a Thai education and an education in a developed country, then you know which one your child should have to give them a chance of a good life.

[seaeagle]

If a child is of mixed nationality, it would be useful to give the child the choice of working in either country, yes?

No chance of a good job, never mind an actual career in the developed world if all they have is a Thai secondary education.

Critical thinking is not part of the curriculum.

Who has said anything about only having a thai secondary education.

The thai universities and thai persons studying overseas are not all students from international schools.

Note that:

• the input and output from Thai universities (barring two or three) is laughable
  
• Thai people studying overseas, obviously, are pretty wealthy in the first place to be able to do so. So, that family money would bring them rewards, but likely back home in Thailand.
  
• At most International Schools (certainly at HeadStart) the majority of students are Thai. That's a very harsh judgement on their own education system by those well-off Thais who can afford to give their children a better start in life.
  

Thais just can't, and don't, perform well outside of their own confines. (In fact, they don't perform particularly well inside their own confines, but that's down to few checks, balances, and no-blame culture). Look around at the world organisations and bodies - how many Thais have made it on the world stage

[steelepulse]

I think it's best to get your child a Thai education until they are 6 or 7 to get the Thai language down, then move them on to an international school and let them learn about how the rest of the (developed) world teaches and learns. Keep the child learning Thai in the int'l school, while letting them learn additional languages besides English and Thai as they also enjoy a broader curriculum than what the Thai system affords.

As far as Thai universities go, it really is like secondary or high school and is not even close to a Western university curriculum and experience. There's a reason Thai families send their children overseas for university!

[KarenBravo]

I think it's best to get your child a Thai education until they are 6 or 7 to get the Thai language down, then move them on to an international school and let them learn about how the rest of the (developed) world teaches and learns. Keep the child learning Thai in the int'l school, while letting them learn additional languages besides English and Thai as they also enjoy a broader curriculum than what the Thai system affords.

As far as Thai universities go, it really is like secondary or high school and is not even close to a Western university curriculum and experience. There's a reason Thai families send their children overseas for university!

Spot on.

[Big Guy]

How is the EP program at Darasamuth vs. Kajonkiet ? K3-P6..... Don't really like the location of the new Kajonkiet. Comments please !

This is the topic so why are we discussing universities, and international schools anyway, the poster was after feedback of what parents who had children at Darasamut school thought the education was like.

[thaiIand]

its been said its terrible

what more do you want

[HongKongPhooey]

Question. Who was your first teacher? Miss Jones. It"s a misconception that many people make. You as a parent are the first line of education your child recieves. Obviously your children will be brought up to think they"re more privaliged than the lower class because Daddy"s a high roller. You remind me of Fascist Germany. Blond hair and blue eyes .

I will make this my last post on this topic as I don't think we are ever likely to see eye to eye on this and we've gone slightly off topic.

It seems to me that it could be you who has a chip on your shoulder about money or the lack there of as I have never once said or implied that I was wealthy, nor did I say having lots of money was relevant to doing what I thought was right. I said that I would never put my children in to a worse education system in a foreign country than the FREE one they could have in my own country. Why would you need to be wealthy to afford a free education?

Not only have you wrongly assumed that I'm wealthy, you have also wrongly assumed that if I was wealthy I would automatically be a bad parent. Why are you insisting that one negates the other? Just because I want to give my kids the best education I possibly can why have you accused me of not being an attentive, dedicated parent at home and before they start school?

What from my posts has lead you to believe that I would teach my kids to look down on others? I said that if I couldn't afford an international school I wouldn't allow my kids to have a crappy education when a better one is available for free in my own country. From that you have accused me of being a rich high roller, that is educated but not intelligent, who doesn't raise his kids properly and is a holier than thou, fascist German. And you want to lecture me on the importance of teaching your kids to be tolerant of others!

You have your ideas about what's right for your kids and I have mine. The fact that you feel the need to insult me and make wild unfounded accusation to defend yours says a lot.

[NamKangMan]

Question. Who was your first teacher? Miss Jones. It"s a misconception that many people make. You as a parent are the first line of education your child recieves. Obviously your children will be brought up to think they"re more privaliged than the lower class because Daddy"s a high roller. You remind me of Fascist Germany. Blond hair and blue eyes .

I will make this my last post on this topic as I don't think we are ever likely to see eye to eye on this and we've gone slightly off topic.

It seems to me that it could be you who has a chip on your shoulder about money or the lack there of as I have never once said or implied that I was wealthy, nor did I say having lots of money was relevant to doing what I thought was right. I said that I would never put my children in to a worse education system in a foreign country than the FREE one they could have in my own country. Why would you need to be wealthy to afford a free education?

