We have been in Thailand for 1 year now. Previously lived in China for almost 5 yrs. My kids are losing their Mandarin speaking skills, as well as reading/writing. Hired tutors, but sound is not quite right and not enough for just 1 hour a day. The school here is not too challenging to begin with (so looking forward to a change in school systems) and I really want the best education (as we all do for our children) combined with daily Chinese interaction so that they will improve their abilities with the language. We are US citizens and at this juncture, education is really important as my children are in very important stages of school: currently 10th grader, 7th grader and a 5th grader. I am looking for the change to happen for 2007-2008 school year. I had been reading about a school called Jin Cai International High School - which is a boarding school with an international division (American Curriculum). On paper it sounds good. Now this SUIS sounds good. But are you still happy with the school? And what do you know of Jin Cai High School? Thanks for any input.

I know that Jin Cai High is doing the MYP/DP curriculum, and so would be a good international exposure for your kids - I don't have information on their 5th grade, whether they have an international division for that. Anybody has any ideas?

I heard that Jin Cai has a good curriculum but the students that go there are not really enthusiastic about learning. My friend was considering that school (since it is only 3 minutes by car from where we live), but was worried that her child won't study hard. Also, it's basically only for Asian children, so if you are of Western culture, I heard the child may be thrown out of the loop.

carole wrote:Also, it's basically only for Asian children, so if you are of Western culture, I heard the child may be thrown out of the loop.

I don't understand this part about "basically only for Asian children"?

"basically for Asian children" - meaning Western parents tend to not want to send our kids to such schools - even though the curriculum is MYP/DP, the slant is still somewhat towards a more Asian approach of instruction - can be somewhat confusing for our kids. the student body tends to be largely Asian as a result - SSIS is another such school.

Hmm...so the problem is different approach of instruction, not a better or worse type of instruction?

I ask because I used to have one pupil (back when I teaching in Singapore) who studied in my school for his elementary years. He would later top the State of Colorado in Maths (William Horng is his name, if I don't remember wrongly) at high school. When interviewed, he attributed it to his education in Singapore.

But yes, the student body tends to be largely Asian in schools like SSIS.

yes - it is simply a dfferent type of approach - whether it is better or worse is dependent on what we as parents deem appropriate - I for one am not very interested in my children making top scores in any type of exams - what's more important is that my boys acquire the ability to think critically, be independent learners yet at the same time a team player, not be dependent on teachers as the source of everything. Both my boys go to Concordia - we are very happy with the quality of instruction as well as the approach to and philosophy of education

I'm curious - it has always been a generalisation (in my observation) but is it really true that western parents tend to prefer a more well-rounded education, while Asian parents prefer a more achievement-oriented type of education?

I tend to hear more from Asian parents, so it'd be interesting to hear from western parents what they think, generally.

I like a mix of the two - well rounded and competitive - esp at the high school level! At SAS I think my kids get both - US curriculum which includes a lot of discussion based/seminar style English and Social Studies classes along with challenging options in all subjects and competition from very smart kids. They have a lot of leadership opportunities with clubs and sports but also a rigorous class schedule that has prepared them very well for college in the US. The student population is more Asian than western so the Asian values of disciplined hard work are very prevalent!

has anyone looked at DCS? (dulwich college shanghai). or can tell me any information on it?

Thank you to all who added comments about Jin Cai High School. Personally for me, I like the academics taught in China. It is more academically challenging. As we have been living in Asia for 10+ years, my kids know nothing of the lax attitude towards schooling like in most Western Schools. Good and bad points here... while it is good that schools want a "well-rounded" education for the kids, I believe that most of the time they are not being challanged enough. For my kids, they are use to a more academic curriculum and not so much of a focus on athletics as in American Schools. Don't get me wrong as they love sports as any child would, but they also enjoy the challenge of competition among their peers. This is what they know and anything less, well, that is why I have the problem that I do now. My kids, mind you, tell me that they are bored... they even ask for additional work... this is unbelievable to me. We had also lived in Singapore for 3 years and I loved the teaching method also. I just thought that as Jin Cai had an international division, using USA textbooks and also an Asian division, possibly kids would have the best of both worlds? Of course, each parent knows their kids better and what can work for them. Unfortunately, my husband has made the decision that he wants us to remain in Thailand. As I am not happy with the school in Pattaya - where we live - We will have to get a second residence in Bangkok as that is where the choices of schooling open up for us. Although, if Shanghai was still a possibility, I would make a trip there to check it out. Again, thank you to all for your comments!!!

