Bishkek - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are a few international schools. Most embassy kids go to Bishkek International School (BIS). We chose it because of that reason and really wish we had shopped around a little more. In addition to so-so academics, we found the school's director to be a problem. He is more or less a COVID denier and did everything he could, including violating school and government rules, to have in-person schooling even when the virus was at its peak. He discouraged vaccinations for students and staff, discouraged masks, covered up outbreaks in the school, and openly encouraged parents to not test their kids so they would not have to report to the government. We basically fought with the school on so many issues over the last three years, it was just exhausting. We know of one teacher who bullied kids in his class and the school brushed it off until they finally had to fire him after he taped a student's mouth shut and to his chair. Check out QSI or other options before committing to BIS. - Jun 2022
QSI and ESCA (BIS) are the two most popular choices. ESCA currently gets the better reviews, although they actually filled up in certain grades. QSI has had some long-standing administrative issues, but many kids still go there. - Aug 2018
QSI has really come down in overall quality, teachers for the most part are great, however the senior administration is unresponsive, with leadership unable to connect to the parent community. The school does not value parent input and acts as if they are a monopoly provider here, and is unresponsive to the customer, in my opinion.
There are however some good options, particularly for up to about age 13 - ESCA is really emerging as a great school and community. HOPE is pretty good as well, and their religious push is not excessive. - Sep 2017
I've had little experience with ESCA and all the teachers there seem very nice. - Jan 2015
The two major international schools are QSI Bishkek and Hope Academy. We couldn't afford either school and had to homeschool but if I had a choice, I'd choose QSIB over Hope for academics. Both schools are willing to work with homeschoolers who want to do some electives there. The people at both schools are very nice. There are several other international schools here that are good too but I don't think very many Western expats use them yet. - May 2014
There is a QSI School which follows the US curriculum. It's small and the academic level is just about acceptable until age 13, after which the classes become tiny. Another US-model school is the Hope Academy, which has a strong missionary influence. There is a new European School, founded in 2011, which hopes to make a mark. - Dec 2011
