A month ago, prior to the start of this upcoming academic year, an email appeared in my inbox. It was from the HRD department of my, soon to be, new school.

“…..download the attached document, sign and date, scan it, and send it back as an attachment by August 31, 2026. Failure to comply will nullify your contract…..”

Read More at the following link:
https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... agreement/

Dear ISR Team,
I’m starting to wonder if some of my teachers would be better off living at home with mom and dad, instead of expecting me, the school owner and director, to be their surrogate parent. I’ll explain:

Read more at this link
https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... idiculous/

• Wycombe Abbey International School China 8/14 review 59
There is no consistent vision or structure… [939 words]
• Reigate Grammar School Vietnam 8/14 review 25
Everything about this school is dodgy at best… [149 words]
• British International School Cairo Egypt 8/14 review 51
Distract yourself from your work until you can finally get out… [223 words]
• Chris Hansen 8/14 (Principal Report 3)
British International School Cairo Egypt
• Sarah Fuschillo 8/14 (Principal Report 10)
British International School Cairo Egypt

• Canadian School Tashkent Uzbekistan 8/13
First time reviewed on ISR [279 words]
• Menaul School Qingdao China 8/13
First time reviewed on ISR [718 words]
• Ayeyarwaddy International School Myanmar 8/13 review 47
I wish I’d taken the warnings more seriously… [466 words]
• Ibn Khuldoon National School Bahrain 8/13 review 10
The country is wonderful, welcoming, & has an incredible lifestyle… [409 words]
• American International School Kuwait 8/13 review 96
A deeply dysfunctional corporate culture… [519 words]
• American School Doha Qatar 8/13 review 13
The shift in atmosphere lately has been deeply disheartening… [358 words]
• Patrick Glennon 8/13 (Principal Report 2)
Reigate Grammar School Vietnam

• American United School Kuwait 8/12 review 5
A grueling, isolating experience… [309 words]
• Shenzhen College of International Education China 8/12 review 18
I left after several difficult interactions with “leadership”… [508 words]
• Maple Leaf Foreign National School Dalian China 8/12 review 2
You’re forced to slog through with almost NO support… [1,151 words]
• Brighton College Vietnam 8/12 review 66
What I experienced there is an exception, not the norm… [1,124 words]
• British International School Cairo Egypt 8/12 review 49
Don’t come to work here if you’re looking for stability… [214 words]
• British International School Cairo Egypt 8/12 review 50
I’m not one for writing reviews, until now… [1,408 words]
• Ahmed Ezz 8/12 (Director Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
British International School Cairo Egypt

• St. Peter’s International School Portugal 8/11 review 3
The day-to-day reality did not match my expectations… [681 words]
• GEMS International School Al Khail UAE 8/11 review 6
I’m writing this review so you go in with your eyes open… [891 words]
• Oxbridge School Hong Kong 8/11 review 2
It is inadequately staffed & resourced… [448 words]
• ISA Liwan International School China 8/11 review 2
You might be able to tolerate a couple of years here… [569 words]
• Prince of Wales Island International School Malaysia 8/11 review 38
One word to define this school, it would be struggle… [245 words]
• Colin Boudreau 8/10 (Director Report 4)
American International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia
• Georgina Schofield 8/10 (Principal Report 2)
American International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia

• American International School Jeddah Saudi Arabia 8/10 review 89
The greatest strength of AISJ is the people that are there… [867 words]
• Dhirubhai Ambani International School India 8/10 review 11
Has a strong reputation in India & the region… [1,277 words]
• American International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia 8/10 review 41
Leadership culture that I’d describe as highly authoritarian… [232 words]
• Colin Boudreau 8/10 (Director Report 4)
American International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia
• Georgina Schofield 8/10 (Principal Report 2)
American International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia

“It turned out everything at our new school was better than described. We came mentally prepared and in the right frame of mind. There were no creeping, disappointing realizations that would have otherwise been big let downs…”
Read more at https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... realities/

• United School International Qatar 8/7 review 2
You’ll feel silly for working harder than everyone else… [214 words]
• ISG Jubail School Saudi Arabia 8/7 review 15
It seems courage has found a place on ISR… [384 words]
• Sanjeev Jangra 8/7 (Principal Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
ISG Jubail School Saudi Arabia
• Michael McMillan 8/7 (Principal Report 5)
American School Dubai UAE
• Darren Hugill 8/7 (Director Report 3)
British Campus Algeria

