School fees

OT thought he'd bring up the subject of school fees. What I'd like to know is is it value for money? How much do you pay and for which school and what's included? Any other info about how you feel about the schooling for your child/children would be a way for us falangs here to build up a collection of unbiased information about the best way we can educate our children here in Udon. We are pretty much stuck in an education system that doesn't compare with what we are used to so with a bit of information sharing here we can make the best of what we've got.

thanks

OT...........

Have two going to Don Bosco. One in Kindergarten=10,500bt (approx) for 1st term, about the same for 2nd term. This includes her 1hour after school art class. The other is in 4th grade and I think we paid approx 7K for 1st term, 2nd term will be about the same and includes his 1hour after school "instruction". Meals and books are included for the little one, meals not included for the 4th grader.

OT, what sort of school are you referring to, - government or private? For the latter about 12000 baht a semester, with meals and books included. For a government school considerably less.

Took a relative (about 6 yrs old) to school a couple of years back. Was absolutely amazed to find that they sleep during the afternoon at school. Is it any wonder then when these kids grow up they expect to sleep whilst at work.

Seems great value for money to me........ you pay them to let your little darling sleep, and then when you actually want the little b*ggers to sleep at night they aren't tired

arjay wrote:OT, what sort of school are you referring to, - government or private? For the latter about 12000 baht a semester, with meals and books included. For a government school considerably less.

I'm not looking for an answer to any particular type of school. I'm trying to find out what us falangs think the best education available for our kids in Udon is. Don bosco is supposed to be the best, although is it the fees that make it the best? or the education they are getting there. I personally know an English teacher there who may read what I'm about to say; He is not really a teacher. Likes a chang on the way to work and gets covered by the other teachers. He is there for face value.
What I'd like to do is get an overall opinion by us falangs in Udon as to the best education we can get for our children. If it's the most expensive place that gives the best results then so be it.
Statto, I used to have to wake my youngest son up when I collected him from school, we even paid extra for him to sleep at school in an AC room. OT thought the AC would help him with his studies.
I'd like my kids to come out of school with an open mind and an in depth knowledge of Science, Maths, and English language.
God got carpenter so I may be pushing it a bit.

OT..........

stattointhailand wrote:Took a relative (about 6 yrs old) to school a couple of years back. Was absolutely amazed to find that they sleep during the afternoon at school. Is it any wonder then when these kids grow up they expect to sleep whilst at work.

Seems great value for money to me........ you pay them to let your little darling sleep, and then when you actually want the little b*ggers to sleep at night they aren't tired

I believe "nap time" is common up to kindergarten, even in the USA.

Have two at Paramin. Fees vary by level eg nursery is monthly, kindergarten is by term, and elementary could be a higher fee, I am not sure. And also vary if in a bilingual program. We pay premium 12,000 baht I beleive, for total 30,000 baht per term of bilingual kindergarten per student, which has both a thai and a native English speaker (usually British or American) in a class of about 15.

old-timer wrote:

arjay wrote:OT, what sort of school are you referring to, - government or private? For the latter about 12000 baht a semester, with meals and books included. For a government school considerably less.

I'm not looking for an answer to any particular type of school. I'm trying to find out what us falangs think the best education available for our kids in Udon is. Don bosco is supposed to be the best, although is it the fees that make it the best? or the education they are getting there. I personally know an English teacher there who may read what I'm about to say; He is not really a teacher. Likes a chang on the way to work and gets covered by the other teachers. He is there for face value.
What I'd like to do is get an overall opinion by us falangs in Udon as to the best education we can get for our children. If it's the most expensive place that gives the best results then so be it.
Statto, I used to have to wake my youngest son up when I collected him from school, we even paid extra for him to sleep at school in an AC room. OT thought the AC would help him with his studies.
I'd like my kids to come out of school with an open mind and an in depth knowledge of Science, Maths, and English language.
God got carpenter so I may be pushing it a bit.

OT..........

I believe S Mary is the best option of school in Udonthani aas they are not corrupt as the other ones... .

Last week we enrolled our 21-month-old budding genius in preschool here in Amnat Charoen. Not Udon but it might be worth the comparison. The fee is about 10,500 baht for a six-month term. They gave us a detailed breakdown of the fee and what was included, things like books, pencils, supplies, meals, even air conditioning. This is a privately run institution, not connected with any religion or government.

We interviewed all the schools in our little town, both of them. The government school was clean but somewhat run down. The textbooks were dog-eared, some playground equipment was broken, and some of the classrooms were in disarray, even though the term had not yet started. The staff, while pleasant enough, spoke no English that I could determine. Any questions I asked, my wife had to translate and they answered her directly in Thai. The fee was quoted at 1500 baht per month. I don’t know if this was all inclusive or not and I didn’t bother to ask as I had already written them off and had started to wonder about the possibility of sending her to a convent school in Switzerland until she’s 21.

