As the 1st term has come to an end, I thought it might be useful to list a few good points and bad points about how things went, in my humble and personal opinion.
Good points:
The 12 kids in my childs class have all gelled exceptionally well. They are always holding hands (boys/girls) as they run off to play, helping one another with things and sharing things together. The one or two instances of naughty behaviour have been dealt with swiftly and without fuss.
They are all significantly more confident than in May which can be seen by how they play and and by their responses in general. They clearly all enjoy going to school.
They have progressed extremely well academically from their test results.
The school also offers good extra-curricular activities, though more would be desirable.
The school has spent money improving the youngsters playground and on alot more library books this term.
Bad points:
The approaching road to the school and surrounding roads are a complete and utter dangerous, disgrace. The problem needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency before some kid dies coming to school. The deepest pot-holes and mini-cliff-edges are only compounded when it's raining and above knee high rivers flow along a 500 metre stretch approaching the school. The scariest thing is that one can't see how deep the pot-holes are when the rivers are flowing.
There is extremely poor information sharing. The amount of times I've approached teachers and office staff with questions about open days, school shows, vaccinations, school closures and other events and it seemed I was better informed about it than they, is laughable. They need to find a way to get everyone on the same page. Meetings, memos or intranet email system perhaps! - in English and Thai.
Lastly, there was once, a brilliant Thai-English liason office worker named Joy. She was friendly, helpful and accountable. Now there is an unfriendly, underconfident, overworked and uninformed pregnant Thai girl who doesn't even look at you when she speaks to you - which is usually percieved as being rude by foreigners.
Verdict: Could be a great little school. Middle management need to get their act together.
IMHO Yamsaard school
It's good to see you have the energy and good heart to care and report about these things.
I could say almost exactly the same things (good and bad) about my daughters IS over here in Rayong, even the road leading to the school which obviously was not built to endure the school traffic twice each day.
Information is good being an IS, so an unfair comparison.
How old is your child and what test scores? I say that as mine is only 4 and in Reception, so it's not really a formal testing evaluation but more of a work review and progress scale evaluation.
Hope you get some local replies and comments as a very important issue for HH and potential residents.
Pete 
I could say almost exactly the same things (good and bad) about my daughters IS over here in Rayong, even the road leading to the school which obviously was not built to endure the school traffic twice each day.
Information is good being an IS, so an unfair comparison.
How old is your child and what test scores? I say that as mine is only 4 and in Reception, so it's not really a formal testing evaluation but more of a work review and progress scale evaluation.
Hope you get some local replies and comments as a very important issue for HH and potential residents.
Pete Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Glad to hear the positives. Agree about the access roads. Does the school have the clout or the money to do anything about them?
I suspect the post of liaison officer is a poisoned chalice. When our daughter was there, the school had a 'liaison' called Alan who was very motivated but left for pasture's new, frustrated.
Parent's meetings. Still having them? Perhaps you can raise some of the issues there.
I have seen parent power come into play once, over exam results. It gave me the impression that most parents, particularly Thai, wouldn't care if the roof was falling in, as long as their children 'get the paper'.
Thanks for the feedback.
I suspect the post of liaison officer is a poisoned chalice. When our daughter was there, the school had a 'liaison' called Alan who was very motivated but left for pasture's new, frustrated.
Parent's meetings. Still having them? Perhaps you can raise some of the issues there.
I have seen parent power come into play once, over exam results. It gave me the impression that most parents, particularly Thai, wouldn't care if the roof was falling in, as long as their children 'get the paper'.
Thanks for the feedback.
[quote="prcscct"]How old is your child and what test scores? I say that as mine is only 4 and in Reception, so it's not really a formal testing evaluation but more of a work review and progress scale evaluation.
In fact my child is only 3 and a half but Yamsaard school do have test days for maths and english where kids are asked to reply to the same questions and are given number and letter recognition and formation exercises. My child got 19/20 & 20/20 and I hear that other kids in the class ranged from 17/20 to 20/20. But I think that their progress is mostly recognised in their improved social interaction rather than their academic prowess.
In fact my child is only 3 and a half but Yamsaard school do have test days for maths and english where kids are asked to reply to the same questions and are given number and letter recognition and formation exercises. My child got 19/20 & 20/20 and I hear that other kids in the class ranged from 17/20 to 20/20. But I think that their progress is mostly recognised in their improved social interaction rather than their academic prowess.