• Avenues Shenzhen China 8/6 review 4
Constant reinvention instead of refinement… [639 words]
• Benjamin Franklin International School Spain 8/6 review 3
School community itself is great & has a lot of positives… [213 words]
• Sherborne Qatar 8/6 review 42
It has been challenging, quite horrible frankly speaking… [343 words]
• Nicola Ramsden 8/6 (Principal Report 5)
Sherborne Qatar
• Brantley Turner 8/6 (Director Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
Dwight School Hanoi Vietnam


• St. Peter’s International School Portugal 8/5 review 2
Unable to retain its teaching staff in the international section… [159 words]
• Canadian International School Beijing China 8/5 review 18
Staff would likely view the same events very differently… [337 words]
• Brent International Schools Philippines 8/5 review 9
Doesn’t value you, your time, or your expertise… [549 words
• Simon Mills 8/5 (Director Report 4)
Haileybury Almaty Kazakhstan
• Gregory Brunton 8/5 (Director Report 6)
IGB International School Malaysia

• ISG Jubail School Saudi Arabia 8/4 review 14
Do not let them trick you into signing a contract… [437 words]
• Canadian International School Hefei China 8/4 review 8
Be realistic about both the benefits & the politics of the school… [310 words]
• British International School Cairo Egypt 8/4 review 48
The school has genuine strengths, but… [1,365 words]
• Sarah Fuschillo 8/4 (Principal Report 9)
British International School Cairo Egypt

• British International School Cairo Egypt 7/31 review 47
Rapidly shredding its local credibility… [218 words]
• SEK International School Qatar 7/31 review 4
Fairness is not something that is consistently valued… [967 words]
• British School Guangzhou China 7/31 review 21
Lift the lid. BSG is rotting underneath a shiny marketing facade… [455 words]
• Neil Mobsby 7/31 (Principal Report 6)
Shenzhen College of International Education China
• Shaun Hudson 7/31 (Principal Report 3)
Prem Tinsulanonda International School Thailand

• BASIS International & Bilingual School Wuhan China 7/30
First time reviewed on ISR [843 words]
• Maple Bear School Uzbekistan 7/30 review 4
We have to fight every month to get the full pay… [739 words]
• Schutz American School Egypt 7/30 review 12
A shell of what it once was… [465 words]
• Avenues Shenzhen China 7/29 review 3
Large numbers of staff let go at the end of academic year… [326 words]
• Pegasus California School China 7/29 review 2
A significant gap between its marketing & its operational reality… [231 words]
• Aoba Japan International School Japan 7/29 review 7
I sincerely hope the Board takes this feedback seriously… [1,215 words]
• American International School Jeddah Saudi Arabia 7/28 review 88
Culture of suppression & financial exploitation… [366 words]
• British Campus Algeria 7/28 review 39
Start digging your escape tunnel if you haven’t already done so… [345 words]

• Jeff Leppard 7/30 (Principal Report 3)
United Nations International School Vietnam
• Christopher Hoddinott 7/29 (Principal Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
Aoba Japan International School Japan
• Darren Hugill 7/28 (Director Report 2)
British Campus Algeria
• Bevan Graham 7/28 (Principal Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
British School Beijing Shunyi China

• Winpenny School Mexico 7/27 review 4
Positives were outweighed by operational & leadership issues… [1,437 words]
• Canadian International School Beijing China 7/27 review 17
High turnover of teachers since the management changes… [125 words]
• Tsinglan School China 7/27 review 9
Loyalty is valued more highly than competence… [284 words]
• Gonzalo Curbelo 7/27 (Principal Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
International School Debrecen Hungary

• Shekou International School China 7/24 review 36
Budget cuts are visible everywhere… [1,115 words]
• King’s College – British School Alicante Spain 7/24 review 5
Staff are bottom of the food chain & results are everything… [451 words]
• International School Dhaka Bangladesh 7/24 review 48
Decisions filtered through the lens: what protects the bottom line… [1,161 words]
• Embassy International School Krakow Poland 7/24 review 3
Culture of micromanagement & intimidation… [457 words]
• Kristian Cejka 7/24 (Principal Report 3)
Embassy International School Krakow Poland

