Parent's Review of Almaty International School, QSI (Quality Schools International) in Almaty, Kazakhstan

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

Almaty International School, QSI (Quality Schools International)

In what town or city is this school located?

Almaty

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

American

What grade levels are represented at this school?

3y.o. to 12th grade

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

Private vehicle, school bus, and walk from nearby compounds

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

There are soccer fields, and tennis courts. For the elementary school there is some playground equipment that can only be used during the school hours. Extra-curricular activities are during normal school hours and include arts, sports, etc. Extra-curricular sports activities are run either by sports teachers from the school, or outside people but for the elementary school those coaches speak poor English.

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?

This is a big problem as the school runs their pedagogical program under a "mastery of subjects" method. It is very confusing for the parents, and for the children who are used to a standard way of learning. The report card for one semester would run about two pages long with insignificant grades for random mini-subjects. The difference between an A grade and a B grade is based mostly on effort put into extra projects that do not enhance knowledge. For the little ones the report is mostly filled with Bs and Ps which is very hard to explain to children who can feel demoralized. There is a feeling that the teachers are not very happy in their jobs, and this shows in their enthusiasm they put in their classes. Creativity is very little, and most projects are copied pasted and printed for every student.

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

There is a parent organization that is responsible for organizing pop-corn and cupcake sales throughout the year, and one International Day event.

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

The school is mostly local as the international community has moved to Astana. This is a problem for every 'international' school in Almaty. Quality Schools International system of learning / teaching is something to get used to (mastery education). Creativity is very low among teachers and this shows in art classes, or classes for the elementary children. The budget of the school is never published and the tuition money are not reflected in the quality of the staff or of the school. The school lacks guidance counselor for the elementary school, and this translates in issues being 'solved' through the principal who is not necessarily trained adequately.

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