New International School in NK,next term!

[nkstan]

Just finished talking to a nearby neighbor whose brother teaches at PTK school in Nong Khai,my daughters school.She told me that the school received approval and funding for an International school starting next term.Cirriculum taught in English only!All the teachers will be falangs.She mentioned a fee of 100K!

She is the only person that I have heard this from,so I have no idea about the facts!

A little background about her and our conversations regarding this school:She is the landlord of 2 rental units near me,the sister of the woman that owns all the Honda M/B stores in NK,a registered Nurse that worked in America for many years,returning recently to Thailand.

I met her a few months ago,as we both worked as nurses in America and had some commonality!In our conversations,she mentioned that one of her brothers worked at my daughters school and because I have many negative views and complaints about my daughters education and different situations that go on within the school system,I mentioned them to her!

She was shocked and defensive,saying that she would ask her brother about some of my issues.At the same time she had mentioned that he was on a committee involved in setting up an International school.

Although ,I see her ,most everyday,walking in the morning for exercise,she has been rather reserved and never volunteering any info about our discussions,merely giving me a small smile and a head nod in passing ,while we exercise on the waterfront!I thought maybe I offended her ''Thainess'' with my complaints at our earlier comversation,so I didn't bother her!

This morning,after exercise,I saw her in front of her properties,stopped and asked her if she had talked to her brother lately?She didn't address any of my ''complaints'',but did tell me about the new International school and saying she will try to get a brochure,if they have them yet!Went on to say that the kids finishing the new International school would be able to go on to foreign schools if desiring to do so!

Me being me,decided to ask her to ask her brother about another complaint of mine about this particular school,which was''How do we get my daughters final grades,because the last 2 years they were not posted and her class did not get the until about 2 weeks into the next term!!!This being something that never happened at any of her other schools in the past!

She was ,once more,very defensive saying''Oh no no,they post them an hour after the finals'',but she would ask her brother about it!
I told her ,I would look forward to the brochure and her brothers remarks and thanked her with a smile!

I hope this post is informative to some that might want to check into the International school situation!

[Khun Paul]

Inteeresting, quality of teachers spring to mind, as finding farang teachers to teach ALL subjects would I think be a tad difficult.

[Astana]

Accreditaton will also be major hurdle, this would be a particular problem if they offered an IB program or unapproved curriculum. It will certainly be interesting to see how this develops as it is a brave move.

[nkstan]

Inteeresting, quality of teachers spring to mind, as finding farang teachers to teach ALL subjects would I think be a tad difficult.

I agree!If it is actually happening without any prior notice,it would seem that there would be a mad scramble for staffing.Also,I don't know any other kids attending this school that speak English besides my daughter although a couple can read English ,a little!

My daughter only has one year left in High school,so I don't know if it would be worth it to her to go the first year it is offered because I imagine a lot of management mistakes and adjustments,plus my experience tells me they will teach ''down'' to the level that can understand,which,I don't believe,would be beneficial to her!

This is the largest gov't school in the area,so I am not sure how they are incorporating the International program!

[Astana]

Perhaps the current govt. school's perception of what an international school actually is and what our perception of one should be is quite different?

[nkstan]

Perhaps the current govt. school's perception of what an international school actually is and what our perception of one should be is quite different?

Perhaps!I have always been under the impression that the International were private,so I'm not sure how this school can be part of it!
I am just passing on information that is strictly hearsay at this point!

[Khun Paul]

I did hear that this is an extension of a school which is currently operating in the area, so may be accreditation would not be such a problem, however teachers would be, in my circles I really do not know any person who knows too much about this school.

There are currently tech colleges which have International status in the area, depending on what subjects your children want, if one would PM me I could advise on a more personal level, instead of airing ones personal requirements over the general site.

One must not forget that most schools ( private ) will adhere to the Thai Govt curriculum in the main, with added subjects or even offering some in English. It is that cost which is reflected and in some cases teachers are more qualified , but payment of money is no guarantee of teacher excellence. In this country education is seen in many cases as a way of filling ones bank balance not neccessarily imparting useful information to students.

[Astana]

Perhaps the current govt. school's perception of what an international school actually is and what our perception of one should be is quite different?

Perhaps!I have always been under the impression that the International were private,so I'm not sure how this school can be part of it!
I am just passing on information that is strictly hearsay at this point!

I think your right NKstan!

[LoongLee]

Yep NKStan,,,,, I'm afraid you blew it,,,,,,, it didn't matter that she had lived and worked in the US for years.. She lost a tremendous amount of "Face" when confronted by your direct American style. She knows the real score, but as a Thai, directly confronting the issue is a no no. Good luck at mending this fence,,,,, she could prove to be an invaluable ally in the future. Cheers,,,,LL

[Texpat]

Truth avoidance at work.

