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Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Is anyone out there teaching in Vietnam with a family? I am seriously looking into moving to Vietnam and would love to hear anyone's experiences who have young kids. What are the schools like or would home schooling be the better option? We were in Vietnam last year on a holiday, so I have a bit of an idea what I might expect, but living and vacationing are vastly different.

Thanks.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

No kids, eh?

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Thanks, but home schooling is an option and not that expensive and my kids are very young.

mononoaware · Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 21 Location: saigon, vietnam

Yes, there are expat families here.

Teachers generally don't make enough to send their kids to the best schools--unless maybe you're seriously budgeting in other areas of your life. I have 3 coworkers (that I know of) raising children here. One sends his kids to a French school, because it's more affordable. One's child isn't in school yet (and I think his wife stays home.) And the other has school-aged children, but I'm honestly not sure where they go to school.

Anyway, yes, it is definitely possible. Maybe try sending an email to Saigon South or British International School to get an idea of school fees. There are many other "international schools" with an English curriculum, but only a few insist on qualified teachers. SS and BIS are two of them, and there's two or three others.

lizarddoctor · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 141 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

South Saigon is somewhere under 9,000$ USD per year and International School HCMC is over 12,000$ USD per year for a student's tuition costs. Don't know the BIS (British School) student tuition costs, but from of the families of the VNese students that I know go there... it is probably on par with South Saigon as it is cheaper than ISHCMC in District 2 for sure. One of the main reasons that they chose the school over the other.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Rabbit81 · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 32

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

Even if your kids could attend a local school, you wouldn't want them to, unless you're happy for your offspring to become mindless worker drones. Vietnamese teaching, whatever the subject, involves simple rote learning, I talk you listen, you talk you're in big trouble Laughing

When I was teaching I used to love seeing the look on new students' faces when I asked them for their opinion on something. "Rabbit in the headlights" doesn't come close!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

What a shame. Seems like many Asian countries have a problem with rote learning. Someonw recommended Vietnam as the secret of Asia and it looks like a good thing, but school is still a concern. On an EFL teachers salary it'd be nearly impossible to afford international school, wouldn't it? Besides if we lived in another country, we'd want out children to attend local schools, looks like China is still a good option for us.

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

Assuming you both get decent jobs & are pulling in $1500+ a month, you'd easily be able to send 1 child to an international school - depends how many you've got Laughing

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Doesn't look too promising then. Any chance that a Spanish speaker would find jobs teaching Spanish?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Without kids now, you're looking at about 5 years at the earliest before you need to put them in school. Not that I am against planning ahead, but I think once you get settled, you'll find something suitable wherever you are.

lost_gypsy · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 274

I may not be welcome to post this, but after reading the thread(s) related to the OP, I think it is a good idea.

If you are H_LL bent on bringing your family to Asia, I strongly urge you to start off/stay in China. China is the easiest country it seems, to "get centered" and adjust, especially with kids and a wife.

Everything I have read about Vietnam doesn't seem too hospitable to a foreign family situations--just too many restrictions and so forth. Even if you home school, you are going to have to keep a tight reign I think on where your kids are 24/7. In China, that's not a concern (well, not a HUGE concern anyway). Although in China the international schools are on the same expense (according to a previous poster) a number of expats enrolled their kids into public Chinese schools, because the kids can learn Chinese in three months, IF they are young enough.

So here is a scenario for you. You bring your family to China. You home school your kids, but send them to a class to learn Chinese from a good English speaking CHINESE teacher. After they got it down, then maybe give them 1/2 days in school for the first semester (or whole days depending on how well they mastered the language).

Then, if you wish to TRAVEL to Vietnam during holidays (they have LONG holidays in China--two, three weeks and even a month off in some cases!) you can take them to explore.

Just my opinion, but it sure seems like most posters to your thread are discouraging you, but if you look at the related postings here in the China forum, you will read more positive suggestions.

Hope that helps!
Michael

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Thanks for the last post. This thread has turned quite a bit. I started off this thread to get some info on moving my family (3 kids) to Vietnam. I have since made alternative plans. There is good info though for someone to search out later if they have similar ideas to my own. I haven`t entirely written off Vietnam, but it is unlikely in the near future.