Our new blog series will review the most informed member-submitted comments from a specific month. This article looks at the ones submitted in September 2024.
We ask our members to submit comments that are detailed and full of useful information. With these informative comments submitted into our 71 comment topics about each school, ISC is the place to go to get the information you want, fast!
So here is the list for September 2024 that we thought stuck out as the most informative comments:
What are some local customs (regarding eating, drinking and going out, family, socializing, etc.) that you find interesting for expats to know about?
“Nigerians greet everyone. It is considered very rude to walk past a Nigerian in the hallway at school and not properly greet them, including asking them how their family is doing. Victoria Island is a bubble, so you can really isolate yourself from Nigerian culture if you want. Additionally, there are so many ethnic groups in Nigeria that describing their local customs in a monolith is pretty challenging…”
Recent things that the school has taken on (i.e. new curriculum, specific professional development, etc.).
“This school year, we have implemented and rolled out a House System to build a stronger sense of community and promote student engagement. In this system, students and teachers are grouped into different “houses,” each competing in a variety of activities such as academics, sports, and extracurricular events. This school year, we have implemented and rolled out a House System to build a stronger sense of community and promote student engagement. In this system, students are grouped into different “houses,” each competing in a variety of activities such as academics, sports, and extracurricular events…”
Describe the language abilities of students at this school and what is the “common language spoken in the hallways”. Is there one dominant cultural group?
“The common language used in this school is English. The school has an English-only policy, thus everyone uses English fluently in school. However, the students are mostly Korean…”
Average monthly salary after taxes and in what currency (explain taxation situation). How often do you get paid throughout the year?
“A teacher without a TLR can expect to take home around 14-16,000 ringgit per month after tax, which includes housing allowances. In addition to this, the EPF (Malaysia’s retirement fund) plays a significant role in your overall package. Roughly 3,000 ringgit will be automatically deducted from your salary for EPF, but this is separate from the 14-16,000 ringgit mentioned earlier. The school also contributes about 11% of your salary into the EPF fund, with an annual interest rate of approximately 5-8%. When considering the overall package, especially with these contributions, it compares very favourably with other locations…”
Describe what kinds of teachers work here (local vs. expat, qualifications [or lack there of], etc.) and staff turnover rate. Is there a native English speaker or nationality requirement? Is it LGBT friendly country/school?
“Teachers are mostly local hires (Ghanaian) but there is a host of expat teaching staff from the UK, America, Canada, India, the Caribbean, South Africa, Nigeria etc. Lessons are taught in English so you need to have a good command of the English language (both written and spoken). Ghana legally frowns upon the LGBT community…”
What advice can you give on how to set things up like internet, phone, experience dealing with landlord, etc.?
“The main dealers are a company called AIS, all of their big outlets have English speaking staff and you can normally get set up within a week. Landlords are different according to where you live. Some good, perhaps some not so…”
Detailed info about lifestyles: singles vs. couples, gay vs. straight, nightlife vs. quiet and big city vs nature.
“Unfortunately being gay is not really accepted in the local community. However, there is a growing number of LGBTQI+ expats and most expats in general are quite accepting. Gay marriage is still illegal…”
Health insurance and medical benefits. Describe your experiences using these benefits and going to the local hospitals.
“There is public health in Spain, however waiting times are long. Brewster offers private insurance as a benefit, which is not at all common in schools in Spain…”
Average monthly salary after taxes and in what currency (explain taxation situation). How often do you get paid throughout the year?
“There is a salary review and a small bump after the first year. Foreign teachers still have the same salary as stated below. Be mindful as local teachers report that the social insurances has again not been paid…”
Describe the school’s location in relation to the city center and to the teacher’s housing. How do staff get to school before and after school?
“School is relatively easy to get into town (20 min on the train to Shinjuku). It is a 20 min walk to the station however. No housing allowance is offered, but there is a travel allowance…”
10 Informative Member-Submitted Comments from September 2024
Our new blog series will review the most informed member-submitted comments from a specific month. This article looks at the ones submitted in September 2024.
We ask our members to submit comments that are detailed and full of useful information. With these informative comments submitted into our 71 comment topics about each school, ISC is the place to go to get the information you want, fast!
So here is the list for September 2024 that we thought stuck out as the most informative comments:
What are some local customs (regarding eating, drinking and going out, family, socializing, etc.) that you find interesting for expats to know about?