Schools in Hua Hin
What are the best options for schools in Hua Hin? Are Yamsaard / Somtawin the only real options for Farang kids, or does anyone know of other good schools? Don't mind paying, but would rather not have a long school run...
-
GLCQuantum
- Rock Star
- Posts: 3583
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:00 pm
Big Ideas said...What are the best options for schools in Hua Hin? Are Yamsaard / Somtawin the only real options for Farang kids
While I admire your great feedback on the school ( without that I doubt Farang parents would get any at all ), and your obvious, genuine concern for the student's well being, which is the main criteria for a teacher ( unfortunately this country has obtained many 'teachers' that have used up all their options in their home country and decided to have a life of Sun, Sea and S**, with a little bit of work coinciding ) I feel I must dissaprove of your blatent lack of confidence in the school with the statement above."fraid so"..
Anywho..... carry on with the feedback as I'm sure it will be very valuable information for parents / future parents.
-
GLCQuantum
- Rock Star
- Posts: 3583
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:00 pm
Please read here: http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/po ... 13224.htmlGLCQuantum wrote:I have not been keeping up to date with the new format regarding 'edit post' function. I thought that I would be able to edit for a certain amount of time after posts to correct typos, spelling etc. Please inform me of the standing rules. Thank you.
Championship Stoke City 3 - 0 Plymouth Argyle 
Points 48; Position 20
Points 48; Position 20
Sorry to have earned some dissapproval on your behalf GLC, though perhaps in my defence it's not so much that I have a complete lack of confidence in any of the two schools per-se, (though I must admit to some), my skepticism comes more from a lack of confidence in the schools managements. However, "fraid so" is rather my way of saying, "I wish that there was just perhaps a little more choice.
Thanks for all your comments, I do appreciate negative and positive comments.
Thanks for all your comments, I do appreciate negative and positive comments.
Re: IMHO Yamsaard school
Second year as a Yamsaard School parent and I'm pleased to say that things are looking up. At the end of last academic year, I was seriously thinking about other alternatives. However, I couldn't justify taking my kid away from such good friends without a little more perserverence.
Improvements:
The road is being improved and I think "even" concrete is being laid as we speak.
Some curricular and extra curricular classes are being streamed so that better able pupils who are doing something for a second year aren't lumbered with less able pupils who are a year behind. So for ballet for example there are two classes - one for complete beginners and one for those with a years experience. In homeroom classes, better attempts have also been made to equal the number of boys and girls in each class.
I have seen at least one English teacher in the playground playing with the kids, wheereas before, only Thai teachers did playground duty.
Problems:
Still has a high turnover of teachers and admin.
The ratio between native English speaking teachers and those from the Phillipines, is moving in the direction of the Phillipines. Not that I view this as a major problem, just something to watch. I personally would rather a good Phillipino teacher who stuck around (even with a few minor faults in his/her English) than a new native English speaking teacher every year. When I was at school most of the maths and science teachers were not native speakers and I didn't end up speaking like them, I ended up taking the mickey out of them!
Improvements:
The road is being improved and I think "even" concrete is being laid as we speak.
Some curricular and extra curricular classes are being streamed so that better able pupils who are doing something for a second year aren't lumbered with less able pupils who are a year behind. So for ballet for example there are two classes - one for complete beginners and one for those with a years experience. In homeroom classes, better attempts have also been made to equal the number of boys and girls in each class.
I have seen at least one English teacher in the playground playing with the kids, wheereas before, only Thai teachers did playground duty.
Problems:
Still has a high turnover of teachers and admin.
The ratio between native English speaking teachers and those from the Phillipines, is moving in the direction of the Phillipines. Not that I view this as a major problem, just something to watch. I personally would rather a good Phillipino teacher who stuck around (even with a few minor faults in his/her English) than a new native English speaking teacher every year. When I was at school most of the maths and science teachers were not native speakers and I didn't end up speaking like them, I ended up taking the mickey out of them!
Re: IMHO Yamsaard school
What you posted could well be progressively benefitial, but the above mention is a huge negative. If it has a problem retaining teachers/school officials then there are only two explanations, either they are employing the wrong ones or they are unable to keep the right ones because they become disillusioned/unsatisfied. Usually, that senario, implies either a lack of quality of teachers or a flawed management/administration that runs the school in an archaic/self-serving fashion.bigideas wrote:Still has a high turnover of teachers and admin.
