Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand August / September 2015 - Art & Education Issue | Page 19

Education
B. COST
Are there schools that are simply
out of your budget?
For expat parents, the cost of
international school tuition is either
a real concern or an irrelevant issue.
Many multinational corporations
cover the cost of education abroad,
which means some parents
never see a bill. But if the cost of
education comes from the parents’
pockets, then it becomes a key
consideration.
Tip: Do some research first to see if
there are scholarships to bring the
cost within budget. Then take your
map and cross off the schools that
are unrealistic.
You can skip this step if you have no
upper limit.

C. CURRICULUM
Which curriculum makes the most
sense for your child?
A long list of options exists when it
comes to curricula, but the choices
available can be dizzying to the
uninitiated.
The major contenders are
American, British, and International

Baccalaureate (IB) programs. Curricula
based on other nations’ governments,
such the Australian, French, Japanese,
and German schools are available.
And, for younger children, there are
alternatives such as Montessori and
Reggio Emilia as well.
If your child is segueing from
nursery to a preschool or a “big
school,” it might be the first time
that you need to understand the
differences between programs. If
your child has been enrolled in school
before moving to Thailand, you may

seek the same curriculum to which he
or she is accustomed—though this is
not a hard and fast rule.
For the purposes of this article, we
focused on American, British, and IB
schools, which are the major Englishlanguage based curricula you will
find in Bangkok. Wanderlust asked
staff from KIS International School,
the American School of Bangkok, and
Bangkok Prep to describe the essence
of their taught programs. Choosing
a program will bring your shortlist
down to just a few options.

AMERICAN
CURRICULUM

BRITISH
CURRICULUM

“The American School of Bangkok follows an
American curriculum that was noted favorably
in the school’s most recent accreditation.
The curriculum is closely related to the
Common Core and is modified to enhance the
international students’ identities, talents, and
creativity. The curriculum prepares students
for Advanced Placement exams and features
mindful education practices throughout.
Mindful education stresses social and
emotional learning though physi 6