I want to see as much of this world as I can! Photo Cred Photo Cred
As long-time readers know, I am a single lady without children (and I’m looking for an international teaching husband if you happen to know of one available– :)) so I can’t personally vouch for any of the following information. However, many people ask me for names of schools where families should work, and I’ve always just kinda said, “you should probably look in the Middle East or SE Asia”. Today I’ve decided to spend a little time finding a better answer.
Based on my own research and comments I’ve read online, I’ve compiled a list of international schools that I would like to work at if I had kids one day. When I was looking at schools I was asking the following questions: do they provide good housing and not a matchbox sized apartment? Is it relatively safe? Is there an international student body so your kids won’t be the only foreigner? Is there good local healthcare in case your kid gets in a serious accident? Will tuition for at least one student be provided by the school? Is there a good environment for outside activities or will pollution keep the kiddos homebound? Can you afford childcare?
No school will be perfect, so you have to prioritize what you are looking for. Again, I don’t have children of my own, but after asking around and doing a bit of research this is the list of schools that I would look at first:
Gorgeous Cairo skyline at sunset photo cred photo cred
Schools in Africa
American International School of Cape Town– very international, close to beach, lots of outdoor activities available, 1-2 tuitions provided, good package
American School of Lusaka– green campus, very diverse, two tuitions, good package
American School of Mozambique – green campus, right on the ocean, tuition for two kids
Cairo American College– I know a family with two kids who has been there for about three years now and they love it. They pay for two children.
Harare International School– diverse population, safe, pretty area, competitive package
International School of Kenya– beautiful climate and country, competitive package, international
International School of Uganda– great climate, housing for families and a very friendly country
International School Tanganyika– close to the ocean, very inclusive and diverse school, 1-2 tuitions, great package
Lincoln Community School of Ghana– 1-2 tuitions, very international, great package
Luanda International School of Angola– close to beach, very international, great savings potential
Big city Bangkok Skyline Photo Cred
Schools in Asia
American School of Japan– Super safe, great activities. I remember that when I was in Japan I would see kids who looked to be in kindergarten taking themselves to school on the metro.
Dulwich College international school (Shanghai and Beijing)- listed as one of the top schools in the world.
International School of Bangkok– many cultural events, fantastic package, very international
International School of Kuala Lumpur– very safe, fantastic package, tons to do
Mercedes Benz International School– Very international, would pay for 80% of 2 children tuition
Shanghai American School– great education, fantastic package, 1 provided tuition per teacher, be careful of pollution
Singapore American School– great education, fantastic package, very safe, lots to do. The Millionaire Teacher (affiliate) got started here!
The Overseas School of Colombo – great campus in the suburbs, 2- 3 tuitions provided for a teaching couple, great package
Vientiane International School– 2 dependents per teacher, great green space, and good benefits
A view from the canals of Amsterdam in summer- Amanda Isberg
Schools in Europe
American International School of Bucharest– 2 tuitions, suburban school, great package
American International School of Rotterdam– small classes, international, green, safe
American International School in Vienna– tuition, green campus, very international, good package
Anglo-American school of Sofia– close to the mountains, suburban area, 2-3 tuitions, great package
International School of Amsterdam– very international, wonderful city, very safe
International School of Dusseldorf– international, great services, beautiful school, culture
Quality Schools International– They actually have schools all around the world. One reader said that they are very supportive of families.
Switzerland is often at the top of places for expat families to live for a great quality of life. Top international schools there would be Zurich International School, International School of Geneva, and the International School of Basel.
Pic I took of Isla Saona in the Dominican Republic from my beach chair- Amanda Isberg
Schools in Latin America/Caribbean
American School of Guatemala– I interviewed with them and I absolutely loved the school. I would be a little cautious about the crime rate, though. Would pay for one or two children (if a teaching couple).
Asociacion Escuelas Lincoln (Buenos Aires)- suburban, 3 or more tuitions, great package, wonderful city
International school of Port of Spain– close to the sea, good package, suburban housing, diverse
Mazapan School in La Ceiba, Honduras– great outdoors, good resources, check safety
The International School of Panama– 2-3 tuitions included, fantastic campus, ok savings potential, fun city.
Dubai skyline photo cred
Schools in the Middle East
The American School of Doha– will take up to 3 children, supposedly one of the nicest compounds in Doha, great benefits
The American International School of Muscat– 2-3 tuitions included, near the mountains, great package
The KAUST School– very safe, great package, nice campus
Saudi Aramco Schools – 3 or more tuitions, fantastic savings, extremely safe.
This list was compiled after only a few hours of research, so I am sure I missed lots of great schools! If you have any recommendations I would love to hear them in the comments below!
Teaching Wanderlust 
Interesting list. I’ve heard about and applied to many of the Asian and some European schools in my international career. I would add that families aren’t one size fit all. Many good family schools have limits on tuition benefits and even number of children. Paying tuition is an automatic no when I am searching (I have 3). The age of children also is a consideration. Saudi Aramco doesn’t serve secondary students…they have to attend boarding school. Looking for a school with an IB diploma program vs. a quality early childhood program may be apples and oranges. Last, QSI, Quality Schools International, didn’t make your list. They have schools in over 20 countries and have a great benefit package for families and a long track record. I spent 6 years with QSI as teacher and administrator and can verify the organization’s strong commitment to families. They should be on the shortlist for families. Thanks for the insightful research.
