Kigali, Rwanda Report of what it's like to live there - 05/29/14
Personal Experiences from Kigali, Rwanda
School Name:
International School of Kigali-Rwanda
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?
2nd, 4th and 10th.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2012-2014.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Multilateral.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
There is not a whole lot of choice really, particularly with older kids. For us, it was between ISKR and a Christian school.
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+. The new director really is terrific.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A, probably. When we entered there was a different director and communications were appalling. The new director goes out of his way to give personal tours to new families and often is the one to reply to any emails.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
The climate is very friendly in the school as a whole. There is pretty high turnover, so new kids are quite welcome and integrate quickly. Being a small school, the kids all know each other regardless of which grade they are in. My kids have always been quite happy to go to school. The high school years are tough, though, with so few kids. I think all the HS kids get along well, but social opportunities outside school are pretty limited.
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?
A. Outstanding. This is a great benefit of a small school.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
B+ The small classes allow for individual attention. I believe there is some learning support and ESL services, although I do not have any first-hand experience with them.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
B. The school does a good job of offering a variety of after school clubs, most of which are free of charge. However, it is dependent on what teachers and parents are willing and able to offer, so it can vary quite a bit. Again, it is a small school in a small town, so if your expectations are fairly low, the kids can do some fun things after school. For instance, this year a parent has run a Make-a-Movie club and one of the teachers ran an Adventurers Club, both of which were terrific. Other offerings include board games, singing, sewing, sometimes a cooking club, soccer and basketball. It is all pretty ad-hoc, but the school does try to offer some interesting activities.
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
Can't really speak to this one. My kids have not been bored or under-challenged, but they are all quite motivated students. I don't know how it would be if the student wasn't self-motivated.
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
A. Seems fine. It is teacher specific, but in general I have not found that any one teacher is assigning excessive amounts.
8. Administration-parent communication:
A. As above.
9. Teacher-student communication:
A.
10. 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?
Language instruction could be improved, otherwise I have been very satisfied.
11. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No.
12. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
13. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
N/A, although as stated above, the small classes allow for individual attention. My 2nd grader has worked in 3rd grade math all year.
14. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
No, although hopefully this will improve over the next few years.
15. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes. The High School has participated in the Model UN, which is at the parent's cost. Middle School takes a trip each year to either Kenya or Tanzania for an adventure/service camp, also at parent's cost. Elementary field trips generally have a transport fee, although this is very minimal.
16. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes.
17. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes.
18. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
I'm sure there are all the typical challenges for school-aged kids, but I have found that overall the school is a very friendly, happy place. I will miss this as we move to larger school that may have more offerings, but without the sense of community. I doubt my kids will ever be in a school environment as inclusive as ISKR has been.
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?
C. Not much in the way of these services. I believe a counsellor is coming in next fall.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
C. Library is small and there is no full-time librarian.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
C. This is a hard question also as internet service is quite poor countrywide. The school has budgeted hardware improvements for next year and a 4G company has just come to town, so hopefully this aspect will improve in the next year.
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
C. Really needs some work. The school recently moved to new facilities and now has a full-size basketball court and a small grass field.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A. Very low. My second grader was in a class of 8 and my 10th grader in a class of 4.
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?
A. No IB. AP was offered for the first time this year and there are an expanding number of classes planned for next year. Again, remember that it is a small school so there are not going to the variety of courses you would find in a larger international school. We have found the quality of teaching to be quite high.
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
C. Small school with limited resources. The arts program is okay, The school will introduce drama next year. Music is non-existent.
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes and the majority at this school are native speakers.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No.
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?
The school tries to offer what they can, but the range is pretty limited.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Absolutely. The playdate and birthday party circuit is our primary source of activity, particularly for the weekends.
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.
No, not at all to my knowledge. My kids have never had an issue.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Great environment, supportive community. Excellent teaching staff, particularly in the elementary grades.
2. Greatest challenge?
The school has some financial issues due to the poor leadership of the past, most of which came to light when the new director came in at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. This has made for a tough year, but procedures are being put in place to provide greater oversight and management. The parent community has pulled together also to make things work. I think the school will see great progress in this area in the near future.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Yes. Again, there are very limited options in Kigali. However, I believe that ISKR far outstrips the others in the academic quality of the school.
