International schools in Muscat
QuestionWe may be moving to Oman and I am checking out schools for my children who are in Elementary school.
How would you rate TAISM vs ABA?
Answer
Both ABA and TASIM are international schools. It is 8 years since I lived in Oman, but both my children were happy at ABA which is a multi-ethnic school with international status. In 2000, over 50 nationalities were represented at ABA.
TAISM started through dissatisfaction by the US Embassy on staffing policies at ABA and provision of facilities. I spoke at the meeting where both sides aired views on the future of ABA.
Broadly, a group of predominantly American parents, supported by the US Embassy, wanted to raise fees substantially at ABA in order to build more facilities, whereas ABA took a more gradualist approach.
All the American parents had their children's school fees paid for by their employers. A majority of parents whose children went to ABA were obliged to pay school fees themselves.
The US Embassy withdrew its sponsorship of ABA in order to promote and build TAISM. The British Embassy now sponsors ABA (at least, that WAS the position.)
I do not know what the current level of fees is, nor statistics on the cultural cross-section at either TAISM and ABA. Originally, I imagine that TAISM had a largely American school population with an American slant on education.
Both will probably have excellent standards of education. When my son was at primary school at ABA, his class size was 16 students. The facilities far outshone what is available at any state school in the town where I live now in UK.
I am sure both schools would welcome the parents of potential pupils to visit.
How would you rate TAISM vs ABA?
Answer
Both ABA and TASIM are international schools. It is 8 years since I lived in Oman, but both my children were happy at ABA which is a multi-ethnic school with international status. In 2000, over 50 nationalities were represented at ABA.
TAISM started through dissatisfaction by the US Embassy on staffing policies at ABA and provision of facilities. I spoke at the meeting where both sides aired views on the future of ABA.
Broadly, a group of predominantly American parents, supported by the US Embassy, wanted to raise fees substantially at ABA in order to build more facilities, whereas ABA took a more gradualist approach.
All the American parents had their children's school fees paid for by their employers. A majority of parents whose children went to ABA were obliged to pay school fees themselves.
The US Embassy withdrew its sponsorship of ABA in order to promote and build TAISM. The British Embassy now sponsors ABA (at least, that WAS the position.)
I do not know what the current level of fees is, nor statistics on the cultural cross-section at either TAISM and ABA. Originally, I imagine that TAISM had a largely American school population with an American slant on education.
Both will probably have excellent standards of education. When my son was at primary school at ABA, his class size was 16 students. The facilities far outshone what is available at any state school in the town where I live now in UK.
I am sure both schools would welcome the parents of potential pupils to visit.
Comments
ray ban wrote:
08/11/11 22:00:34
all the best with your new venture. May the force be with you!All the American parents had their children's school fees paid for by their employers. A majority of parents whose children went to ABA were obliged to pay school fees themselves.