“Nigerians greet everyone. It is considered very rude to walk past a Nigerian in the hallway at school and not properly greet them, including asking them how their family is doing. Victoria Island is a bubble, so you can really isolate yourself from Nigerian culture if you want. Additionally, there are so many ethnic groups in Nigeria that describing their local customs in a monolith is pretty challenging…”
American International School of Lagos (80 total comments) in Lagos, Nigeria
Recent things that the school has taken on (i.e. new curriculum, specific professional development, etc.).
“This school year, we have implemented and rolled out a House System to build a stronger sense of community and promote student engagement. In this system, students and teachers are grouped into different “houses,” each competing in a variety of activities such as academics, sports, and extracurricular events. This school year, we have implemented and rolled out a House System to build a stronger sense of community and promote student engagement. In this system, students are grouped into different “houses,” each competing in a variety of activities such as academics, sports, and extracurricular events…”
American International School of Bucharest (85 total comments) in Bucharest, Romania
Describe the language abilities of students at this school and what is the “common language spoken in the hallways”. Is there one dominant cultural group?
“The common language used in this school is English. The school has an English-only policy, thus everyone uses English fluently in school. However, the students are mostly Korean…”
Seoul Academy International School (4 total comments) in Seoul, South Korea
Average monthly salary after taxes and in what currency (explain taxation situation). How often do you get paid throughout the year?
“A teacher without a TLR can expect to take home around 14-16,000 ringgit per month after tax, which includes housing allowances. In addition to this, the EPF (Malaysia’s retirement fund) plays a significant role in your overall package. Roughly 3,000 ringgit will be automatically deducted from your salary for EPF, but this is separate from the 14-16,000 ringgit mentioned earlier. The school also contributes about 11% of your salary into the EPF fund, with an annual interest rate of approximately 5-8%. When considering the overall package, especially with these contributions, it compares very favourably with other locations…”
Alice Smith School (121 total comments) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Describe what kinds of teachers work here (local vs. expat, qualifications [or lack there of], etc.) and staff turnover rate. Is there a native English speaker or nationality requirement? Is it LGBT friendly country/school?
“Teachers are mostly local hires (Ghanaian) but there is a host of expat teaching staff from the UK, America, Canada, India, the Caribbean, South Africa, Nigeria etc. Lessons are taught in English so you need to have a good command of the English language (both written and spoken). Ghana legally frowns upon the LGBT community…”
Ghana International School (47 total comments) in Accra, Ghana
What advice can you give on how to set things up like internet, phone, experience dealing with landlord, etc.?
“The main dealers are a company called AIS, all of their big outlets have English speaking staff and you can normally get set up within a week. Landlords are different according to where you live. Some good, perhaps some not so…”
Regents School Bangkok (45 total comments) in Bangkok, Thailand
Detailed info about lifestyles: singles vs. couples, gay vs. straight, nightlife vs. quiet and big city vs nature.
“Unfortunately being gay is not really accepted in the local community. However, there is a growing number of LGBTQI+ expats and most expats in general are quite accepting. Gay marriage is still illegal…”
Cedar International School (54 total comments) in Tortola, Virgin Islands, British
Health insurance and medical benefits. Describe your experiences using these benefits and going to the local hospitals.
“There is public health in Spain, however waiting times are long. Brewster offers private insurance as a benefit, which is not at all common in schools in Spain…”
Brewster Madrid (5 total comments) in Madrid, Spain
Average monthly salary after taxes and in what currency (explain taxation situation). How often do you get paid throughout the year?
“There is a salary review and a small bump after the first year. Foreign teachers still have the same salary as stated below. Be mindful as local teachers report that the social insurances has again not been paid…”
Utahloy International School (Zengcheng) (176 total comments) in Zengcheng, China
Describe the school’s location in relation to the city center and to the teacher’s housing. How do staff get to school before and after school?
“School is relatively easy to get into town (20 min on the train to Shinjuku). It is a 20 min walk to the station however. No housing allowance is offered, but there is a travel allowance…”
Aoba Japan International School (61 total comments) in Tokyo, Japan.
Related
International School Enrolment Trends: Are Student Numbers Growing or Declining?
International School Tech: Overcoming Challenges and Maximizing Benefits
11 International Schools that have a Supportive Environment (Part 2)
Lesson #2 at International School Hiring Fairs: ‘Energy is eternal delight’ – so its opposite is…?
Decorating Learning or Improving It? Rethinking AI Use in International Schools
Why U.S. Expat Teachers Should Look Beyond “Just Filing” Their Taxes in 2026