Our new blog series will review the most informed member-submitted comments from a specific month. This article looks at the ones submitted in March 2025.
We ask our members to submit detailed and valuable comments. With these informative comments submitted to our 73 comment topics about each school, ISC is the place to get the information you want fast!
So here is the list for March 2025 that we thought stuck out as the most informative comments:
What is the most challenging/difficult part of living in the city?
“The ‘smokey season’ which can last for greater or lesser periods each year from January-May consists of days and weeks on end when the air quality index is above 150 USAQI. The children spend weeks on end cooped up in air-purified classrooms and halls as the air is too toxic for them to go outside…”
Lanna International School (LIST) (151 total comments) in Chang Mai, Thailand
Describe your experience bringing pets.
“I found a company that organized transport for my large dog. They connected a kennel in the country I was moving from to a kennel in Laos. The kennel in Laos drove to Thailand to pick our dog up from the airport and drove him back outside of his crate so that he would be more comfortable…”
Vientiane International School (8 total comments) in Vientiane, Laos
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 all expats I think, a lot of the support staff are qualified teachers in the Philippines but prefer to work as a learning assistant as the benefits and working conditions are better at the school than in local schools. LGBT friendly in school, a bit more complex outside, there’s a huge and active LGBT community but many still hide it from their more conservative church-going families…”
The British School Manila (129 total comments) in Manila, Philippines
Details about the maternity benefits of the host country and school.
“The school offers the minimum that the country offers – 16 weeks for the birth giving person. The parter gets 2 weeks. Adoption leave is also 2 weeks. The health insurance covers everything for pregnancy and birth – it’s entirely free and very high quality care and treatment. You can have a weekly scan if you wish but the standard is monthly which is still much better than back home. You then get 16 free visits from a midwife to your home after the birth to support you and your new baby…”
International School of Zug and Luzern (78 total comments) in Baar, Switzerland
Are the expectations high of teaching staff? Are there extra curricular responsibilities? Describe workload details.
“Workload fluctuates throughout the year. There are at least 2 parent-teacher meetings in the academic year. Disciplinary matters can add to the stress as different children have different needs. This means filling out details on line and speaking to parents as need be. Exam season is busy with invigilations…”
Budapest British International Academy (69 total comments) in Budapest, Hungary
What are the airports like in this city? (arriving, departing, shopping, customs, etc.)
“The international airport can be hit and miss, sometimes it can be a breeze to check in and security is quick, other days it can be a nightmare with lines out the door of the airport just waiting for check-in and security. Always err on the side of caution and turn up early for your flight…”
EUROPEAN International School Ho Chi Minh City (39 total comments) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Describe their hiring policies and procedures. Share your interview experience. Any hiring restrictions? is there a particular curriculum experience required? How about single parents/number of dependents sponsored?
“The school is committed to hiring foreign teachers. There are mostly single teachers with no dependents. The interview experience was straightforward and moved pretty quickly. An offer was made, and I had about a week to decide if I would accept. Teachers with no IB experience are frequently hired. It is a great place to get your foot in the door with the IB program and gain valuable experience…”
American School of Quito (39 total comments) in Quito, Ecuador
Tell about your experience with the local banks and dealing with multiple currencies.
“The school transports weekly to a safe currency exchange, or will exchange currency from USD to MM kyat at school. Faculty are paid in nice, crisp, $100usd bills. This is extremely beneficial, as the currency exchanges only want $100 bills, and they must be new and in perfect shape! They will accept some lower denominations ($50’s), but they will give you a lower exchange rate. Unless you are exchanging a huge amount of money, it doesn’t really make a lot of financial difference. But if you are coming to work or visit, bring brand new US 100’s! I don’t now how they are with other countries currencies…”
Ayeyarwaddy International School (118 total comments) in Mandalay, Myanmar
Details about new teacher orientation.
“Oberoi International School (OIS) has a well-structured New Teacher Orientation Program designed to ensure a smooth transition into the school community. Here’s what new teachers can expect:
✅ Warm Welcome & Induction:
New teachers are welcomed with an orientation that introduces them to the school’s philosophy, IB framework, and teaching expectations. It also includes sessions on school culture, policies, and technology integration.
✅ Starter Kit & Technology Support:
Teachers receive a MacBook laptop as part of their onboarding kit, which is essential for lesson planning, assessments, and collaboration within the school’s digital ecosystem. OIS is a tech-forward school, integrating tools like Google Workspace, ManageBac, and AI-assisted learning tools.
