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U
p until 1996 the only interna-
tional school in the capital was
UNIS, but the following decade
witnessed a boom in the sec-
tor, with dozens now vying for pupils.
UNIS was founded in 1986 and remains
the top choice for most. The non-profit
school is located in Ciputra International
City and according to Emma Silva, di-
rector of advancement, the school has
around 1,000 students on roll.
“As one of only two United Nations
Schools in the world (the other is in New
York), our school is truly international
with 66 nationalities and 44 languages
represented in our student body. To en-
sure that this cultural richness is main-
tained, we have a school policy which
stops any one national group exceeding
20 per cent,” said Silva.
Lina Vu, a graduate of UNIS, cannot
hide her pride: “I recall walking into my
English Literature class feeling super
confident because I was an all AP-class
student back in the States in both Social
and Science. I never had to study so
hard in my life. At the end, hard-work
paid off: full-ride to college, full-ride to
Ivy League graduate schools. I love my
UNIS. High school were the best years
of my life.”
However, with the highest tuition
fees of all schools, and the increasing
waiting list, UNIS is out of many par-
ents’ reach.
Luckily however, UNIS is the best,
but not the only option. There are sev-
eral other well established schools,
such as Hanoi International School and
Alexander Yersin in Hanoi; and the In-
ternational School Ho Chi Minh City, the
Anglophone British Curriculum Interna-
tional School, the Saigon South Interna-
tional School, the British International
School and the Australian International
School in Ho Chi Minh City.
However, a large school does not
guarantee a good experience.
A woman whose child attended an
international shool in Ho Chi Minh City
complained that social activities were
poor at this school and so was the rela-
tionship between parents and teachers.
Another showed her disappoint-
ment as her child got no support to set-
tle in at all, and simply had to struggle.
But for those who do not mind
about the size of the school or its his-
tory, some smaller ones can be perfect.
“If you are looking for pupils to get
good academic results, a good reading
culture, to be taught to be a respon-
sible citizen and above all to be loved
for who they are, no matter where
they come from, Quality School Inter-
national (QSI) is the place,” said Chancy
With nearly 80,000 expatriates and a growing number of more affluent Viet-
namese seeking a quality education for their children, many new schools have
opened. However, this increasing choice has created a confusing minefield for
parents who want to find the best all round education at the best price.
20
timeout
The international
school puzzle
SPECIAL
FEATURE