Then the private school was a pleasant surprise. The staff spoke passable English and answered my questions directly in English. They have an English program and all the signs around the place were in Thai and English. Even the preschooler textbooks were in English. Many of the teachers were older and I was told that some of them have been teaching there for 20 years. I also noted quite a few WFBs on the staff but I can say that did not play a part in our decision. They also gave her an “entrance exam” which consisted of a couple of teachers talking to her, showing her books and toys, I imagine seeing if she was ready for school. She passed, and I like to think it was due to her advanced development, although I can’t help but think that they don’t turn away many cash customers.

So she started last week and loves it. So we stayed around for a couple of hours the first day, and it appeared to be very well run. There were hundreds of kids and they seemed to be polite and well mannered. Each teacher seemed to have about a dozen kids in their class and there were “free lance” teachers roaming from class to class to help out. I was surprised when she came home the second day with homework, tracing a couple of Thai letters.

Again, this is not in Udon but the above might serve as a benchmark as you are investigating schools in Udon.

I move to Udon Thani on December 6th 2011. I will be bringing my daughter whom is nine year of age. She has been educated in the UK Education System since the age of four. Although she speaks fluent Thai she does not read or write Thai. Therefore, I have made the decision of home schooling her for I eventually want her to sit examinations in the UK. I have already bought a package in the UK that covers large sections of the UK curriculum and have found it very easy to follow. In order to enhance her social skills she will be joining dancing classes on an evening and any other additional activities that she shows an interest in.

Sorry if you feel this post is of topic but just wanted to give an additional perspective/option.

Regards

Andy

Sad, but some have to Pawn Shop to get what is needed to send the KIDS to school. But my guess it is well worth it in the END!! NUFF SAID

Firfox wrote:I move to Udon Thani on December 6th 2011. I will be bringing my daughter whom is nine year of age. She has been educated in the UK Education System since the age of four. Although she speaks fluent Thai she does not read or write Thai. Therefore, I have made the decision of home schooling her for I eventually want her to sit examinations in the UK. I have already bought a package in the UK that covers large sections of the UK curriculum and have found it very easy to follow. In order to enhance her social skills she will be joining dancing classes on an evening and any other additional activities that she shows an interest in.

Sorry if you feel this post is of topic but just wanted to give an additional perspective/option.

Regards

Andy

I have been through the Thai school system for 12 years,you my friend have the right plan IMO.Home schooling in English is the only way to go if you want your children to have a bright future.Your integration plan through dancing classes sounds like a good idea to me.The only problems I see are potential social balance problems,allowing your child to have friendships with the locals while focusing on ''living in the English language''!
IMO,the Thai education system will ruin your child's mind!
The other options are a FEW decent International schools where she would have friendships with other children that speak English and have a Worldly viewed education.That would take a lot of money and time to investigate which are good schools,most are not!
Good luck and stick to your guns about the home schooling.!
Within ther Thai system there are some satisfied parents whose children seem to being getting a good start in the KG and lower grades through a few private schools.From my experience,there children are going to hit a wall in the middle grades and they will be unable to find other options or able to change it.I was behind the curve that way!

Now my daughter has graduated from HS and we are on a venture to reeducate her in English,Math and the sciences while preparing her for an International University experience where she will be taught in English only.It has been a slow and grueling process,taking longer than anticipated.She will be 20 in February and I can conceivably see this re-education process going on for another year or two!
We are using many internet resources.Frankfurt Institute Study program and EngVid.com for English,plus some bought programs for English practice and Kahn Academy for Math and sciences!The 3 sites mentioned are free!

Stan, I always follow your posts about education in Thailand with great interest and seek to learn from your experiences, partly because as I think you are aware I have a step-daughter a few years behind yours in age and who goes to school in Nong Khai.

Can I ask what your and your step daughter's objectives are in terms of where you (both) see her working upon completion of her education.

I ask because it would seem to me the strategy you are adopting (i.e. an International university education conducted totally in English) would be most suited to someone who was wanting to work in the US or overseas upon completion of their studies, as opposed to working in Thailand. Are your objectives along those lines?

In the case of my step daughter, and bearing in mind she is Laotian, whilst she is currently being educated here in Thailand, I would envisage that ultimately she would need to return to her home country to work (where I would expect she would need to be able to read, write and speak her native language fluently). [Note I/We have no plans to relocate to the UK or her to work there (if she could)]. I tend to think therefore that ultimately it may be more appropriate if she completes her education (either) here in Thailand or maybe even preferably in Laos (perhaps at University level in Vientiane), and thus in the local language or her native Lao language, - i.e. keeping closer to her native language, roots and culture, - and that along the way that she also concentrates on learning English to a high level, as a second or third language (along with any other languages), which she is currently doing. I see that as being most appropriate and conducive to maximising her career opportunities when she gets there.

Does that sound logical to you, given the circumstances I've outlined? Or do you consider me way off track? [Noting that the education she is receiving here is way better than she would have been receiving in her native and very remote & rural village, albeit not exactly in her native language].

If anyone else has any relevant thoughts or input I would welcome them too.

Regards

Arjay