✅ Comprehensive Support System:
The orientation includes mentor pairings, where new teachers are connected with experienced faculty to help them adjust to the new environment. There are also sessions covering HR procedures, school expectations, and well-being resources.
✅ Professional Development Opportunities:
Early on, teachers are introduced to the school’s continuous professional learning programs, including IB training, leadership workshops, and collaborative teaching initiatives…”
Oberoi International School (49 total comments) in Mumbai, India
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?
“This is a school with local staff. They greatly appreciate any teacher from abroad or any teacher who can teach in English. Some staff have been at the school for decades. Staff are highly qualified and experienced, with degrees in education and some with postgraduate studies from universities from abroad, including Harvard. The cultural level is generally high. Teachers might come from wealthy families so they are well-travelled and can bring their experiences to the school.
LGBT is a delicate matter. If a teacher is LGB, they are expected to be discrete and students should not have any awareness of their teachers’ personal lives, generally speaking. The country itself is not too LGBT friendly. LBG is legal, but there is no legal marriage. There is a stronger bias toward gay men than lesbian women. You will usually be left alone unless you are very open and in a dodgy area…”
Academia Washington (26 total comments) in Caracas, Venezuela
Top 30 International Schools With the Most Comments on ISC
There are now 1277+ international schools that have had comments/reviews submitted on them on our website (up almost 40 schools from one year ago)!
Once schools have over 70 submitted comments, then it is very likely that you will be able to see how a specific comment topic has changed (or not changed) over time, with all the comments being date-stamped.
If there is more than one comment in a specific comment topic, the more recent comments either add on, compliment, or amend the previous comments.
Some of our schools that have many submitted comments will sometimes have over 15 comments in one comment topic!
Just click on the “Show all” link to see the complete history of comments in this comment topic.
So let’s get to it! Which schools are in the top 30?
This list comes from 12 April 2025 with a sample comment for each school. Here we go:
30. Concordia International School (Shanghai)
(Shanghai, China) – 186 Comments
“The ‘common language spoken in the hallways’ depends on the grade level. Students who are only 3 or 4 might not have a lot of English. As the students get older, they are quite skilled in English…”
29. The American School of Kinshasa
(Kinshasa, Congo (DRC)) – 188 Comments
“The school now gives Orange as the phone SIM cards. Ensure that you set up an Orange Money account and leave money in this account to top up your phone, internet, or transfer money as payment to others. This will ensure you don’t always have to find a person to top up your da…”
28. International School of Panama
(Panama City, Panama) – 188 Comments
“The promised behavior program has been in place since January 2025 but there are zero consequences. Students are allowed to abuse others without any repercussions except a reflection and a phone call to parents…”
27. Changchun American International School
(Changchun, China) – 190 Comments
“The contract states 5 sick days and 2 personal days. However, teachers are told how to use the personal days. If it does not fall under the ‘appropriate’ reason, it will not be approved.
Sick days and personal days are not allowed to be tacked onto holiday, which…”
26. The International School of Dakar
(Dakar, Senegal) – 193 Comments
“Very low turnover this year, but we had a large turnover the previous year. Teachers tend to stay 3-4 years, but some have stayed much longer…”
25. Lahore American School
(Lahore, Pakistan) – 193 Comments
“Supposedly a better package for expat teachers. I have heard that local staff get paid better elsewhere…”
24. American School Foundation of Monterrey
(Monterrey, Mexico) – 195 Comments
“I like how modern it is. Monterrey is beautiful, and there is plenty to do. The school community is very social as well…”
23. Gandhi Memorial International School
(Jakarta, Indonesia) – 203 Comments
“Bahasa Indonesia is the official language, with English spoken in major cities and tourist areas…
22. Branksome Hall Asia
(Jeju-do, South Korea) – 209 Comments
“While housing is provided for “free” for teachers, I was surprised that each month I have to pay a “management fee” of about $150 USD plus electricity, internet, and gas…”
21. Shanghai American School (Pudong)
(Shanghai, China) – 198 Comments
“There’s a new teacher coordinator who has been a great point of contact for new hires. Induction otherwise is done by partner teachers and departments. China has a lot of stuff to figure out once you get here, and there’s not enough time to help everyone with everything…”
20. Western Academy of Beijing
(Beijing, China) – 216 Comments
“It is very different from a Canadian public school in terms of facilities, the time allotted to single subjects (PA, PE, Visual Arts). In ES, the students have 40 minutes per day for Languages (Chinese or English for EAL students)…”
19. Colegio Gran Bretana
(Bogota, Colombia) – 221 Comments
