New International School Coming to Udon?

[amazonboy]

Just looked at their Facebook, and just realized they only accept kids from 2-7 years old. So it has nothing to do with me then, but I was even more appalled that the 200kto 290k tuition only apply to the little nursery kids and the higher fee for the primary 2, I thought this is the fee for elementary school and junior high at first, and I thought even this was ridiculously high already for elementary school and junior high for some new Isan international school with future totally unpredictable, this is actually fees for little little kids, I am shocked, just imagine if one day if they last long enough to increase their enrollment to high school, what would the tuition be?? 350-400K?? maybe as other posters said maybe they live in cuckoo land.

Well, this is a tough world of competition, people who can afford this prices do have many choices, and are not restricted to only this city. I looked at their Facebook, looks like a completely Thai run entity, with a Thai school as their sister school, and they are hiring Thai principle, and Thai assistants inside the classrooms, all these are very bad signs of typical Thai run international schools, I have been through this several times, and eventually pulled my kids out and settled them in Penang, where their English improved at light speed, we speak Dutch at home, and my wife speak German and Dutch, and her English is horrendous, so no help from her, and I am away from home in Laos most of the time, so we need very good institution to progress my kids' English.

All these initial signs from what I see, this will turn into another very typical Thai school with the difference is English being used in classrooms, a place where the Udon rich people congregate, if the school is able to congregate them.

Well, at first I was very glad something like this is in the making, and I may be able to take my kids from Penang to Udon, so I can surely see them every weekend, but from what I observe, i feel this is just another rich gathering for Thais. But anyway, my kids are too old for this anyway. We all like to see how this school will unfold, hope our view is wrong, but I am not too optimistic about it being a real international school after seeing these very bad signs.

[grievous]

Just read this post from UDIS on facebook.
Looks like a few posts have been assuming things without asking. It looks like there are two Heads of the school.
One being administrative (Thai) and the other being Academic (Foreign) It may pay to ask UDIS before posting maybe and I thinks.
I don't know if the school will achieve all they say but I hope they will.
I don't want my children to be away from home for a long time to school in another country, I'm not retired and as such can't spend the hours doing home tuition and my children have spent most of their lives in Australia so a school like this is a perfect option for myself . "If it works'

"UDIS will have a unique organisational structure which separates the academics and administration of the school. The foreign Head of School is in charge of all academic affairs with teachers working collaboratively together. The administration (admissions, catering, finance, IT etc) acts to support the academic side with the provision of services to enhance student learning and maintain school operations. This ensures an organisation firmly committed towards the provision of international education with everyone working towards the same goal as led by the academic side"

[amazonboy]

Just read this post from UDIS on facebook.
Looks like a few posts have been assuming things without asking.

This "UDIS will have a unique organisational structure which separates the academics and administration of the school. The foreign Head of School is in charge of all academic affairs with teachers"
this new line was added only 50 min ago.

They should have stressed this issue from the very beginning, seems like they added this line from reading all the doubts and worries from posters. Hope they really keep their promised standard and increase their enrollment to grade 6(my kids are older), and make the tuition more realistic in line with newly start up rural Thai inter schools, they can always slowly increase their tuition after showing some credentials, they really need to prove it before they can justify this fees, good luck this place, we may try it when they go up their grade levels, and if it is good as it sounds.

[WhoUrDaddy]

y amazonboy

So it has nothing to do with me then

Couple long, negative posts for something with nothing to do with you.

Though I think the cost are a bit high for myself, certainly not in my budget, but not geared to me and mine. Mute, since daughter doesn't need English.

They do have to pay for the teachers (USA salaries), which they seem to realize, and are offering quite good salaries for Thailand, w/ living expense to start, so hopefully will accomplish what they set out to do. Guessing they want to at least break even, or close to it, the first couple years until attendance improves.

Do the math, what is 6 - 8 - 10 teachers going to cost a month, so the tuition isn't too far out there. Unless you want less qualified teachers at pre-school level, which defeats the purpose of a good school. Sometimes you get what you pay for. If they get 10-20 students, they will be operating at a loss, to just above cost, to maybe a profit. Not counting building and supplies, just the basic operating costs.

[marjamlew]

Grievous, I'm glad I got that wrong on the headmaster bit as one Thai headmaster and one Farang (English I would hope)) headmaster makes a lot more sense. I presume they are not advertising the Farang headmaster position and have one lined up already. Hopefully they also have other teachers (female) lined up from other International schools they run in Thailand too. I wish them luck and will keep a close eye on their progress and may possibly put myself forward as a candidate when they establish the upper primary classes.

[parrot]

Groundbreaking ceremony for the new school (most will recognize the home in the background as a landmark before you reach Naka on the way to Nongkai)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthrea ... &page=2535

[KHONDAHM]

Just a funny (rhetorical) afterthought: Is an international school with only rich Thai/Laotian students and no western students still an international school?

[grievous]

My children are Australian

[writemotive]

Mine are American...

[Barney]

Just a funny (rhetorical) afterthought: Is an international school with only rich Thai/Laotian students and no western students still an international school?

KHONDAHM is there a relevance to your day dreaming for the under construction UIS, or is it an International school in Laos for the rich you have after thoughts on ? Their fees seem high.

