Welcoming the world

The new multi-million baht gymnasium at Nist.

One thing was the Vietnam War. The US administration, obsessed by the Domino Theory, believed the entire region would fall under the spell of communism, country by country, unless the Soviet-Chinese tide of influence was stemmed. As the conflict escalated through the sixties and into the early seventies, hundreds of thousands of American soldiers used Thailand as a rest and recreation venue. Their dollars famously fuelled the growth of Bangkok's 'entertainment' industry but also helped fund the international school sector.

Carl Springer has been in Thailand since 1966. A native of Philadelphia, he was one of the first foreigners to work in international schools in Bangkok. Back then he taught German and Asian Studies at ISB.

"At that time ISB was massive, and growing at a staggering rate," says Springer. "We had the Bang Sue campus, which is now the headquarters for Thai International Airways, and also the current New International School of Thailand premises on Sukhumvit Soi 15."

Biggest in the world

Today, Springer is managing director of the Thai American Student Exchange (TASE) and the Asiamerica Academic and Cultural Exchange (AACE). The twin organisations, both based in Bangkok, facilitate cross-cultural placements and foster understanding between Asians and Westerners.

"In addition to ISB," Springer explains, "there was Ruamadree International School (RIS), which opened in the early sixties and catered largely to non-American expatriates. I taught social studies and Asian geography there after my stint at ISB."

ISB was the unofficial American Embassy school. It taught the children of the US military, NGOs, civilian support and Department of Defence staff. Thais were then prohibited from attending international schools, but exemptions were made for the children of parents working in the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Commerce.

"At its height, with 4000 students, ISB was the largest international school in the world," says Springer. "Then the Americans pulled out of Vietnam. Saigon fell. Laos and Cambodia had communist governments. Apart from Thailand, all the dominoes had toppled. The school population plummeted to 900 almost overnight and ISB retrenched into Soi 15. Westerners pulled out."

The pullout was to prove temporary. Thailand was the domino that never fell, and its infrastructure and economy benefited significantly from the conflicts in neighboring countries. Modern roads, efficient sanitation and reliable power supplies encouraged the development of new settlements and industries. Foreign firms moved in and Western capital was invested in ever-greater quantities.

With more expatriate families living locally, demand for international schooling started to grow again and new schools began to spring up. Thai nationals were still not really permitted to attend international schools, but other Asian nationals, UN families, employees of NGOs and Westerners working in the private sector provided a rich and ready market.

Satisfying the demand

Throughout the eighties the international sector grew steadily. By the early 1990s the Thai authorities sensed they could save valuable foreign exchange by supporting international education initiatives. Increasingly, well-heeled Thais and foreigners with money to invest realised that international education was a lightly regulated cash cow.

"It was the latest in a string of business fads," says Springer. "Before that it was the bars, motels, bowling alleys and the other service industries."

Thai demands for a Western education became overwhelming and the authorities finally opened the floodgates in the early 1990s, allowing Thai nationals to enrol at international schools. The proviso was that schools had to teach Thai language to all Thai nationals; and teach Thai cultural studies to all students, regardless of nationality. The exponential growth of the international school sector in Thailand had truly begun.

Many neighbouring countries, China and Burma for example, still prohibit their nationals from attending international schools. Consequently, Thailand has developed something of a regional monopoly in the international school stakes.

Value for money

With nearly a hundred international schools in the country, it is perhaps inevitable that the quality and breadth of curricula vary enormously. Some are full International Baccalaureate Organisation schools, whilst others offer a British or American curriculum. Many newer international schools specialise in one narrow age-range while the older, more established schools cater for students of all ages.

There is also a huge difference in fees charged by international schools. The most expensive typically boast cutting-edge facilities and a highly qualified teaching staff. Many at the opposite end of the scale, recruit young, unqualified Westerners to give their establishments the international flavour so prized by ambitious parents. The top international schools impose a ceiling on the number of Thai nationals admitted in order to maintain their international character. Nist, for example, enrols only 15 percent of Thai students.

Quality control

The Ministry of Education has, by and large, left international schools to do their own thing. In the late 1950s, however, they imposed a rule requiring foreign teachers to pass Prathom 4, the minimum qualification at the end of compulsory education in Thai schools.

This caused much consternation amongst expatriate teachers, especially those who struggled with the Thai language. While many passed the test, others failed and had to work illegally or give up their posts and leave Thailand.

A competent Thai speaker, Springer was a staunch supporter of the Prathom 4 rule and duly passed the exam in 1973. He allows himself a wry smile when he looks back on those days: "There was one senior member of staff at RIS," he says. "He was married to a local lady and they had six kids, but he never could pass the exam. He took it nineteen times.

"In another school, which is now amongst the most expensive in Bangkok, staff hid the head teacher in a room at the back of the building when inspectors visited. He couldn't pass the test to save his life."

By the 1980s, there had been a huge increase in the number of international schools. Enforcement of the Prathom 4 rule became impractical and was discontinued and teachers are now merely required to have a degree recognised by the Ministry of Education in order to obtain a work-permit.

Survival

In reality, the qualifications required to teach in international schools are still only loosely regulated and the concept of quality assurance is not always a prime concern. It is certainly not uncommon to find young backpackers with dubious qualifications being employed to teach in the smaller international schools on the basis of their native language alone.

With so many international schools in operation, the obvious question is whether they can all survive. So far, international schools have been left alone to mushroom freely but Springer envisions a more stringently regulated future for the sector.

"The Ministry of Education is still on a big learning curve," he says. "Eventually they'll introduce quality assurance procedures to weed out phony teachers and shut [down] underperforming schools."

Until that happens, expect the international school sector - in all its many guises - to continue to flourish.

Rob Watkinson taught for over thirty years in Britain and Africa before concentrating on writing.