Parent's Review of The International School of the Hague in The Hague, Netherlands

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

The International School of the Hague

In what town or city is this school located?

The Hague

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

International

What grade levels are represented at this school?

primary & secondary

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

bus, bike, parents take them by car

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

The facilities are good; many extra-curricular activities available.

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?

Not applicable to our situation; our child started his education at this school

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

There is a PTO, but not many social activities available for parents

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

I will just write about my experience with the primary school; you can refer to the other reports on this web site if you are interested in the secondary school. I regret very much putting my child in the International School. The communication with parents is awful: you do not know what records are being placed in your child’s file, measures that affect your child are being implemented without informing you, measures are implemented even after your specific disapproval, etc. If you dare to raise questions to the school administration about their policies and/or practices, you are likely to get a very disrespectful treatment and a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude. The current principal (Mr. Kevin Rae) has mastered this attitude to a point that borders insanity. Luckily, he is leaving in August 2015 and many parents are hopeful that things will improve afterwards. I have some doubts about this. The problem is that most of the staff consists of temps and part-times. This is clearly reflected in their work motivation. There are some motivated and skilled teachers, but these seem to be the minority. I do not expect that this situation will change much with the new principal. The bottom line is that I will be taking my child out of this school once the school year is over. My advice to other parents is: i) If you do not have financial concerns, go for the American School (take a look at the great reviews they have at this web site) ii) If money is a concern, consider the European School. Unfortunately, unless you work for a European organization, they have a long waiting line. iii) Judging by the experience of my friends, I would not put my child in the British School: they seem to have some of the same issues as the International School.

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