International, Bilingual Or Private Schools For Thai-Western Child?

[Joyeuss]

Hi All, I have been tossing the above question around in my head for the last couple of months and I would really like to get some other peoples ideas and opinions. I am still pregnant at the moment but I would like to have a short list of schools ready to go for kindergarten. If I can I would prefer them in the same school throughout their education years.

So what are peoples opinions about International, Bilingual and Private schools in Thailand? ( most specifically in Chaing Mai) Obviously cost is going to be a contributing factor but I don't want to spend extra money if my child can have basically the same education or could reach their same potential at another less expensive school.

Thanks

[Colonel_Mustard]

I have always posted on here that I think that the International school option provides by far the best education available in Thailand.

While I still believe the above to be true, in recent weeks I have started to question whether international schools are the best choice for every child.

I think that if you are likely to be leaving Thailand before the child's education is complete, or you wish your child to attend school/university overseas, then an international school is almost certainly your best option.

However, if you think your child's future is likely to be in Thailand, then perhaps a private Thai school would be more suitable as it should provide your child with a deeper understanding of the Thai language and culture and better prepare him/her for study and work here.

I remain unconvinced by bilingual schools, though I am sure there must be some decent ones out there.

Of course knowing where your child's long-term future lies is the difficult bit!

[bow]

Yes, I agree. You need to look at for how long you plan to stay in Thailand.

If you plan to stay in Thailand with your child for the forseable future, maybe 20 years or more, then you should look at a school where the language of instruction is Thai.

If you plan to move back to your home country relativly soon, then you need to look at schools where the language of instruction is the same as in your home country. For example, if you are Russian, then you want a school where they teach in Russian language - you don't want a school that teaches in English.

I think it is wrong to always recommend people to use an international school where the language of instuction is English. It's not as easy as that.

One more - to say "they don't need to study Thai, they will learn Thai from their Thai friends" is also to simplify things. Their Thai vocabulary will be at least 10 times bigger if they go to a Thai school then if they just learn from their friends.

Edited April 20, 2013 by bow

[wolf5370]

Yes - as above:

- Do you want Thai to be the kid's primary language? If they are living here for the foreseeable future, then connections and a good school name means more than the education they receive to be honest - at least in a career sense.

- Do you want a foreign/specific curriculum? - few schools outside of int. schools offer foreign curriculums (some do in special projects - I think Varee Chiang Mai does in its top English Program - offers IGCSE I believe - check though).

- Is religion important to you? - most non int. schools are Buddhist or Islamic (in some areas) - most Christian schools are international (or very poor missionary school) - there are some exceptions like Sacred Heart in CM (private bi-lingual).

-How much can you afford, on going? (include back handers etc to get on the list in the first place - and all extras int. schools pile on, like insurance, lunches, library, books, uniform, etc) - bear in mind that it may be difficult to change later when a second or third kids comes along!

Answer all of those and the answer will come out in the wash I would suggest

Good luck.

PS: There are some good private schools up here in CM - Sacread Heart / Varee / Montford College (great for connections too) / Sarasas (though not great reports - so check it out first)

[benjaminterrett]

This is indeed a tough issue, and one that has been a big thing for me and my family this year. My son has been in a bilingual programme and we have been deeply unhappy with the quality of education he has gained through this. It may be okay for some, but works out badly for most half-western children if our experience and that of friends is anything to go by. The worst of both worlds...

We recently moved him to an international school (LIST) after visiting all of the schools in the area and some serious soul searching about whether we could make the sacrifices needed to pay the fees. We chose LIST because of its "all religions, or none" welcome (we are not religious), its moderate fees, and its friendly feel. It also has an excellent academic reputation these days.

After the visits to the schools the only other that fitted well with us was NIS. We chose not to go with this in the end partly because we live on the south side of the city, and partly that we didn't feel fully comfortable with the standards of English amongst the students, and the academic standards (all in-school assessed only).

All of the other schools were rejected due to the overly-christian agendas and/or cost. We chose not to go with a Thai school as we didn't want to subject our child to any more "don't ask questions/challenge the teacher" type education. Our son is inquisitive and we didn't want this beating out of him. I have, however, accepted that he will need extra Thai classes to gain a high standard of Thai. He now gets Thai classes every saturday morning. If you plan to stay in Thailand and opt for international education then this is probably essential.

As ASEAN approaches a good education in English is going to become increasingly important in my opinion, BUT, great Thai will be important too. that is what we are aiming for.

Good luck with the baby, and your decision.

[Yooyung]

This is a topic that I have needed to consider very carefully. I am married to a Thai national and we have a son. For the first two and a half years of his life we were in Thailand and he obviously only spoke basic Thai, what you would expect for a kid of that age. We then all went back to Australia for me to get a degree, that took 3 years. During that time his English skyrocketed and obviously his Thai became virtually non existent. His mum did start to make more of an effort with him about six months before we came back.....Fast forward to today and we have been back here for about 2 months. I am amazed with how well he has fitted in and how easily he is picking up Thai. He did a summer camp at my wife's sisters school for two weeks recently and we had no problems with him at all, maybe we are lucky. He is now speaking in English with me and mum and Thai with everyone else...So what's the point?

I want my son to be bilingual. I already help him out a lot with English, we have educational shows on in English at home, as well as news, music...you name it! He a smart little guy and I really don't have too many worries about him. He is currently attending another summer camp at my wife's school (Thai private). I am going to send him there for anubaan 3 to really get his Thai up to speed. After that I am still considering my options. I cant afford an international school, that's just the way it is. Even if I could I am not sure I would want to send him to one. I want him to understand Thai culture, speak the language with absolute fluency and have the added benefit of being able to speak English like a native, read and comprehend it to boot as well. Is this possible? I really think it is. You see education isn't just about dropping your kid off at the gate and letting others totally have control of what they are learning. I not only intend to have strong input into his English, I also intend to travel to other countries in the region with the little fella, as well as trips back to Aus. I want him to understand the world more than the average Thai. I'd rather spend my money on opening his mind in this way than sending him to some snotty school, buying a house and putting it in his name is also something else that will be more beneficial. If I send him to an international school his Thai may suffer. I have control over his English and the Thai basically takes care of itself.

I am not knocking international schools. There are obviously some very good ones out there and, if you are not really considering staying in Thailand long term they could be a good option. I think they are ridiculously overpriced though, but hey....I cant really afford it anyway so what the **** do I know? If you want your child to speak English well, read etc you really don't need to spend all that money. If you have a little time on your hands, in the afternoon/evening whatever there are some very good websites that help make the learning process fun. I use them with my son and he loves it. Thailand also has loads of special/ weekend institutes/schools whatever that you can use to supplement everything else. I will be looking into them when my son starts school.

So, for me it looks like it will be Thai private schools for my son, supplemented by me being a father that likes to have input into my sons learning, with perhaps a course or two on the weekend thrown into the bargain. Am I a bad because I cant afford to send him to Harrow? Some seem to think so. With ASEAN coming up though I think Thais that have a real command of BOTH languages will be in the driving seat. I want to strike a balance between both worlds. I don't think that balance can be found at Harrow or the others.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Its not something to take lightly. We all want our kids to have a future, we all want them to be happy....its not a black and white issue, you need to find your own way.

[ExpatJ]

International schools are the best option, the more expensive they are, the better education your kid will get- end of discussion (many of us cant afford it but i think its pointless and delusional to self justify otherwise).

You pay what you can afford to reasonably- that's the best any parent can do.