Senior High school -v- International school options

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arjay
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Senior High school -v- International school options

Post by arjay » February 13, 2014, 3:52 pm

I could do with some input/advice here. My step daughter is 16 and is just finishing junior high school and will then need to go to senior High school. It would be easier if she went to a school locally, near where we live. Thus we are considering sending her to Pratumthep - the local Senior High school, in Nong Khai, which has entrance exams, and it also has an International school (see below).

We have been to the school 2 or 3 times and it is difficult to get definitive information. However this is what or how I understand it so far.

The International school was formed about 3 years ago, it uses foreign teachers (who are allegedly properly qualified in the subjects they teach?!). Tuition is in English in all subjects except "Thai". Sounds good so far. Personally, I think it would be a challenge for my step daughter, (or anyone else who has been taught in Thai language for the last 4 years) to learn the technical vocabulary involved in learning the various academic subjects (e.g. science). The school says there would be some initial work involved, but that it shouldn't be a big problem.

However, this is the puzzler for me, - the school is not (yet) accredited, and the exams they take at the end of the 3 years are the normal Thai O-NET exams in Thai language!! I.e. the same as the other Thai programmes (detailed below). That strikes me as almost nonsensical, as they would be learning all their stuff and specialist vocabulary in English and then be tested in Thai language. Could one be sure that they would be teaching exactly the same curriculum, I wonder?

Accepted that being taught in English would improve her knowledge and usage of English significantly.

Otherwise, the Thai programmes at the school consist of three (other) normal entry options:

Talented - (v) high entry level and intensity of teaching with strong emphasis on Maths & Science (teaches all subjects). No option to specialise in English.

Gifted programme - highish entry level, not quite so pressurised level of teaching, and student can opt to specialise in one subject (or group of subjects). If step daughter went into this programme she would aim at specialising in English. I'm not altogether clear here, but it maybe that the other subjects are taught to a much lesser extent, even minimally. So with this one she could focus on English (her desire), though I don't think she would get foreign/native speaking teachers. It would be Thai style.

Ordinary entry - again not altogether sure on what that amounts to. From comments from BKKStan in the past it sounded like you hung around and did your own thing, and if you had a teacher you were lucky!!

As background, step daughter (Laos), has been living with us and going to school in Thailand for last 4 years, speaks English at home, understands English fairly well, but I couldn't say she is fluent, and she doesn't know advanced or technical vocabulary. She doesn't like or get on well with maths, and would prefer to avoid it. She can cope with Science, (though still not a favourite). Her favourite subject is English and she would like to specialise in English and maybe other languages, which is where her career aspirations lie/lay. She speaks Thai, Laos & English.

My thoughts so far, are between International programme and the Gifted programme. The International school programme however is very expensive (100K plus pa). I'm not sure on class sizes for either (need to research that).

I don't know what will happen if and when she gets to University entry level.

Any thoughts or suggestions, or experiences from the future employment side would be much appreciated.



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Geoffrey
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Senior High school -v- International school options

Post by Geoffrey » February 14, 2014, 2:13 pm

The 12th grade Thai language O-net test is a requirement by Thai law. They probably don't have an alternative test in English. If you have an alternative test (e.g., a standard British or American test) they might consider that.

I'm surprised that they have not had their curriculum accredited. I think that they can do that.
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arjay
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Senior High school -v- International school options

Post by arjay » February 22, 2014, 4:14 pm

I take Geoffrey's point re the O-Net exams being compulsory at all Thai schools.

The curricula of other International schools I've researched invariably lead to IGCSE and A level exams, (for the age range in question). However with the NK "International" school, it leads only to the standard Thai O-Net exams (as taken by all the students of normal Thai schools). Thus it seems to me to be counter-productive to pay very high school fees to teach the child a curriculum in English (with the learning curve of all the related technical & specialist vocabulary involved), at the end of which they are then tested (only) in Thai (by the O-Net exams). I ponder whether the "curriculum" taught by the foreign teachers would even fully/exactly match that of the Thai curriculum.

This all tends to lead me to follow the normal Thai school system, and supplement that with enhanced English language teaching through other sources, (as opposed to sending her away to a true International school in a more distant location with the additional hassles, accommodation implications & costs involved).

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Senior High school -v- International school options

Post by Teacher Dan » April 7, 2014, 10:52 pm

arjay wrote:I could do with some input/advice here. My step daughter is 16 and is just finishing junior high school and will then need to go to senior High school. It would be easier if she went to a school locally, near where we live. Thus we are considering sending her to Pratumthep - the local Senior High school, in Nong Khai, which has entrance exams, and it also has an International school (see below).