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Hi Carl,
Thanks for the input. While I have seen job postings for QSI, I’ve never looked into them very much. I know that my old boss has been with QSI for the past three years and she seems to like them as well. I will be sure to add them to the list.
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Hey Carl.
I didn’t know that the Saudi ARAMCO situation was set up like that. That’s interesting.
You piqued my interest when you mentioned your 3 deal breakers. I’m curious what the other two are?
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HI, as I read, I realize it was unclear. I have 3 children. Paying tuition is a single deal breaker. Most international schools I’ve worked at cost over $25k per year. Even a portion is a big dent in a salary package. There are many schools that accept 3 children tuition free for expat teachers, but your have to look a little and a few good ones don’t make the cut for me.
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Ah, I gotcha. Yeah, with the prices of many of the schools, if you were having to pay a partial tuition or whole tuition, it would be bananas!
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Great list! I’d add Shanghai American School and Singapore American School to the list. 🙂
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I was really close to adding both of those but I was worried about pollution (Shanghai) and lack of green space (Singapore). I did love my visits to Shanghai as a single though! I’ve never been to Singapore; what is it like for families? Do they both provide a couple of free tuitions and good sized apartments?
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I was thinking mainly about the really great packages they offer, and both are great schools, so really good education for kids. 🙂
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Yes, good point!
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Thanks so much for this extensive list and of course your amazing blog. I was reading more about your retirement investments; I’d love to talk with you more in-depth about it, as I’d like to set something up when I’m back in the US this summer.
Thanks!
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Hi Dana,
Thanks for visiting! I’m really a novice investor at best. Basically I have the Raymond James account that my school set up for me and my Vanguard Target Retirement Fund that I just set up and forget. You should check out Andrew Hallam’s books, specifically Global Expatriate (http://amzn.to/2mEiASu) for more investment advice for people living overseas.
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I definitely need to read more this summer and get my life in order!
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That is what summers are for! Teacher reality, lol! Poke around on the Vanguard website but wait to sign up while you are home in the States.
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That is cool that you are thinking about the cats with kids. Having kids, and accompanying benefits is definitely a big part of the consideration for the international teachers with kids.
I was actually in Cape Town for spring break last week and since I didn’t realize they had an international school, I was wondering if they did because the city is cracking! I would recommend anybody looking at a job in the motherland to look at Cape Town.
By the way, I’m an international single teacher, but heading to Monterrey next year. If you are in Venezuela, Monterrey could be too posh for you 😉
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Hey Beckett,
Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope to visit South Africa in the next year or two to see Cape Town for myself. The school in Johannesburg is bigger, but I’ve heard better reviews of Cape Town.
I hope you enjoy Monterrey! I have a friend who teaches at the American school there and she loves it. If you see Emily tell her hi for me!
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Yeah, AISJ in Jo’burg is definitely full of resources. I was reading The International Educator a few months ago and they had a full page spread (Ad) of the olympic sized pull at AISJ!
I hope you do make it to Cape Town soon. In the meantime I will tell your homie in Monterrey “Hi”.
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Great list! My international career started in GEM Academy. It is one of the best international schools. They operate in six regions including Asia and Africa. Greetings!
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Hi Joel,
Thanks for your reply. I have another friend that works at a GEMS school in Dubai and he’s pretty happy there. Is there a particular school or region that you think would be better suited to families (bigger apartments, more greenspace, more activities for children, affordable household help)?
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Here I am again…revisiting this post. I KNEW it was important to keep in my inbox. xox 🙂
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This is impressive. But there are schools in India with international standards
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I know there are great schools in India (my single friend works at a fantastic one in Mumbai that I would love to work at) but many of the ones I’ve heard about are in huge cities with horrible pollution and a frenzied way of life that isn’t really attractive to families. I would love to hear of specific examples that you would recommend for families with low pollution, good activities for kids, nice parks or green space, and a great package!
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Great list. I would second what you said about Shanghai, the pollution is a deal breaker for me. I was in China for 5 years, and while I miss the lovely people and amazing places, I don’t think that a family (or anyone concerned with their health) should work there — until they get a handle on the pollution problem. I mean, it’s not just the air pollution, is it? It’s what that air pollution does to the ground they are growing the food you eat, water you drink (or eating out what they clean your food with before you eat it….) It’s a much bigger issue than you can at first conceptualize because it is safe, and it is amazing, and the packages are stunning… but bottom line, the pollution is a problem.
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Good points all around!
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Hello-
On here you mention that you made a spreadsheet for yourself. I am curious if it was for the schools or was it for the ones you were interested in teaching? If it’s the first, I was wondering if you were interested in sharing it? Just didn’t wan’t to remake something that was already made 🙂
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Many teachers I have met over the year make spreadsheets comparing what they are looking for. My spreadsheets just list things that I am specifically interested in with many notes reminding me why I liked them so much. Not something that I would share with others!
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Anglican International School – Jerusalem is a good ME option. The school has students from more than 40 nations, they offer full tuition for the first child and discounted rates for other children, Israel is a very family friendly nation, and Jerusalem is always interesting. 🙂
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