School registration

Right now in Thailand its crazy time for registering kids for schools. Most of the children are on holidays now and school does not start back until the middle of May, so now is the time to get them registered for school? NOPE!

If i am being totally honest although there will be a lot of schools still taking registrations, the better schools have either finished or are about to finish their recruiting for this next school year. How do i know? I am going through the process with my daughter right now.

 

Most Government schools will have like an open house registration that runs from the start of the year. Remembering they are bigger schools so they will be able to take in a lot of students. The one we are going for takes in about 750 students each year for Primary and i don’t know how many Kindergarten kids, but thinking at least 400.

Private schools seem to start the recruitment drive in February with big posters outside the school and local area leaflet drops.

 

As for international schools you can approach them pretty much any time of the year and they will “advise” you as the best time to register. Even this could be a little on the late side of things, so again i say at the start of the school year go and talk with potential schools to see what and when they advise.

 

We Registered at the start of the year our daughter at a government school. This was easy enough. Contact them, get and fill in the forms and return them with a bucket full of photocopies of other things they need like birth certificates and the like. Also be aware that they will often ask to meet the children so they can have a little chat with them to get a feel for the child being shy or confident or what ever.

This school was concerned though that i would say no as they have no air con in the classes, no swimming pool and nothing more than basic English lessons. With the money we were or should i say are saving from no longer using a private school we could easily afford after school lessons for these and as for the heat, well its the same for all the kids right?

After this the following month we decided to re look at a school we had done 2 years before but we had considered it to be not a viable option with 2 kids a year apart especially with the distance between the schools. Anyway a long story shortened a bit after talking to the school we decided to try.

OK so let me fill you in a bit more about this school. Although a government funded school, this is classed as a Air Force school. This school was started to educate the children of those serving in the air force who could not afford to get them private education. However this was not going to be a basic government school education but they wanted to give a higher level of education so that students could become the next generation of pilots or what ever. So this school gives these children the priority all the rest must take an entrance exam

I have written what the sign says at the school as my photograph was rather rubbish. Sorry and all that. J

Compassion

Computing and ICT literacy

Creative innovation

Career learning skills

Collaboration, Teamwork and leadership

Critical thinking and problem solving

Communications information and media literacy

Cross cultural understanding

As you can see from here this is the core ideals of the school on a big banner poster that children, parents and teachers can see every day. It caught my eye and gave me a good feeling about the school.

Ok so the recruiting program…

First we had to go and register for the exam and have an interview to say what part of the school you wanted to be in. Basic, English program or the King program for the right girly swats, sorry i mean the honour students haha.

The next week we went back again for the exam. Nearly 3 hours long, bit much for a 6 year old, but who am i to say. My daughter said that the exam was hard, but she tried her best as we always ask her to do.

The next weekend we were back again. Saturday for the results of the exam and register for the family interview and Sunday for that interview. The results were good and Lin not only passed high enough to get into the school but also to get into the English program. Time for me to crow a bit but she beat all other students from her old school even the ones who had paid to go into their English program. On the Sunday was the family interview. Bit strange this one as it was just Lin and me who got interviewed and seperatly at that. When the teachers saw me they started to smile and laugh so they knew we would probably pass this interview.

In my interview the teacher asked me where i was from. I said England and the reply was you have pretty much passed now. I had to pick 1 of 5 questions face down, and i was asked what we do to prepare for our child going to a Bilingual school. My answers seemed to tick the right boxes. The results count 20% towards the overall results.

The final part is this Sunday where we will get to find out what level of class she is in, as in top middle or bottom and then we have to register to inform the school we will for sure accept that place within the school.

Naturally we are pleased so far, but still a bit nervous at the final outcome. We know Lin will do well as her and Alex love to go to school and learn and they even cry if they cant do homework. Yes i know strange kids haha.

 

So until the next blog enjoy life as best you can

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