Job Discussion Forums

khokha2 · Joined: 08 Mar 2010 Posts: 5 Location: U.S.A

My husband just accepted an offer from King Fahd University in Dhahran and we will be moving there in August. The question I have and desperately need an answer to is where should I enroll my kids? I have 3 children (all school age) and they go to public schools here in the U.S., so while they speak some Arabic, their first language is English and they need to be in English-based curriculum school in order for them to survive.

I'm looking for a school with reasonable tuition, not too expensive that my entire salary goes towards the tuition, nor too cheap that I'd have to sacrifice the quality of education my children will be receiving.
Please if you know of any good, affordable, culturally-diverse, and English-based curriculum schools in the Dhahran area please share your advice.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

http://www.isgdh.org/htm/isg_dammam.htm

A large chunk of your salary will be needed - even for this moderately priced school

This one

http://www.isgdh.org/htm/dhahran_highschool.htm

is even pricier.

Or this

http://www.ipsksa.com/admissions/tuition-fees

And that explains why there are so many childless couples, singles or aging wrinklies on the faculty of institutions in this area. Your employer will pay a maximum of 25,000 SR per year. Not per child but in total.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I think I may have frightened the OP away by harshly revealing the cost of education in Eastern Prov ince. I hope not.

Free education in the USA. Not in KSA unless you are a citizen. For a quality "Western" school for three children you are talking about 100,000 SR a year.

khokha2 · Joined: 08 Mar 2010 Posts: 5 Location: U.S.A

No, not frightened Smile

I actually knew about these schools.
I have a question though, I was looking through these schools and I ran into the ISG one in Dammam and I was wondering why it was cheaper than the other schools? Is it the teachers? Quality of education?
I hope you can help because I think I can afford to put my kids there but as I mentioned before I don't want to sacrifice the quality of education my kids receive.
Thank you Smile

trapezius · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:42 pm Post subject:

^ I checked out all the 5 or 6 schools, and I can't understand why ISG Dammam is half the cost of the others, seeing as how they are all under the same umbrella. Perhaps it caters to middle class parents?

I think you should email them and ask them.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Class and ethnic mix is different. One of the harsh realities of life in ksa and the other Gulf States. many people comiong here with "Western" ideas fid this hard to take.

khokha2 · Joined: 08 Mar 2010 Posts: 5 Location: U.S.A

Thank you for your comments. I understand the difference between the expectations in the East and West because I'm originally from the middle east, and that's my concern about that school.
I'm not sure if I called them up that they would give me the correct information, so anything you know is highly appreciated and desperately needed Smile

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

The children in the school you ask about will be a mix of nationalities. Not many from Europe or the Americas. Many from Asia and the Middle East. Hardly any locals.