I took a “taxi” (i.e. not a red taxi but one that had Turismo sticker on it as many tour companies use their fleet as “taxis”) that the hotel approved of and met an elderly driver who spoke some English and relied on Google Translate for the rest. I paid him $25 US to drive the 10 km distance to the European School which is comparable to the taxi fare from the airport (10 km also). Although it was located only 10 km away from my hotel, it took about 30 minutes to get there due to traffic at 11 am on a Friday. He was so friendly and enthusiastic that I ended up hiring him for the day. He quoted me $20 per hour and I thought it was reasonable.
What I Learned:
If you meet a taxi driver with reasonable rates who goes out of their way to be helpful or tries to speak English, get the contact information and hire them for future trips. It is hard to meet drivers who are helpful and speak English.
Taxi fee for about 10 km distance (airport to San Jose centre) in San Jose is about $25 USD.
Be prepared to spend time in traffic in San Jose and nearby areas.
You are allowed to pass on the left even if the car in front of you stops to turn left with a blinker on. Always watch for passing cars and yield.
You are criminally charged if you hit any pedestrians. On the other hand, cars will not slow down for pedestrians in downtown San Jose.
Tour of San Jose International Schools
The European School was a beautiful property full of greenery and creative play structures. There were numerous fruit trees, ponds with fishes and water lilies, and farm animals such as bunnies and chickens. They have a stream going through the border of the property. Once we got through the gate, we forgot that it was a gated school and felt immersed in nature. The students were well behaved and there was an overall sense of order and calmness. The openness of classrooms, the spectacularly large gym equipped with rock climbing walls, and large fields were enough for my heart to skip. They had a decent art room and lunchroom where the students were responsible for setting the tables and cleaning after themselves. When I heard this, I almost signed up my kids right away. From what I read of the school policy, they provide meals and do not allow outside foods. They can accommodate to allergies.
They have their own curriculum without textbooks up to grade 6. They learn by reading certain literature and books but work without textbooks. They expect students to read about one book a week. They try to incorporate a lot of day-to-day applications in their teachings. Each grade also focuses on certain continents to learn about their history, geography, culture, religion, etc. For example, grade 6 students study the African continent, grade 7 the European continent, and grade 8 the Asian continent, etc. I thought this was an interesting and unique approach that could be a fantastic way of learning about the world if done right. I found the curriculum enticing although I didn’t know how it would suit my kids’ needs.
The European School is one of the two International Baccalaureate (IB) accredited schools in San Jose, which is important because it allows its graduates to apply to any universities in the world without having to take extra credits or sit for exams. Because of this IB accreditation, the European school goes up to grade 12 instead of grade 11 which is typical of the Costa Rica public school system. Once students reach grade 7, they start learning with textbooks. It is my understanding that the IB program also begins in grade 11 which can be a shift from their own curriculum.
I had a sense that the students were learning in a more traditional way from grade 7 and up with a lot of emphasis on reading. Students read four books a week which seemed unrealistic to me, especially when they are reading classics such as The Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet. This is doable, we were told, because students do a lot of reading at school and don’t get much homework. I wondered what the teachers are doing while the students are reading. I’m sure they have their ways but if there’s no homework, I wonder if the learning is largely self-directed.
The teachers are hired from all over the world. The teachers stay for at least three years which is relatively low turnover for international schools. The school administration looks for teachers that are planning to stay long-term and hires them based on their expertise. Not all of them have teaching experience or teaching degrees but they have a degree in the subject that they teach. She said that inexperienced teachers are often the best teachers.
So far so good. I felt positive about the school, but things went kind of south when we began discussing my daughter’s needs specifically. I explained that my daughter has difficulties with focusing and sequencing. I said that she is very bright and knows things without learning them due to strong reasoning abilities but has trouble focusing when reading “boring” books and needs to type instead of writing. The Admissions guide explained that the director will have to meet with my daughter to determine if she would be a good fit with the school. Shortly after, she insinuated that the school does not have much room for flexibility so it might not be the best fit for my child. My daughter cannot have a device to type on because the school does not allow technology at all. There is no computer club before or after school, and kids are not allowed to bring a phone. Basically, if they want to learn computer skills, they must do it at home. They wouldn’t make an exception for children with different learning needs. The European School will go as far as letting the students have extra time and are isolated for exams but not much more can be provided.