Probably also means it's run as a business firstly, then as an educational facility secondly, financial figures come first before educational considerations. Forgive my negativity, this is nothing new, just a likely explanation. It appears that they are slowly bringing their operation into the modern age.
Change is always resisted in such situations here in LOS, it's difficult for them as the people that control departments etc are dinosaurs that are more interested in 'other' factors or how it has always been, will take a little longer to get it together when all these oldies are pensioned off. This type of problem also afflicts many other departments of government or society as well etc, no just education.
I'm not really familiar with this specific school but it would be a realistic guess, what I've said would be.
However, I could be wrong and I'm sorry to be negative, sure others will have comments too.
Resolve dissolves in alcohol
Re: IMHO Yamsaard school
Good day to all who are concerned with the running of the school.
As mentioned by another person on this board the school does indeed seem to be run as a business rather than an educational institute.
Before the end of the last term several parents complained about certain issues around the grounds and were assured they would be addressed during the break.
As per usual on the first day back NOTHING has been done and upon asking why ? received the reply "was it reported ?" (Once again the attitude of "If we ignore it, it will go away" was in use).
The teachers at the school seem to be unable to voice thier concerns to the Thai administration because they do not want to hear about problems with the school. (and I think a little concern about being replaced)
When mentioning to the teachers about personal concerns I have been informed "you better go to the office as we have tried , but it's like banging your head against a wall".
I believe this attitude will result in more children being removed from what could be a good school, several of my childs friends have gone already.
The office staff need a backbone transplant as there is deffinately an element of fear amongst them about confronting the supposedly well off people who's children attend the school.
They seem to forget that "Once you pass through the gates you come under the rules of the school, NOT the rule of we have money and can therefore do as we please"
We are going to stick it out for another term and if things do not improve, will be changing schools. (we are not the only ones, I can assure you).
This has not been meant as a "bashing of the school" simply what some of the parents we know are thinking.
Please if your child attends this school and you have a concern, Voice it! don't expect others to do it for you.
A concerned parent.
As mentioned by another person on this board the school does indeed seem to be run as a business rather than an educational institute.
Before the end of the last term several parents complained about certain issues around the grounds and were assured they would be addressed during the break.
As per usual on the first day back NOTHING has been done and upon asking why ? received the reply "was it reported ?" (Once again the attitude of "If we ignore it, it will go away" was in use).
The teachers at the school seem to be unable to voice thier concerns to the Thai administration because they do not want to hear about problems with the school. (and I think a little concern about being replaced)
When mentioning to the teachers about personal concerns I have been informed "you better go to the office as we have tried , but it's like banging your head against a wall".
I believe this attitude will result in more children being removed from what could be a good school, several of my childs friends have gone already.
The office staff need a backbone transplant as there is deffinately an element of fear amongst them about confronting the supposedly well off people who's children attend the school.
They seem to forget that "Once you pass through the gates you come under the rules of the school, NOT the rule of we have money and can therefore do as we please"
We are going to stick it out for another term and if things do not improve, will be changing schools. (we are not the only ones, I can assure you).
This has not been meant as a "bashing of the school" simply what some of the parents we know are thinking.
Please if your child attends this school and you have a concern, Voice it! don't expect others to do it for you.
A concerned parent.
You may do it faster! But I do it better!
Re: IMHO Yamsaard school
Sorry to hear that things are getting steadily worse at a school which, could be a good school. After two years, I took my kid out of there and now we homeschool. It's not ideal for everyone, but we have alot of time on our hands and it's working well for now.
-
GLCQuantum
- Rock Star
- Posts: 3583
- Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:00 pm
Re: IMHO Yamsaard school
Don't want to say I told you so but....
There is STILL only one semi decent option of education in Hua Hin. A sorry state of affairs but that's the reality of it. Yamsaard is basically a less wealthy spin off of Sarasas (The most famous school in Thailand) SHITE education, COMPLETELY controlled by the powers that be with farang input being laughed at and ONLY run as a factory for kids.
There is STILL only one semi decent option of education in Hua Hin. A sorry state of affairs but that's the reality of it. Yamsaard is basically a less wealthy spin off of Sarasas (The most famous school in Thailand) SHITE education, COMPLETELY controlled by the powers that be with farang input being laughed at and ONLY run as a factory for kids.