Vientiane - School Report Question and Answers
Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
The school seems to rely on the kids to challenge themselves more than have them challenged by the teachers. This would probably be my biggest concern. For self-driven kids, it's great. For kids who need to be pushed, it seems to be more on the parents. Also, given the school's size, it can be hard for the school to adapt to kids of different ability levels. As a result, some parents have to supplement their kids' education through work at home or online resources. The 11th and 12th graders are really working as they try to complete their IB programs. - Jun 2021
Compared to the boiler-room atmosphere of some hard-charging academic environments in the United States (particularly suburban DC), VIS's level of academic intensity is notably more subdued. That said, the tempo of life in general in Laos moves at a statelier pace, and VIS's notably more relaxed atmosphere doesn't mean that academics aren't taken seriously. Our kids were challenged, and were expected to work hard. - Sep 2020
Although the school states that they "differentiate," teachers who are capable to teach in that manner are rare at VIS. Most of them teach only to the mainstream. The school markets a "mother tongue" program but most of the tutors don't have a teaching experience in that area. Math is another big problem in primary and secondary school which leads students to be ill-prepared for IB. - Oct 2017