My family and I will go to Shanghai for few years. My sons (8 and 6 years old) are speaking fluent English as we have been living in the US for 4 years. I'm looking for an international school for them in Puxi area, but SAS just has waiting list. So, any comments on Shanghai Rego International School and British Internatioanl School? Thanks.

My kids were on the SAS waiting list and ended up getting into the school by July so I encourage you to put them on the list. The first round of admissions is made in May when the school determines who will be leaving for next year. After that there are still some spots that open up since many will keep their place even if there is a possibility of a move.
Review the way their priority works - 3 years ago if you accept a Pudong spot you moved to the top of the wait list for Puxi. Also once one kid gets in the other moved to the top of the list.

Thanks. Tnmom,

Thanks for your advise. My husband will leave to Shanghai next week and we'll put kids on the waiting list.

Besides putting the kids to SAS Puxi waiting list.......

Any comments on British International School (BISS) and Shanghai Rego?? Thanks.

Me too. . .I am also curious about BISS versus Rego. We are here from Australia and I believe I need to place my kids in a school system that has a curriculum more similar than the American system provides. I have been told the UK system is more aligned with Australia’s system, I hope this is good advice? Either way, does anyone have an opinion of BISS versus Rego???

reddog wrote:Me too. . .I am also curious about BISS versus Rego. We are here from Australia and I believe I need to place my kids in a school system that has a curriculum more similar than the American system provides. I have been told the UK system is more aligned with Australia’s system, I hope this is good advice? Either way, does anyone have an opinion of BISS versus Rego???

Please check PM

Yeh, it's strange that no one talked about BISS. I also like to know about this school coz this school is offering me a seat but need to pay RMB4150 application fee and BMB8300 deposit first - both are non-refundable. Any comment??

Still no replies as far as I can see about BISS in particular. I have heard good things about their schools in other countries. Like reddog I am moving from Australia and would prefer a UK orientated curriculum I think. Any further comments??

Eddy is an idiot and a drunk. Met him one night in the Blue Frog and he tried to stick his tongue down my throat after 15 minutes. He's the principal of the school-what do you expect him to say?

I'd look into both BISS schools carefully if I were you. They have a LOT of teachers leaving this summer.

greatwhite wrote:Eddy is an idiot and a drunk. Met him one night in the Blue Frog and he tried to stick his tongue down my throat after 15 minutes. He's the principal of the school-what do you expect him to say?

Principal of which school? BISS? I checked both their websites - Pudong and Puxi and no Eddy as principal.

susiemcwinkster wrote:I'd look into both BISS schools carefully if I were you. They have a LOT of teachers leaving this summer.

I heard that SAS hired over 90 new teachers in the Bangkok recruitment fair for the coming new school year. I was told their teachers turnover is every two years - most don't stay for more than 2 years?? Anyone can confirm?

If so, is it not uncommon for an international school to have loads of teachers leaving? I know that the first semester BISS was opened, they have to go over to Australia in January to recruit more teachers because they were expanding like crazy and also added a whole new floor to their building. Growing pains for a brand new school who expanded too fast?

I think this kind of poll is not very useful. The International schools in Shanghai are all very different, with very different fee structures, tryign to do very different things. How can they really be compared? The "best school" depends very much on what you want for your child.

I think its common for high turnover. If the school is loosing teachers after a year though, then perhaps the school has some issues.

This is from a previous, I cant remeber the name of the person, but here is a part of the post-<i> "Worst (Objectively, really): SHS-ID
My experience with SHS students is this: It has too many apathetic local teachers and little to no supervision on the students. Students can go there for 8 years without basic English skills. Non-existent college counseling and planning. This is where excellent students struggle to create a college path by themselves, good students become average, average students go bad, and bad students commit crimes. Really. My understanding is that the management is purely Chinese aparitchik, and all the money from the large International Division used for its excellent Chinese track. Oh, and foreign students are not allowed into the Chinese track. You can get a good immersion in Chinese here, but only because so many 'international' students don't speak English at all. Meanwhile students learn how to sleep in class, ditch school, go nightclubbing, and worse."</i>

Well, i dont know how you define "best". I wouldn't send my child to a school with a US system, some would. SAS should have the best facilities, because its fees are the highest, or one of the highest, in the city. It also pays its teachers very well, and they work long hours.