• American International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia 7/23 review 40
Academic culture significantly below what is normally expected… [381 words]
• Sri KDU International School Malaysia 7/23 review 19
Relies on fear & anxiety to drive performance… [274 words]
• Renaissance International School Vietnam 7/23 review 33
Pastoral systems are a quite significant weakness… [586 words]
• Kevin Schuttinger 7/23 (Principal Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
American International School Muscat Oman
• Adrian Hickman 7/23 (Principal Report 2)
King’s College – British School Alicante Spain

• British International School Cairo Egypt 7/22 review 46
Staff let go suddenly in the middle of their vacation… [598 words]
• International School Dhaka Bangladesh 7/22 review 47
Almost entirely students from affluent local families… [1,352 words]
• Colegio International de Caracas Venezuela 7/22 review 17
Family friendly environment with smaller classes… [145 words]
• Heather Naro 7/22 (Director Report 5)
Schutz American School Egypt

• David Bremner 7/22 (Principal Report 4)
Canadian International School Beijing China

• Diyar International Private School UAE 7/21 review 11
A real lack of consistency & continuity… [117 words]
• British International School Tunis Tunisia 7/21 review 21
The whole fiasco has cost me over £1000… [256 words]
• Shekou International School China 7/21 review 35
Good work is not rewarded at this school… [879 words]
• Sherborne Qatar 7/21 review 41
My criticism is not of the school as a whole… [230 words]
• Nicola Ramsden 7/21 (Principal Report 4)
Sherborne Qatar
• Paul Ducharme 7/21 (Principal Report 4)
Oberoi International School India
• Kim Philot 7/21 (Principal Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
Colegio Inter-Americano Guatemala
• Lisa Shillady 7/21 (Director Report)
First time reviewed on ISR
Westhill Institute Mexico

• British Campus Algeria 7/20 review 38 (295 words)
• King’s College International School Bangkok Thailand 7/20 review 13 (409 words)
• Concordia International School Shanghai China 7/20 review 24 (398 words)
• Chris Hansen 7/20 (Director Report 2) British International School Cairo Egypt
• Sarah Fuschillo 7/20 (Principal Report 8) British International School Cairo Egypt

• Westminster International School Uzbekistan 7/17 review 33
Reviews show a clear pattern of what to be wary of… [452 words]
• SEK International School Qatar 7/17 review 3
People deserve to know this before making their choice… [497 words]
• St. Michael’s School Dominican Republic 7/17 review 3
It’s operational model reveals deep structural tensions… [335 words]

• English International School Tunis 7/16
First time reviewed on ISR [321 words]
• Sherborne Qatar 7/16 review 40
I hope this change marks the beginning of a new chapter… [94 words]
• Inter-Community School Switzerland 7/16 review 9
I feel it is held back by an ineffective administration… [626 words]
• British International School Cairo Egypt 7/16 review 45
Redundancies announced yesterday, 3 weeks before start of the year… [149 words]

• Prince of Wales Island International School Malaysia 7/15 review 37
The package is poor for the region… [94 words]
• RDFZ International Curriculum Center China 7/15 review 6
It is truly sad what has happened to this place… [697 words]
• Vietnam Australia International School Vietnam 7/15 review 17
The modern reality is quite different… [631 words]
• American School Dubai UAE 7/15 review 23
The school has no real cohesive plan… [371 words]

• LUYA Academy Taiwan 7/14 First time reviewed on ISR (1,560 words)
• English School for Girls Kuwait 7/14 review 7 (1,253 words)
• Prince of Wales Island International School Malaysia 7/14 review 36 (600 words)
• Myanmar International School Myanmar 7/14 review 12 (352 words)
• Westminster International School Uzbekistan 7/14 review 32 (502 words)

• Canadian International School Hefei China 7/13 review 7 (511 words)
• British School Bahrain 7/13 review 56 (253 words)
• Boston International School Wuxi China 7/13 review 13 (452 words)
• CIA First International School Cambodia 7/13 review 9 (508 words)
• Shanghai United International School China 7/13 review 32 (714 words)

My hometown in the USA doesn’t hold a candle to what Prague, my colleagues and school have to offer. Still, I’m contemplating not returning to Prague after summer vacation. I’m literally between a rock and a hard spot.

