Little Dragons International School

[Skytrain2hell]

Does anyone have any experience with this school in Nonthaburi? There website has a little bit of info, but I've learned to never judge a book by its cover, especially in Thailand.

My daughter is 2, and we are looking at schools for her. Tuition is at 210k a year there, which a bit high for us. However, our house is in Nonthaburi near the ministry of health. We don't have many choices...please don't mention the likes of ISB, which cost an arm and a leg.

Any other recommendations that are 250k per year and under would be much appreciated.

[Skytrain2hell]

Really? No one knows about this one?

I'll definitely visit when I get there, but I find it difficult when they give you the North Korean style tour of a school (very controlled, see only the best aspects, etc.)

I might hang out around pickup time to see and chat with some of the parents as well.

[soundman]

I might hang out around pickup time to see and chat with some of the parents as well.

That would be a good way to get some feedback to gauge the school's credentials. Go at school pick-up time and there will be many parents waiting around to pick-up their children.

[Skytrain2hell]

I might hang out around pickup time to see and chat with some of the parents as well.

That would be a good way to get some feedback to gauge the school's credentials. Go at school pick-up time and there will be many parents waiting around to pick-up their children.

Thanks...we will definitely do that.

[hotandhumid]

Really? No one knows about this one?

I'll definitely visit when I get there, but I find it difficult when they give you the North Korean style tour of a school (very controlled, see only the best aspects, etc.)

I might hang out around pickup time to see and chat with some of the parents as well.

Hanging around outside of a school might not be a good idea.....don't forget your rain mac

[Skytrain2hell]

My daughter has been at the school for two months, so take this for what it's worth.

I'm very happy with the quality of Little Dragons International. All of the western teachers are female, and about 90% of the Thai teachers are female. At this age (2-6), I prefer female teachers, though others may have differing opinions.

There are a maximum of 5 children for every teacher. My daughter's class has 10 students, one Canadian teacher, and one Thai teacher. Each day the students get sent home with a communications book, which outlines a lot of what was done that day. About twice a week, I get a couple lines from her teacher about how my daughter is doing. It's a great way to keep in contact with her teachers. It's also great because I can add in what she's been learning at school to our playtime at home.

My daughter loves it. I had the sweet and sour experience of picking her up one afternoon...She saw me and ran back to her friends. I had to force her out of school against her will. Sweet and sour.

They tell you the daily food menu a month in advance, mark down approximately how much your child ate, how much milk was consumed, how long s/he napped, and even if s/he had a bowel movement (I assume the last part is only for nursery students).

My daughter ran a fever one day, which her teacher noticed pretty quickly. I received a call around 10:00 AM from the Philippino nurse asking if she could administer X amount of paracetamol. We said ok, and received a subsequent call around lunchtime saying the fever didn't go down, please pick her up. It's a small thing, but I was very happy regarding how they handled that.

It's run by a Singaporean guy named Mr. Cheng. He is very into education, and didn't come close to the hard sell that you get from many other schools. Denla, for example, tried to offer me a "one time only" discount if I signed up the day I visited. That was a bad sign. Mr. Cheng basically said, "Early education is a very big decision. Please have a look around to see where you and your daughter are most comfortable. Call me directly if you have any questions."

So far, so good.

[Skytrain2hell]

Another update: Things are going very well. We have signed her up for next year, and plan on sending both kids to LDIS.