Not only have you wrongly assumed that I'm wealthy, you have also wrongly assumed that if I was wealthy I would automatically be a bad parent. Why are you insisting that one negates the other? Just because I want to give my kids the best education I possibly can why have you accused me of not being an attentive, dedicated parent at home and before they start school?

What from my posts has lead you to believe that I would teach my kids to look down on others? I said that if I couldn't afford an international school I wouldn't allow my kids to have a crappy education when a better one is available for free in my own country. From that you have accused me of being a rich high roller, that is educated but not intelligent, who doesn't raise his kids properly and is a holier than thou, fascist German. And you want to lecture me on the importance of teaching your kids to be tolerant of others!

You have your ideas about what's right for your kids and I have mine. The fact that you feel the need to insult me and make wild unfounded accusation to defend yours says a lot.

You make many good points in your post, but, the fact remains, if your children, or any child for that matter, is educated in Thailand, their education will not be recognised with any credit on the world stage.

The wealthy hiso's of Bangkok all send their kids to uni abroad. There are some great International Schools in Bangkok, and the last time I looked, it was around $25,000US a year to send your kid there. They are for the wealthy Thai's, the kids of diplomats and the kids of multinational company CEO's. It's part of their salary package.

So, you can send your kid to the best Thai uni, but it's still a Thai uni and that's not worth "jack" in the western world. It's just a part of chosing to live, and raise kids, as an average expat in Thailand.

[napalm]

If you are not a parent with kids at Darasamuth or have personal inside knowledge of Darasamuth - please go somewhere else or start your own thread....

I ask again.....

How is the EP program at Darasamuth vs. Kajonkiet ? K3-P6..... Don't really like the location of the new Kajonkiet. Comments please !

[bunta71]

How is the EP program at Darasamuth vs. Kajonkiet ? K3-P6..... Don't really like the location of the new Kajonkiet. Comments please !

This is the topic so why are we discussing universities, and international schools anyway, the poster was after feedback of what parents who had children at Darasamut school thought the education was like.

Darasamuth is not "just a Thai school". I agree that educating a foriegner child in a normal Thai school with only Thai teachers is a recipe for disaster. Another point is that education happens during all waking hours with input coming from all directions. Interacting with children of various cultures as an example gives a child perceptions not easily attained in schools with one race or perspective. I also hire an American with 26 years experience teaching English in order for her to remain far more proficient than the herd. My daughter has vacationed in China, United States,Philippines, Burma, Laos and Taiwan. These and many other inputs give an education not available in a school room...

The P3-P6 grades at Darasamuth tests hold Oxford English qualifications which are internationally recognised. It would be hard to compare Darasamuth EP with the other because no one has attended all these grades in BOTH schools. If anyone has a question about any of my experiences with Darasamuth I will be happy to give my opinions, thoughts and critisisms in a PM.

I will give my perspective without personal insults, rude characterizations or hiso holier than thou comments that some of the pond scum here spout.

[Big Guy]

what is your son going to do in thailand once he graduate? Most of you sending your kid there are limiting your child to 1 country and a 80k per month salary(if they are extremely good and lucky)

In what way am I limiting my son. Having been thru the EP at Darasamut, they had no high school at that stage, he sat and passed the entrance exams at satree, one of the best high schools (academically) in Phuket. When he completes that he will be able to go to university either in thailand or overseas if his abilities are good enough.

He is fully bi-lingual, travels overseas to english speaking countries during holidays and has dual nationalities, so why is he limited to Thailand???

[HongKongPhooey]

If you are not a parent with kids at Darasamuth or have personal inside knowledge of Darasamuth - please go somewhere else or start your own thread....

I ask again.....

How is the EP program at Darasamuth vs. Kajonkiet ? K3-P6..... Don't really like the location of the new Kajonkiet. Comments please !

Sorry, I said I wouldn't post on this thread again when I meant to say that I wouldn't discuss it with 'Lonexpat' again.

I'm sorry 'napalm' but re read the thread. You have been given several opinions by people with first hand experience as well as plenty of opinions from those with a general knowledge of the subject. Just because you didn't agree with them doesn't mean they weren't given. It's also unfair not to expect the subject to be broadened very slightly beyond your very specific question to include the school and system in general which may well benefit people reading the thread in the future. This doesn't stop you still getting answers to the question that you are waiting for.

I will give my perspective without personal insults, rude characterizations or hiso holier than thou comments that some of the pond scum here spout.

I find it amazing that you would refer to people giving their opinions that the schools mentioned are of a poor standard and that educating your children in a western school would be a better option, as 'pond scum'. It's a perfectly reasonable opinion to have and one that is very much on topic, regardless of whether it was the answer the OP wanted to hear or not.

