Parent's Review of ABC International School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

ABC International School

In what town or city is this school located?

Ho Chi Minh City

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

Mostly Asians (Vietnamese, Korean, Taiwanese or mixed - half Vietnamese), very few Westerners

What grade levels are represented at this school?

Foundation - Key Stage 5

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

Bus, private car, walk

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

An adequate football field (although nowhere near Saigon South International School's), a gym that is not air conditioned and used for every single sport, a crowded canteen, classrooms are adequately equipped etc.

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

Westerners here are really popular and everyone wants to be friends with them. They do IGCSEs and A levels (similar to the UK's National Curriculum).

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

The PTG (Parent-Teacher Group) here is not active at all. Very few or no social activities throughout the school year

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

They have solid exam results and the education is probably on par with the British International School (both schools got the same inspection results). However, there are very few extracurricular activities here and if there's any, it is probably not very interesting. Sports is not a big thing here, and so is arts (drama productions are ... eh) - it is more academic. Very few social events for students in the school and lack of enthusiasm from the students to participate. The school's biggest advantages are the education and the students - very friendly and motivated to achieve great results but that's all. Not truly an international school (lack of diversity). BIS or SSIS (American curriculum) are more preferable (very diverse - they have caps on the number of students from each nationality). In Hanoi, I suggest UNIS - it's a good school but very hard to get in.

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