International schools are known to be more expensive than traditional schools and still, parents enroll their kids despite the high international schools in Singapore fees. While most parents assume that the costs are caused by the facilities: modern classrooms, the ICT labs, fancy swimming pools, theatres, and the music rooms. Indeed, these facilities are expensive, but these aren’t the main reason behind the high cost.
So, what is?
Salary for teachers.
The salary for teachers takes up around 80-85% of a school’s budget. To successfully hire and retain outstanding, experienced and qualified expat teachers, they need to be paid well by international schools, which means a competitive salary comparable to the teacher’s country of origin. That salary is also combined with benefits like housing allowance, medical insurance, flights home as well as school places for their children if any.
International schools in Singapore, for instance, hire a lot of foreign teachers. Schools like Global Indian International School (GIIS) have fantastic facilities as well – but it is their teaching faculties that take the bulk of their costs.
International schools are all held in high regard by teachers, which yields a huge number of applications every time a vacancy is posted. They have the capability to hire very experienced, highly qualified teachers as well as school leaders who are in the top of their respective careers. They are paid well to come to Singapore and keep paying them well to retain them.
Cheaper international schools, on the other hand, can charge lower fees because they reduce their staffing costs by hiring younger expat teachers, with less experience, single teachers without children, or local teachers, who aren’t given the hefty expat packages. Any international school costing less will almost certainly have a 70/30 or 60/40 expat-to-local teacher ratio.
How to ensure a school is a right fit for your child
Many international schools offer an Open House tour, which includes a large variety of events to help parents and their children learn more about the academic programs, admission process, applicable fees, campus facilities, value-added learning opportunities, and many more.
End Note
What most parents should understand is that the fees they pay are almost always going to directly compare with the quality, experience level and the retention of the international school’s teaching faculty.
However, if you find it hard to send your kids to the most expensive school, there are still some great quality options out there. When looking, look out for schools with high retention levels. Do this by asking how long the teachers stay as faculty members, on average.
Assess if the schools offer their teachers regular, high-quality in-house training and professional development opportunities. Great schools make time for this every week. Find out if the school supports and empowers their local teachers by offering them high-quality qualifications and providing them with leadership opportunities.
A good example of competitive international schools in Singapore fees is GIIS. Along with their competitive fees, they boast a commitment to their teacher’s growth and development is remarkable, regardless if they’re expat or local.
If you want to learn more about our blog, please click here.