We have been to the school 2 or 3 times and it is difficult to get definitive information. However this is what or how I understand it so far.

The International school was formed about 3 years ago, it uses foreign teachers (who are allegedly properly qualified in the subjects they teach?!). Tuition is in English in all subjects except "Thai". Sounds good so far. Personally, I think it would be a challenge for my step daughter, (or anyone else who has been taught in Thai language for the last 4 years) to learn the technical vocabulary involved in learning the various academic subjects (e.g. science). The school says there would be some initial work involved, but that it shouldn't be a big problem.

However, this is the puzzler for me, - the school is not (yet) accredited, and the exams they take at the end of the 3 years are the normal Thai O-NET exams in Thai language!! I.e. the same as the other Thai programmes (detailed below). That strikes me as almost nonsensical, as they would be learning all their stuff and specialist vocabulary in English and then be tested in Thai language. Could one be sure that they would be teaching exactly the same curriculum, I wonder?

Accepted that being taught in English would improve her knowledge and usage of English significantly.

Otherwise, the Thai programmes at the school consist of three (other) normal entry options:

Talented - (v) high entry level and intensity of teaching with strong emphasis on Maths & Science (teaches all subjects). No option to specialise in English.

Gifted programme - highish entry level, not quite so pressurised level of teaching, and student can opt to specialise in one subject (or group of subjects). If step daughter went into this programme she would aim at specialising in English. I'm not altogether clear here, but it maybe that the other subjects are taught to a much lesser extent, even minimally. So with this one she could focus on English (her desire), though I don't think she would get foreign/native speaking teachers. It would be Thai style.

Ordinary entry - again not altogether sure on what that amounts to. From comments from BKKStan in the past it sounded like you hung around and did your own thing, and if you had a teacher you were lucky!!

As background, step daughter (Laos), has been living with us and going to school in Thailand for last 4 years, speaks English at home, understands English fairly well, but I couldn't say she is fluent, and she doesn't know advanced or technical vocabulary. She doesn't like or get on well with maths, and would prefer to avoid it. She can cope with Science, (though still not a favourite). Her favourite subject is English and she would like to specialise in English and maybe other languages, which is where her career aspirations lie/lay. She speaks Thai, Laos & English.

My thoughts so far, are between International programme and the Gifted programme. The International school programme however is very expensive (100K plus pa). I'm not sure on class sizes for either (need to research that).

I don't know what will happen if and when she gets to University entry level.

Any thoughts or suggestions, or experiences from the future employment side would be much appreciated.
I have some information that may shed some light on the subject. In Udon Pit they have an English Program, and I know from parents and a Thai teacher who tutors many students from there that the level of material that they cover in the EP is below the actual grade level, thus all of the students must seek outside tutoring in Thai to keep their learning up to grade level in the important subjects. It's very difficult for the students who spend hours at school just to go home or to a tutor for hours more--7 days a week--and the parents even get tired of paying for all this extra tutoring as well as taking their child to all these tutoring sessions. The reason they study material below grade level is the same reason that I had to do that in helping students prepare for TOEFL/IELTS or international school entrance exams initially--they lack the academic vocabulary for their actual grade level, so you must go back to earlier material that they are familiar with in order to build up the vocabulary and it's a long process. I have talked to many former students through my 8-years teaching at DB and all of them who went abroad, whether it was for an international school or an exchange program, complained of the same thing--they had a hard time with the vocabulary used in textbooks. That is why I had gotten into that line of tutoring before my recent decision to relocate to Laos.

A funny thing about the Thai ONET that few seem to really be aware of is that even though it is required by law for them to take the test, no one actually uses the test for anything--not university entrance, not anything as of yet. I know this for a fact from many years of students who have graduated and gone on to university and my own niece and nephew--my nephew graduated from Khon Kaen 2 years ago and my niece starts at KKU this fall. She was interviewed, accepted and paid for a dorm and tuition, all before she ever even got the ONET results because they simply don't care about the ONET as they know that historically Thailand has failed the ONET abysmally and there have been numerous articles written about it, so they simply ignore it.
“In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. You reap what you sow--if you treat me with respect, I respond in kind; but if you insult or disrespect me, I treat you with the contempt your deserve."

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Senior High school -v- International school options

Post by socksy » April 7, 2014, 11:46 pm

My stepson went to the UK when he was 9, - he is now 21 he couldn't speak,read or write English then. Now I am so proud of him. Despite dropping out of high school and College he is now a manager of a computer/mobile phone shop in S\urrey
Here's tae us, wha's like us, damn few, and they're a' deid. Mair's the pity!
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