SHSID is a Chinese school, and has to deal with the fact that it's a government school, which means it has local restrictions. SAS has very few. It's really quite an unfair comparison. SHSID has the most beautiful grounds of any school in Shanghai, its superb. Its buildings are old, but it actually feels like a school, a real school. Many of the other international schools lack that character.

Do students have to speak English to be "international"? Since when should international schools only take students who speak a certain level of English? This makes those schools "western" schools, not international schools. SSIS, not very far from SHSID accept anyone to, but the difference is they offer only one very weak program to kids who don't speak English. They dump kids of all levels in the one class, and it's a nightmare to teach, and very tough for the kids.

SHSID offers streamed classes, IB, and SAT support.

SHSID is a relaxed and "human" place for the kids. It's a school. Its not just a high pressure factory for "acedemic excellence", it's more a regular school. Like a regualr school, it has to deal with kids with many different academic levels. It does this pretty well.

I have a colleague who worked at SSIS and the management at SHSID seems to be much better, and much more flexible. Calling the teachers here names is appalling and an insult to the very fine local teachers that SHSID has. I would hasten to add that owing to the presiteg of SHSID locally, they probably have better teachers than many international schools.

SHSID has its share of problems, but most schools do. It's in a very difficult spot because its a government school trying to operate more flexibly. Its fees are also very low. It has improved a great deal over the past couple of years, and will continue to improve each year. It's a nice place, and good option for parents. I would send my kids there.

Your comments about students at SHSID was over the top and unless you have any kind of evidence, you really shouldn't post comments like that.

I heard that SAS hired over 90 new teachers in the Bangkok recruitment fair for the coming new school year. I was told their teachers turnover is every two years - most don't stay for more than 2 years?? Anyone can confirm?

I'm sure SAS did hire that many teachers - they are adding a whole high school grade at the Pudong campus and adding other new positions at the various schools - 6 individual schools: elementary, middle and highschool on two campuses. The Puxi high school alone has 75 teachers/administrators of which around 10 are leaving - mostly due to wanting to try a new adventure in another international school (or having their lungs too filled with Shanghai air that they need something healthier!). Some do only stay 2 years - I think the hiring contract is 2 years.

Well, i dont know how you define "best". I wouldn't send my child to a school with a US system, some would. SAS should have the best facilities, because its fees are the highest, or one of the highest, in the city. It also pays its teachers very well, and they work long hours.

WRONG!!!
[color=blue]Base on a student going into Grade 6 in 2007/8:-

SAS USD20,250 @ 7.7 RMB155,925
Concordia RMB180,400 (include capital levy and material)
BISS RMB181,800 (2006/7 fees schedule)
SCIS RMB185,000[/color]


Your comments about students at SHSID was over the top and unless you have any kind of evidence, you really shouldn't post comments like that.[/quote]

Like everyone else including yourself....stuff posted here is based on each individual's opinion, so don't take it as truth unless you have totally checked it out

As I said, SAS has one of the highest fees in the city. Your figures demonstrate that. How was I wrong? I dont want t get into a contest over this, I was just poitning out a fact about fees.

These kind of postings are great for comparing notes on issues, but making outlandish claims about other schools, like that the students "become criminals", is childish. That's not just an opinion, it's slander. It's also unfiar to any school to have thigns like that bandied about.

I'm not not arguing that one school is better than another. I don't really think its possible- each school does different things, and it really depends on what you want for your children.

tnmom wrote:

I heard that SAS hired over 90 new teachers in the Bangkok recruitment fair for the coming new school year. I was told their teachers turnover is every two years - most don't stay for more than 2 years?? Anyone can confirm?

I'm sure SAS did hire that many teachers - they are adding a whole high school grade at the Pudong campus and adding other new positions at the various schools - 6 individual schools: elementary, middle and highschool on two campuses. The Puxi high school alone has 75 teachers/administrators of which around 10 are leaving - mostly due to wanting to try a new adventure in another international school (or having their lungs too filled with Shanghai air that they need something healthier!). Some do only stay 2 years - I think the hiring contract is 2 years.

Yes, you are right....the teachers' contract are 2 years.

Hopefully this new openings will help with the long waiting list. There are now more openings in the Pudong than in the Puxi campus for students.