Parent's Review of QSI Atyrau School in Atyrau
What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)
QSI Atyrau School
In what town or city is this school located?
Atyrau
How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)
Basically American
What grade levels are represented at this school?
K-10
How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)
Private bus for AGIP employees kids, own transport for everyone else.
How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?
Extremely poor. No cafeteria, no gym and one small playground shared with another school. Badly equipped old science lab, NO computer lab at all just a few broken down old laptops for It classes and rubbish art room.
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?
Nothing. Despite being having 'international' students everything has a very narrow minded American Christian focus including the curriculum. Teachers generally not very internationally minded and unaware of issues facing expat kids.
How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?
A student council does some activities for older kids but this is due to efforts of one teacher with no support from the admin. Parents organize the occasional international day and Christmas things. But no actual input with management who run the school like a dictatorship.
What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?
Don't do it! The Pre-School and High School are especially weak. Limited programs and teachers with questionable experience and qualifications - also non-native English speakers. In pre-school some kids have started speaking English with Filippino and other strange accents!
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Comments about this Report
guestWould agree. Also classroom management problems with 7-8-9 year old classes due to inexperienced teachers and poor supervision. All teachers hired by this school are supposed to have two years full time teaching experience and have worked overseas but clearly not the case.Did not appreciate my kid being told 'God still loves you' after being ticked off over some silly transgression.
guestI think this report was written by someone with a chip on their shoulder. I wonder who? Hmm...
guest21 March 2011 I would kindly like to address a few of the comments listed above. QSI School of Atyrau offers educational services for children 3 years old through 12th grade, more information maybe obtained at the schools website, http://atyrau.qsischool.org/. The school has a mini-gym, which is shared with another school on a daily basis. We have a great relationship with neighboring school. True we do not have a computer lab. Instead the whole school is wireless and we have 25 laptops which are shared among the students. The majority of classrooms also have a classroom PC. Just last weekend the school had author of the book, Third Culture Kids, Ruth Van Reken, host a parents seminar, 3 school assemblies, as well an 8 hour professional development for the teaching staff, to assist in becoming better international educators. We are very proud of our staff; you may review information about each of them at our website. Last year, June 2010, we had our first graduate, who is now attending Colorado State University. In order to meet the high expectations of being an international school, we are in the process of becoming Middle States Association accredited. A team is scheduled to come to QSI Atyrau in April of 2011. The school community has been working hard the last two years to prepare to meet the high standards of MSA. We fully anticipate being accredited! Are their challenges living internationally? "Yes!" Are their wonderful rewards for being involved in the lives of 23 different nationalities? "Yes!” Scott Roley, Director of Instruction, QSI Atyrau School submitted this article.
