Considering UCSI int.school for my daughter - info please

Sorry for the typing mistake..it's UCSI int.school, subang jaya.

Hello Zubaida

Please note that a new thread has been created as from your post on the Malaysia Forum so as to help you get better visibility and interactions.

Regards
Kenjee

Hi UCSI is featured on International School Review some extracts:

"My replacement for this year only lasted about about a month, then quit. I only post this, because I'm embarrassed to have worked for his school, and I want to warn others."

"A FOR PROFIT school on all levels. No frills,no transparency,no departmental budgets or overview for teachers.Lack of basic supplies. I was treated as sweat shop worker and expected to hold several positions, leading to low moral and stress.....A very high turnover rate, unfortunately for the students"

Reviewing their website I note:

The principal is not experienced/qualified to run an International School. If you read the advertising/linked profile you can deduce he has no actual experience in international school management. His only experience is as an international school teacher was at Cempaka teaching "college age" students. As far as I can tell he is basically an EFL teacher with no real experience and totally unsuitable to be in any type of leadership post at an international school - no way is he qualified as a Principal. Therefore he is just a "white puppet" for the owner - usual Malaysian practice.

The rest of the staff mostly consist of unqualified teachers - only one had a PGCE and two seem to be USA qualified (I guess) maybe one more has UK experience - the write ups are cleverly designed to make the best of what they had. Mostly EFL teachers with University level experience they are mostly untouchable by any decent international school as they are not qualified/experienced with school age children.

Any good school will have at least 50% qualified teachers. Rest maybe experienced local staff for the mid range schools. With 50% qualified you have enough critical mass for training and quality control. Also of course Mandarin/Malay/Moral studies will be local staff. English teachers should all be expat qualified staff except for some support staff. UCSI is  along way from being an international school.

Education will be adequate.

Hello nemodot can i please talk to you through any type of social media to know more about int'l schools in malaysia ?

Can i talk to you through any type of social media to know more about int'l schools in malaysia ?

Shamsokkary. First step is to work out what you can afford, as schooling can be very expensive in Malaysia. Another factor is where you intend to live. i.e. which schools are reasonably close or have bussing arrangements.

Then it might be worth discussing the options to find which will suit your family best. this link provides a lot of information

http://schooladvisor.my/

Gravitas wrote:

Shamsokkary. First step is to work out what you can afford, as schooling can be very expensive in Malaysia. Another factor is where you intend to live. i.e. which schools are reasonably close or have bussing arrangements.

Then it might be worth discussing the options to find which will suit your family best. this link provides a lot of information

http://schooladvisor.my/

After cost I posted this before - checklist for comparison. I just checked UCSI website and no info on Principal or staff so you would have to ask. As an IB only school the demands on staff are far higher. I would say an IB only school really needs to be 80% expat most with prior IB experience (for PYP all classes should have an expat teacher). MYP is very demanding on teacher quality as it is a framework not a syllabus. Budget schools should stick to IGCSE IMHO ss they cannot afford decent IB staff. A Principal with a TEFL background and no prior experience (as one school I spotted had) is totally inadequate.

- Principal must be from the appropriate country that the school specialises or at least is from a similar standard of country and has lots of experience (basically US/UK/Australian Head who worked long time as Head in that country).
- Senior leaders/Head of Departments should mostly be expat qualified staff especially Maths/Science/English
- All English teachers should be certified teachers from English mother language countries (US/UK/Australia/Canada)
- at least 50% expat staff NOT counting Europeans/South Africans/Iranians/Pinoys without western teaching certs etc - even elite schools hire Indians for Chem/Physics due to world shortage (and often are good teachers in those subjects) but generally only count those from USA/Canada/UK/Australia who are certified teachers from that country. Europeans/South African with no certification don't count.... lots of these are a bad sign as employed for being white and no other reason! That is an old trick.
- exam results: though nearly all International schools fiddle these - even the elite ones. Ask how many in year group and a break down of how many A*/As - many schools pressure students to drop subjects. Do own percentages. Allow for entrance policies - eg Alice is very selective so should be getting 80% A*/A surely?
- If a school uses English 2nd Lang IGCSE a lot RUN AWAY FAST as that means they value stats over education
- if it claims to be a "Cambridge British curriculum" then that is silly marketing (minus factor)
- uses Cambridge checkpoint then not really British curriculum and designed for unqualified teachers so a negative factor in my opinion
- behavioural policies. Are these positive? or are students expelled for wrong socks!

Nemodot. So how do u think the UCSI IB world school? Can you please provide somes of your opinion about this school?

Avoid so called IB schools unless they are mostly expats with appropriate experience. Especially MYP. It makes high demands on teacher quality.

Hi,
Have you decided to send your child to UCSI?
I have a friend who worked at this school and I was told that there is a high turnover in teachers.
This is the Subang Jaya location.... apparently no resources for the teachers or the students.
Have you visited this school?

I know that the UCSI school in Subang Jaya is not IB. I have heard horrible things about this school.
[Moderated]. Do you know anyone employed at this school?