[amazonboy]

Just a funny (rhetorical) afterthought: Is an international school with only rich Thai/Laotian students and no western students still an international school?

That is pretty much true. The most Thai international schools have vast majority rich Thai kids. Unless you have the funds to put them in schools like American School Bangkok or International School Bangkok and a few others that are popular with foreign expats( lots of them tuition are paid by third party)

If your home language is English then may be less problems for your kids to pick up English, because your kids have chance to speak it all day, Most of these Thai international schools are overwhelmed and dominant with Thai language among the kids as the language of communication. If your kids are not native English speakers, it is pretty tough for them to pick up the language properly, when all the kids around them speak Thai.

My kids native language is Dutch, and German as close second, they are bilingual, they had really tough time many years in Thai international schools, I switched 2 schools in 3 years, wasting all these entrance donations, because they simply had tough time learn this language properly with all majority Thai speaking kids, and were forced to take Thai class every day, which they had even a tougher time, they failed Thai class all 3 years, it seemed their minds were exhausted every day from school, and English was also abysmal, thankfully their Dutch and German stayed on track from speaking at home with their mom.

Since I cannot afford to send them to American school Bangkok and other alikes, and also cannot pay the huge entrance donation, because I am on contract here in Laos, contract can end abruptly, so I am not willing to risk these ridiculous entrance fees, but I felt my kids need another better environment to study English and also better environment for life at affordable rates, some of my colleagues in Laos put their kids in Penang, so we ended up putting my kids there, and I go visit them every 2 weeks, big thanks to Air Asia.

That was when they started to pick up English so fast, because in their school there is no dominant language and it's a all English speaking environment with 45 nationalities, in one year they have learned more English than the 3 years in Thailand.

So from my personal experience, if your home language is not English, and send your kids to predominantly Thai kids international school, your kids may have trouble learn and speak properly, and plus that mandatory Thai class, your kids may get really messed up in their speaking ability and ended up speaking every language with strange accents, yes happened to some kids of my Lao expats friends(Dutch), late teens in high school and speak English(school in Bangkok) and Dutch(home) with strange Thai accent.

About this new school, don't know Udon has enough foreign expats or not to make it a real international school, I think at this high prices, the rich Lao kids won't come, because they have several good international or Englsih/Lao schools in Vientiane for less this price, and with very good reputations. If the new school gets their enrollment almost from Thai kids, I think it would probably turn out like the schools my kids used to attend in Bangkok, where almost all the kids communicate in Thai, and really tough place for foreign non-English speaking kids to pick up this language.

[KHONDAHM]

Well put and explained. =D> That is exactly my point.

[Teacher Dan]

So when will this new International School open? And will it start out only with Kindergarten and possibly Primary and work up as the initial classes age or will they open to all grades from the start? Does anyone know? I took Thai at that Mickey Mouse school behind it many years ago when I first arrived.

[FrazeeDK]

link near the top of the string... http://www.udoninternationalschool.com/

[SkyyWalker]

First off, I have really enjoyed reading the comments regarding education posted by the last three forum members on this thread (but not just on this thread). The term "international" is used rather haphazardly around Isaan & Thailand. To my mind, a "true" international school provides a student an education that is on par with an education that one would receive "back home". More specifically, if a student graduated from an "international" high school, their diploma would carry the same weight regarding university admission in a Western country as a diploma from a school in Perth, London, San Francisco etc..Maybe that's erroneous in actual fact, but that's how I look at it.

Here in Khon Kaen, a so-called international school is about to open: http://www.kkis.ac.th/

It will be interesting to see what emerges in Isaan educationally in the near future. I recall meeting the Thai owner of the former "Mickey Mouse" school about 6 years ago. Is he involved in this new project? I don't remember his name, but I do recall he worked for years in the UK (England, I think) in the restaurant industry. Anyway, I say it will be interesting to see what happens because, like many of you, I'm a parent who wants the best for my kid(s).

[Teacher Dan]

It will be interesting to see what emerges in Isaan educationally in the near future. I recall meeting the Thai owner of the former "Mickey Mouse" school about 6 years ago. Is he involved in this new project? I don't remember his name, but I do recall he worked for years in the UK (England, I think) in the restaurant industry. Anyway, I say it will be interesting to see what happens because, like many of you, I'm a parent who wants the best for my kid(s).

Ah yes, Eddy was his name, I remember him from my Thai lessons years ago and I had considered working there when I first arrived. Plus we used to use the pool a lot over there as it was one of the few games in town back then besides the big hotels.

[FrazeeDK]

the school should have international accreditation by a reputable accreditation organization that ensures any child successfully completing the course of instruction has readily transferable credit.

[Svein66]

Udon Thani to get first international school

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 28181.html

[KHONDAHM]

Udon Thani to get first international school

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 28181.html

Well, SHAZAAAM!

No mention of cost, though. Timeframe is a bit confusing. It says it will open in September and then says it will take 3 years to build...

[rufus]

Just a funny (rhetorical) afterthought: Is an international school with only rich Thai/Laotian students and no western students still an international school?

Of course it is if the curriculum is international.