They're so much better at than we are.

We really must strive to improve...

[nkstan]

Yep NKStan,,,,, I'm afraid you blew it,,,,,,, it didn't matter that she had lived and worked in the US for years.. She lost a tremendous amount of "Face" when confronted by your direct American style. She knows the real score, but as a Thai, directly confronting the issue is a no no. Good luck at mending this fence,,,,, she could prove to be an invaluable ally in the future. Cheers,,,,LL

If she has a problem,it is on her.I was interested in information more than friends.I have enough of those already!
If she worked as an emergency room nurse,as she claimed, in America,she should be used to direct conversation as we don't waste time with the BS there,needing to get to the point!

[fredwilliams]

A friend is looking at VIS in Vientiane for his daughter.

Do you have any weblinks/contact names/numbers for this school please?

[arjay]

Fred, there are several weblinks on a Google search.

This is the main one:
http://www.vislao.com/

Another:
http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/1362.htm

It is an expensive school.

[nkstan]

Yep NKStan,,,,, I'm afraid you blew it,,,,,,, it didn't matter that she had lived and worked in the US for years.. She lost a tremendous amount of "Face" when confronted by your direct American style. She knows the real score, but as a Thai, directly confronting the issue is a no no. Good luck at mending this fence,,,,, she could prove to be an invaluable ally in the future. Cheers,,,,LL

If she has a problem,it is on her.I was interested in information more than friends.I have enough of those already!
If she worked as an emergency room nurse,as she claimed, in America,she should be used to direct conversation as we don't waste time with the BS there,needing to get to the point!

Still have not found any info on the International school.I talked to the lady again,told her my daughter still had not got her grades for a month after the last term,she informed me that her brother,assist to the head administrator said they were posted online and the info about the school was there also.We went to the site and saw nothing about an Int.school,plus the last grades posted were 2 years old and could not be accessed without a personal code that changes every year.

We went to the school and was told by a teacher working in the office,to check back after April 4th,''they should be available then,if not,you will get them after the new term beginns''!WTF

I wheeled about and left,forgot to ask about the new school!

[fredwilliams]

Fred, there are several weblinks on a Google search.

This is the main one:
http://www.vislao.com/

Another:
http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/1362.htm

It is an expensive school.

Thanks, arjay, but I actually meant the new international school in NK!!!

Any links or other contact details, please?

[Khun Paul]

As I understand it, I may be wrong, this apparantly New School is just an exrension of a school that has been running for some time. It seems that putting International will increase students.

Please do not forget quaity does not always come with names of schools nor payment of money, rather with the teacher employed to teach or the way he/she teaches.
I have known many students who apparently go to so-called prestigious schools whose command of English is at best poor.

[fredwilliams]

Thanks Khun Paul, what you say about them just adding 'International' to their name sounds more like it to me!

My friend is back in Ireland @ the mo', so this is one less thing that I'll have to look after for him now!

[nkstan]

As I understand it, I may be wrong, this apparantly New School is just an exrension of a school that has been running for some time. It seems that putting International will increase students.

Please do not forget quaity does not always come with names of schools nor payment of money, rather with the teacher employed to teach or the way he/she teaches.
I have known many students who apparently go to so-called prestigious schools whose command of English is at best poor.

Hell,I'm iving here,daughter attends PTK,and I can't find any info,in fact,one way or another!

I agree with your summation,KP,but may I ask if and where you have gotten the information that you base your understading on?

According to my original source,who has not mentioned,one way or the other, the ''pamphlet'',if available,that she was going to get for me!As I see her most mornings during exercise time,I would think she might be interested in my findings enough to ask,but she doesn't!Just gives me a friendly nod and smile,only stopping to talk if I choose to initiate,which I don't think would be polite while someone is trying to increase their heart rate.

I will be taking my daughter by the school, again tomorrow,to check for grades from last term and I will make a concerted effort to get any info available about the school,preferably a pamphlet.

But,since none of the falang teachers,in NK that I am familiar with,know anything about it and have not interviewed for it.So if the staff is in place,I wonder where they came from

[Khun Paul]

My point exactly, if as I understand it and I amy be wrong to gain international status one must have teachers internationally qualified by that I mean quals which are internationally recognised, not just applicable to Thailand or SE Asia.
My information came from an impeccable source which i have NOT checked on but there was no reason to tell me untruths.
If it is an extension of PTK which is what I was told but never mentioned then my source is correct 100%. A name is a name quality counts but takes years to acquire.

[papaguido]

Stan,

FWIW, my sister-in-law hasn't heard of any news of an International school existing now or in the future, unless it's some top secret info she's not privy to. Anyway, she added that there's one classroom of which all subjects are taught in English by a farang. If I hear anything more I'll pass it on.