Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Report of what it's like to live there - 10/21/15
Personal Experiences from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
School Name:
American International School of Riyadh
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
3-5 elementary school.
6-8 middle school.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2014 and 2015 so far.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
My kids are following American CV and no other options of American schools were available
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
A-We have no problems with it.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Friendly, modern, and big ( over 1500 students).
2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
A
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
Mostly by emails. There is only one P/T conference a year.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
No knowledge about it.
5. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
Yes. Lunches are expensive (around 5 USD for one lunch), and kids can buy other food also. Uniforms are required only for PE.
I-pads and laptops are compulsory, including cases, headphones, and keyboards. Count on over 1500 USD.
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
C - mostly arts and craft " make your own lantern " :-)
7. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A
8. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
Not often enough and too little.
9. Administration-parent communication:
A
10. Teacher-student communication:
A
11. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
Yes, I'd say all classes, actually. The academic level is very low. Due to the poor quality of teachers (most of them are young Canadians with no experience and without a Master's degree, trying to be "friends" with your kids instead of being educators. Students are not challenged enough in any area. In general, Saudi kids do not show up at school very often, which make teachers repeat subjects again and again. The grades given are only MS ( meeting standards) and AS ( approaching standards). What kind of motivation is that?
12. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No.
13. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
14. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
I do not know about a program like that.
15. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes.
16. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Grammar, history, and cursive handwriting.
17. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes, the trip my son is supposed to take - a week in Dubai - costs 1300 USD. Local field trips also have fees.
18. What activities do you feel are missing?
Creative writing, grammar classes, research projects.
19. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes - just some sports activities.
20. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes.
21. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
I'm not aware of any issues in this area. My kids are happy in school.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
Did not use it , but they have counselors in school.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
B
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
C- Too much emphasis on it, Kids have to have their own I-pads even in elementary school. Too many electronics, applications, web links ..., Everything is on line.
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
A
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
Classes of 22 in elementary school, in middle school groups of 15 kids for 1 teacher.
6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
IB is available , not sure about AP
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
No, it is too easy and it is mostly online.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
B
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
I wish that were the case. it looks like gifted students do not exist in the school.
11. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Tut they do offer some, but not the best options.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
No.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
I'm not aware of any such problems.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
The newest state-of-the-art campus.
2. Greatest challenge?
Poor academics.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
No, and I wish I had known sooner just how academically poor the school is. I know that is difficult to find good teachers wanting to come to Saudi Arabia ( do not blame them), but I'm concerned about my kid's performance. It is the teachers' lack of concern that worries me. I don't like seeing that my kids are bored at school and that the staff does not do anything to challenge them to use their potential.