Re-read the thread. I'm positive you will find every single personal insult in this thread bar none, has come from people defending the Thai school system not those pointing out its short comings.

[bunta71]

If you are not a parent with kids at Darasamuth or have personal inside knowledge of Darasamuth - please go somewhere else or start your own thread....

I ask again.....

How is the EP program at Darasamuth vs. Kajonkiet ? K3-P6..... Don't really like the location of the new Kajonkiet. Comments please !

Sorry, I said I wouldn't post on this thread again when I meant to say that I wouldn't discuss it with 'Lonexpat' again.

I'm sorry 'napalm' but re read the thread. You have been given several opinions by people with first hand experience as well as plenty of opinions from those with a general knowledge of the subject. Just because you didn't agree with them doesn't mean they weren't given. It's also unfair not to expect the subject to be broadened very slightly beyond your very specific question to include the school and system in general which may well benefit people reading the thread in the future. This doesn't stop you still getting answers to the question that you are waiting for.

I will give my perspective without personal insults, rude characterizations or hiso holier than thou comments that some of the pond scum here spout.

I find it amazing that you would refer to people giving their opinions that the schools mentioned are of a poor standard and that educating your children in a western school would be a better option, as 'pond scum'. It's a perfectly reasonable opinion to have and one that is very much on topic, regardless of whether it was the answer the OP wanted to hear or not.

Re-read the thread. I'm positive you will find every single personal insult in this thread bar none, has come from people defending the Thai school system not those pointing out its short comings.

There have been a couple posts removed that you apparently did not have the opportunity to read. They were personal and questioned my motives and apparent negligence at allowing my kid to attend Darasamuth along with negative finacial jabs. There lies the pond scum. Antagonistic and nothing to contribute either to this thread or society in general. It's nothing new here but gets old some days. Never had you in mind Hong Kong. I try to be honest and HELPFUL.

[HongKongPhooey]

There have been a couple posts removed that you apparently did not have the opportunity to read.

Never had you in mind Hong Kong.

Beg your pardon. I didn't see the deleted posts and could only assume you were referring to me.

My summary of the 'broader' topic would be this. If you put your children in to an education worse than the one they could get for free in the Western country that makes up 50% of their heritage, then does that make the parent a monster? NO. Does it make them a bad parent in general? NO. Does it mean that all the other aspects of their parenting aren't perfectly adequate? No. Does it mean they are doing every single thing in their power to give their kids the very best education that they possibly can? No.

Of course as people have pointed out, you can have people who are wealthy and put their kids in the best schools available but are still atrocious parents. And you can have parents who put their kids in to poor schools and their children go on to be intelligent, well balanced happy adults. But over all it's a no brainer that giving your kids the best education you possibly can has to be better than not giving your kids the best education you possibly can. It simply comes down to what lengths people should or are prepared to go to give them it. And that is no more than a matter of opinion.

[KarenBravo]

An interesting thread that parents with children in the Thai education system should have a quick look at.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/535162-unanswerable-exam-questions-have-students-scratching-their-heads-thailand/page__fromsearch__1

[bangkokgabe]

few of the greatest minds in the world are spawned from ghettos in America

Doesnt mean that the ghetto education isnt terrible.

yes im afraid it does. Teachers are payed by their districts, and their district's funds are collected by their constituentsy's tax dollars. Er go, poor districts have less tax dollars to pay their teachers, resulting in lower quality teachers; the higher qualified, more senior teachers teach in the districts that pay more. I'm a public school teacher from New Orleans; unfortunately I know this from experience. Actually now that I'm re-reading your post, you have the words "doesn't" and "isn't" in one sentence-maybe I misunderstood you. Apologies in advance if I did.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[linnii3mor]

why dont go to the internation school in chalong (rawai) they have kindergarden-primary and starting secondary

Not expensive either

no traffic

have 3 kids there and they love it, and so do we

[SamKong]

If you are not a parent with kids at Darasamuth or have personal inside knowledge of Darasamuth - please go somewhere else or start your own thread....

I ask again.....

How is the EP program at Darasamuth vs. Kajonkiet ? K3-P6..... Don't really like the location of the new Kajonkiet. Comments please !

i know western teachers from both schools. i know students and parents at both schools. i also know a bit about their respective costs.

based upon what i've been hearing over the past five years or so, i would choose darasamuth in a heartbeat.

and don't forget that konjonkiet is in the middle of expansion plans. i DON'T know anything about this, but my assumptions lead me to conclude the school will be funneling more money into these projects than they'll be using to improve the quality of students' education.