Deciding which school to send one?s child to is perhaps one of the most difficult and important decisions a parent has to make, a deliberation surely compounded when one is living in a ?foreign? country.

Parents living in Phuket can choose from a traditional Thai school offering the Thai National Curriculum, a Thai school offering the Thai National Curriculum delivered in English, a Thai school offering an International Curriculum or an International school offering an International Curriculum delivered in English with Thai language and culture included. What to choose and where to send your little bundle of joy?

A new primary school ? teaching children aged 5-11 Key Stage 1 and 2 - ?The Palm House School? is set to open this September on a picturesque plot of land in Rawai and adds one more option to the pondering.

The school?s headmaster is English-born Nicholas Parker Smith and the first child to be enrolled was his own son, Oliver.

When Oliver was born, Nicholas and English-wife Lesley were living in Jakarta where they had both met whilst teaching at a local school.

?We decided that Jakarta city wasn?t the best place to raise a son, so we moved here in January 2006 and looked around at various places,? recounts Nicholas.

They eventually settled on the plot of land and property where the Pam House School now stands: a grand house set on 3 rai, with ample outdoor space for students to play in, along with wonderful sea views for them to daydream in.

?We?ll be using the International Primary Curriculum used by over 1000 schools world-wide. It?s kind of like a British education but without British culture,? said Nicholas.

Founded in the last decade, the curriculum integrates many of the core subjects together with the ultimate aim of ?promoting international mindfulness.?

Mandarin and Russian will be language options for those parents who wish their offspring to be tri-lingual.

?We have 2-speed Thai classes, for the kids who have a Thai parent at home and those that are only learning it at school like Oliver.?

There will be 5 classrooms for the different class levels with a native speaker for each respective class, along with numerous Thai teachers.

Considering the number of expats living on the island and the number of Thai parents who wish their child to have an international education, international schools are understandably big business.

Is it born from a desire for their children to speak English, or something much more complex? What is indisputable is that tuition fees are quite a ?consideration.?

But what is the metaphorical and literal cost of not sending your child to a local school when living in a foreign country? The Post voluntarily dropped by the new headmaster on the block?s office to ask just that?

Phuket Post: Shouldn?t a child in Thailand be attending a Thai school? Why should a parent send him to an international school?
Palm House School: There are many Western parents living on the island who have children who do not speak Thai and therefore sending them to a Thai school could prove problematic on many levels. If the family do not intend to stay on the island long term then following an International curriculum would mean that their child does not fall behind due to language limitations.

Palm House will be following the International Primary Curriculum which cultivates international mindedness whilst allowing students to maintain a strong sense of their own cultural identity whether that is Thai or not.


PP: How many hours per week is Thai language taught at the school?
PHS: Palm House is very mindful that its students are living and learning in Thailand and will incorporate Thai Language and Culture into the mainstream timetable every day. There will be a 45 minute session every day which will include Thai history and citizenship with extra language options available if the parent so wishes.

PP: How important is Thai literacy to the curriculum of your school?
PHS: Thai literacy will be included daily in the timetable. For children who will remain living in Thailand this is of course a very important subject. We have a responsibility to ensure that our Thai national students have the same opportunities in Thailand as they would have got had they gone to a Thai school. For foreign children, Thai literacy is important as a sign of respect to their host country. Without learning Thai language, it is impossible to understand Thai culture and therefore respect.

PP: Does Thai history a part in the History syllabus?
PHS: Thai history will be covered in the Thai Language and Culture session. The IPC concentrates on International history providing the student with a world view rather than a purely Thai view.

PP: If a curriculum is based on a broader more general international one, do you think your students are missing out on a distinctly Thai experience?
PHS: Living in Thailand makes it impossible to miss out on the ?Thai experience? as we all experience that every day. However, following an International curriculum means that the child does not miss out on an international experience while living in Thailand.


PP: Although the students are arguably more prepared for the international work place, if they choose to remain in Thailand, will they be able to compete with students educated in a Thai school?

PHS: Compete in what way? I assume you mean by gaining employment in Thailand. Students leaving Palm House will have followed the Thai National Curriculum learning objectives set for a private school. This will enable them to speak Thai and understand and appreciate Thai cultural norms enabling them to compete sufficiently with students educated in a Thai school.


PP: What are the three most important things to equip a child with from the international curriculum so that he/she can adapt to the Thai experience?

PHS: The IPC focuses heavily on acceptance, awareness of other cultures and tolerance. Each module of learning takes into consideration differing cultural norms and the notion that we are not all the same. With these beliefs in mind a child who has followed the IPC will have been taught how to accept and adapt to any cultural experience, not just Thai. The IPC celebrates diversity in its philosophy and mind set.

PP: How important is it for a child to have an international education? Is it more or less important for a child of an expat?
PHS: For any child, whether or not they have a Western parent or not, it is important to have choices. Education enables choices, be it from an International or local school. An International school experience will most probably be delivered in English and therefore open up the international employment stage.

However, the education of your child is a very personal choice. As the father of a British child living in Thailand, it is very important for me that my son has every opportunity in the world that I did. I cannot allow my choice to live here affect his future. Does this mean it is more important for my son to get an international education than it is for a native Thai child? Absolutely not. In this day and age, as the world gets smaller, many parents, regardless of their nationality, are opting for international education. Again, this is a very personal choice.


PP: How has education changed in the last twenty years?
PHS: Education has taken on massive developments over the last 20 years and the IPC has been developed based on the most modern teaching methods and brain friendly learning techniques. Whereas 20 years ago teaching methodologies included teacher front facing and rote style learning, nowadays, outcome based learning and enquiry methodology is more frequently used. Knowledge is not only the desired outcome but the skills to think, adapt and understand the world around them. With the demands of today?s work place being more computer and technology based rather than manual skills based, children need a very different set of skills centred on communication and adaptation. Teachers are now trained to be able to cope with multiple learning styles and intelligences in the classroom and to teach using modern technology and resources. Gone are the days when only a big thick textbook is used in the classroom. Today?s primary school classroom benefits from interactive whiteboards, lap tops and memory sticks. Internet based research and integrated subjects are incorporated into thematic based curricula and children are encouraged to enjoy the learning process rather than dread it!


PP: What are the differences in what a child has hopefully achieved by the time he leaves primary school (11 years old) now than twenty years ago?
PHS: No one can properly predict the nature of work and life opportunities that will be available for today?s primary age children by the time they are adults. Many of the jobs they will have don?t yet exist; especially in the fields of ICT, technology and science. So the IPC focuses on a skills-based approach, developing adaptable and resilient globally-minded learners. After leaving Primary school children will be well on the way to gaining these skills and will have the confidence and self assurance to deal with senior school and all its demands!

For more information, call: 076 288630 Email: info@palmhouseprimaryschool.com