“The school helps teachers set up a BanCololmbia account, which is the biggest bank in the country. It is pretty straightforward to receive international transfers. Changing cash dollars is easy with colleagues or exchange shops…”
18. Oeiras International School
(Lisbon, Portugal) – 224 Comments
“Back in the re-accreditation mode again with the self-study this year. The visit will be a joint visit next year with IB, ECIS, and NEASC…”
17. Cairo American College
(Cairo, Egypt) – 228 Comments
“The subway costs 2 Egyptian pounds per ride. Taxis vary since you might have to haggle. Many people at the school use a regular driver. The one I use charges less than 200 Egyptian pounds for a trip to the airport, which is about an hour away…”
16. Khartoum International Community School (closed)
(Khartoum, Sudan) – 230 Comments
“Teachers stay because they feel appreciated, their voices are heard, and they get to make a difference. Teachers leave because it’s not…”
15. International School of Almhult
(Almhult, Sweden) – 230 Comments
“School sponsors for work permit and the rest the government keeps changing at the moment…”
14. American School of Dubai
(Dubai, UAE) – 249 Comments
“Lately, several teachers are heading to places like Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. They report great experiences! Oman remains the number one travel option, however, as it is right next door (door to door to Muscat is around the five-hour mark) and has lots of great outdoor…”
13. Keystone Academy
(Beijing, China) – 252 Comments
“Very near school is Pinnacle Plaza with Jenny Wang grocery. This is also good for eating out. Newer and busier is Shine Hills. Everything is here, including a good cinema. Just open behind the school is a new plaza with a cinema and Sam’s Club, and a food street, Starbucks, etc…”
12. Tsinghua International School (Beijing)
(Beijing, China) – 266 Comments
“There is a new airport going in south of Beijing to relieve the traffic at the main airport…”
11. Seoul Foreign School
(Seoul, South Korea) – 270 Comments
“Tutoring through the school is available if it is not your student. The school takes a portion, leaving you with about $20 for 30 minutes of tutoring. Coaching stipends from $350-900 and lifeguarding at the school pool can bring in 25-45 dollars an hour.”
10. International School Saigon Pearl
(Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) – 273 Comments
“The airport can be very busy. The staff don’t always speak English, and facilities are a bit limited for a major international airport, to be honest. Best to get there early if you are departing…”
9. Tarsus American College
(Mersin, Turkey) – 283 Comments
“Down to two weeks of holiday in January. No other breaks and we’ve been told that in addition to losing our fall and spring breaks for intensive staff development, other PD will be held on weekends…”
8. NIST International School
(Bangkok, Thailand) – 332 Comments
“With the start of construction on the street the school is located on, the entire schedule has shifted to a later start. Elementary students begin at 8:00 and secondary students at 8:30. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive…”
7. Stamford American International School
(Singapore, Singapore) – 335 Comments
“The school is in the northeast corner of Singapore with easy access to the city center. Staff can choose their accommodation location based on their financial and lifestyle preferences. Most teachers live 2-3 MRT (underground) stations away. Public transport is excellent…”
6. American International School (Vietnam)
(Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) – 350 Comments
“Housing has been at $800 for eight years. Other schools in the city have increased it. Rents in some apartments have jumped by as much as 18%, i.e. 20 million to 23.5 million VND…”
5. Singapore American School
(Singapore) – 408 Comments
“Transport options are good. The taxi queue right outside of arrivals can be long at times, but the system works well to get people moving as fast as possible…”
4. Good Shephard International School
(Ooty, India) – 410 Comments
“Presently, they are having their Trinity College London Music Examinations. This is an option, but they try to maintain high grades, although most students only take Initial to Grade 1 due to restrictions of the admin to practice music…”
3. Copenhagen International School
(Copenhagen, Denmark) – 447 Comments
“You can get travelers and accident insurance from your bank here, like at Nordea. It is really cheap and it gives you health insurance coverage anywhere in the world! It is important to know about this option because now the Danish CPR health social health care card doesn’t…”
2. KIS International School
(Bangkok, Thailand) – 529 Comments
“Using a mobile is now so cheap that many teachers do not have a landline. The Satellite TV provider is dreadful; neither their offerings nor their boxes have changed in 20 years. If you want to watch sport, most teachers just go to the pub…”
1. Western International School of Shanghai
(Shanghai, China) – 566 Comments
“The airport is okay. It’s clean and easy to navigate. Immigration can take a long time to get through at peak times during the year, but it’s okay. They have water fountains, which, as a frequent traveler, I appreciate…”
You can see the rest of the Top 40 school profile pages with the most comments here on our website.
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