To get to the point, my dad’s health issues are back. Maybe he has 3 months. Maybe a year, maybe less. As to be expected, his doctor is just guessing.

I’ve already communicated with our school director. He’s sympathetic to my situation and offered to give me time off with just one day’s notice should I suddenly need to fly home.

That’s a kind and generous offer but it’s a 24-hour trip at best. Lots can happen in 24 hours. Add in the days I’d have to wait for the next available flight and who knows what could happen?

Emotionally, I want to spend time with my dad and family while he’s still in halfway decent health. Intellectually I tell myself we’ll have the entire summer together. I don’t think returning to Prague is an option for me for obvious emotional reasons. Yet I know I may be sacrificing the future of my international teaching career. Time will tell but this is very difficult…

Advice? Comments? Please click here to participate
https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... hard-spot/

• Riffa Views International School Bahrain 7/10 review 19 (1,293 words)
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• British School Jakarta Indonesia 7/10 review 23 (398 words)

• Harrow International School Bengaluru India 7/7 review 3 (252 words)
• Internationale Schule am Rhein Germany 7/7 review 28 (1,395 words)
• British School Bahrain 7/7 review 54 (285 words)
• British Campus Algeria 7/7 review 37 (261 words)

• Prince of Wales Island International School Malaysia 7/6 review 34 (261 words)
• Prince of Wales Island International School Malaysia 7/6 review 35 (766 words)
• Singapore International School Bangkok Thailand 7/6 review 3 (215 words)
• Al-Bayan Bilingual School Kuwait 7/6 review 39 (1,074 words)
• Westminster International School Uzbekistan 7/6 review 31 (453 words)
• International School Westpfalz Germany 7/6 review 3 (917 words)

I’m in Mexico City. To get to the point, the cutest dog started hanging around my neighborhood. He’s super well behaved, polite better describes him. When I fetch him something to eat he sits patiently and waits until I give him the go ahead. He loves being patted. I’m seriously thinking of adopting him.

Go to complete article and comment

https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... -overseas/

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June 12 - 19
Visit the International Schools Review Home Page https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/

• American International School Jeddah Saudi Arabia 6/19 review 86
I feel very unappreciated by both parents & admin… [259 words]

• Korea International School Korea 6/19 review 38
I want to be thoughtful & fair in how I reflect on my time… [656 words]

• ISG Jubail School Saudi Arabia 6/19 review 13
A challenging place to work for many reasons… [1,037 words]

• Capital School Bahrain 6/18
First time reviewed on ISR [733 words]

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First time reviewed on ISR [319 words]

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Remains a highly rewarding place to work… [893 words]

• Kazakhstan International School Astana Kazakhstan 6/18 review 2
Benefits may come at a considerable personal cost… [338 words]

• British International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia 6/17 review 76
Don’t treat us like interchangeable parts in a machine… [290 words]

• British International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia 6/17 review 77
Decisions being made today will determine who’s here tomorrow… [310 words]

• Brighton College Vietnam 6/17 review 63
I survived, but you have to ask yourself: at what cost?… [854 words]

• Qatar Academy Sidra Qatar 6/17 review 13
If I’d read this before, I would’ve made a different decision… [625 words]

• GEMS American Academy Dubai UAE 6/16 review 38
The corporation is making life extremely difficult for teachers… [1,250 words]

• International School Eastern Seaboard Thailand 6/16 review 21
Organizational problems that show little sign of being resolved… [1,077 words]

• British International School Riyadh Saudi Arabia 6/15 review 75
Look carefully beyond polished brochures & rehearsed assurances… [495 words]

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ISU was an utter disappointment for me & my family… [1,563 words]

• Nansha College Preparatory Academy China 6/12 review 26
The huge decline is likely to continue… [848 words]

• American School Dubai UAE 6/12 review 22
Prices for everything are rising but salaries are not… [203 words]

• Shenzhen College of International Education China 6/12 review 16
This behaviour undermined trust… [293 words]

• Harrow International School Bengaluru India 6/12 review 2
Your contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on… [208 words]
Visit the International Schools Review Home Page https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/

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Visit the International Schools Review Home Page https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/

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June 9, 2026
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Visit the International Schools Review Home Page https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/

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Visit the International Schools Review Home Page https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/

June 5, 2026
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Visit the International Schools Review Home Page https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/