Welcoming relocating families in Ho Chi Minh City

While in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam for the EuRA Asia Conference, Stéphanie Ralu, founder of Relocation Vietnam, arranged for Fiona Murchie to visit the European International School of Ho Chi Minh City.

The European International School of Ho Chi Minh City

Relocate Editorial

19 December 2019

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Based in the heart of District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City, European International School of Ho Chi Minh City (EIS) is a well-established international school that is used to welcoming the growing tide of relocating families to Vietnam.

Colonial and modern buildings in a tropical garden setting

Pupils of all ages learn in a series of former colonial houses and modern buildings in a lush tropical garden setting, giving that village feel. On arrival at the school, you feel the promise of adventure around every corner and hear the ripple of fun and laughter from 565 engaged pupils. The school’s mission is to be, “An educational village where children learn to make positive contributions to their communities and the world beyond.”Accredited by the Council for International Schools (CIS), EIS offers all three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. There are currently 130 Early Years pupils, 238 Primary and 119 Middle School pupils, with 78 in the High School.Tony Shadwell, EIS general director, says, “The framework of the IB and the attributes of an IB learner profile moves students towards thinking about connections – be it with people, maths and science, art and science etc – to understand how the world works.”

The European International School has a diverse student body

EIS is a diverse international school attended by  43 nationalities. With 29% of students from  Europe and 331 students from Asia (26% Vietnamese children, 16% South Korean, as well as smaller numbers of Japanese and Taiwanese), the diversity of the pupils is indicative of the companies and nationalities being drawn to Vietnam.

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Teaching is in English, but there is a wide range of language options including German, French, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Mandarin Chinese. English language support for non-native students is also available without additional fees.

Vietnam education: a wealth of opportunity for teachers

EIS has a rich and diverse teaching faculty with predominantly British, American, Canadian, French and Irish teachers, with an average experience of 12 years. Head of school Sean O’Maonaigh has been working in Vietnam for more than 20 years. He is enthused by the dynamics of the country and the potential for EIS to deliver a personalized education experience for every child. He explains that EIS has no problems recruiting the best teachers, “Vietnam is on an exciting journey, which will attract teachers. There is such a wealth of opportunity in Asia for teachers.”

Parents and students get a warm welcome at the school

There is a warm friendly environment at EIS, which is supported by an active parent association to ensure newcomers are welcomed into the school and the expatriate community. As the school is situated in the heart of expatriate District 2, it is easy for families to establish friends quickly. Indeed, Ho Chi Minh City has been ranked the 4th best city for expats in the recently published Expat Insider 2019 survey by InterNations.Mr O’Maonaigh shares his thoughts on the future of education in Vietnam, “In 20 years from now, Vietnam will be one of the leading economies in Asia, which will be supported by a dynamic education system. The macro development has been looking at what other countries do well and taking the best from those countries.”