She mentioned that for new students arriving from other countries, they have recommended that students start with a lower grade if they don’t meet their grade standard, especially if they have different learning needs. As there is one homeroom teacher up to grade 6, it may be easier for teachers to keep an eye on the student and assess their needs. This makes sense except, from what I heard from other school administrators, this is illegal in Costa Rica. If they have passed a grade in another country, they cannot be told to repeat the grade.
From grade 7 and on, students have the option of choosing between music, art, and gym. Unfortunately, students who do not have near mastery of their instrument by grade 7 cannot take music from grade 7 unless they catch up.
Students are not allowed self-expression through hair, clothes, or jewelleries. They must wear their uniform top and jeans. Yes, jeans on hot days of San Jose. She said it was because of durability and that they are not allowed any rips in jeans. Students are required to go on a hike at 7 am on Saturday, every 2-3 months. After the tour, my daughter said she was scared that she may not meet their expectations. I felt this pressure also, as if they are judging and not very forgiving.
The school runs from August to June and closes for a two-week vacation every nine weeks. Transportation is about $200 per month depending on the distance. They pick up from as far as one hour away, but the student needs to be ready for the bus at 5:50 am or something like that. The school starts at 8:15 am. The guide claimed that the school is not associated with a particular religion but is spiritual. The annual tuition is $12000 US plus $550 new student registration fee.
The guide suggested that given my daughter’s needs, we look for a smaller school. Since the European School and the Pan America International school were the only IB accredited schools, there are no small schools available in the San Jose area.
What I Learned:
The European School is regimented and inflexible. If your child is unique, does not thrive in a strict environment, likes to express through their appearance, does not love to read classics, or has special learning needs, this school is not the best fit.
This school does not allow any technology on school grounds. They do not use or teach any computer skills.
They have the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum only for the last year of school. They otherwise use their own curriculum which is very strongly self-directed and reading oriented.
I made an appointment at Pan America International School for two hours later in that afternoon. It was last minute, but the lady was very accommodating.
The Pan America International school was only 20 km away from the European School, but it took about 50 minutes to get there thanks to the traffic. The school screamed “expensive” as soon as we arrived. The security gates, large open entrance and hallways were shiny and luxurious. Students were wearing uniform shirts but seemed to have more freedom with their pants. We were told that they can wear any bluish bottom they want. There was cool breeze going through classrooms and hallways, which I always associate with a tropical paradise. The kids were orderly and classrooms were bright and pleasant. The gym was huge, large enough to be a hanger. The art classroom displayed artworks by students which were outstanding (the art, not the room which was fine). The music room consisted of many instruments and the teacher took the time to play and talk with my daughter. They have a lunchroom where children bring their own food.
This school seemed more willing to work with students one on one. The teacher would get to know the student and instruct them according to their needs. They allow technology and would enable my daughter to type if she wanted. They have a counselor who would guide students from a young age to pursue subjects that are relevant to their university and career goals. They have a psychologist who helps students express themselves and work on issues. They have a medical doctor on campus to address any needs. Too good to be true? Maybe but it makes sense that this school would come with a huge price tag of about $24K US per year plus a registration fee of $500-1000.
The transportation fee is about $150-200 per month depending on the distance. They start at 7:45 am so if a student is an hour away, they would have to meet the shuttle around 5:30 am. They have a fitness session every morning, four days per week, which may include spinning, sports, Zumba, dance, etc. Kids can pursue music from grade 6 and beginners are welcome to choose any instrument they would like. For non-Spanish speaking students, they would pull them out of social studies or other subjects that are instructed in Spanish and give them Spanish lessons. I believe this is an extra fee. They don’t have extracurricular activities but said that students tend to establish this organically on their own in the community.
I was puzzled by the wide-open back entrance that did not seem to have any security features when the front gate security was so tight. Apparently, a security guard patrols the grounds and there are cameras but given the large area, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have better security in the back. My daughter loved this school and wanted to attend right away mainly because of the quality of arm and the kind of the music teacher. It is wonderful to have her so excited about school. About 70% of the students are locals and a couple of subjects are taught in Spanish. They have IB program all through the grades unlike the European School where the IB program is only for the last year of school.
What I Learned:
The Pan America International School is taught mostly in English with a couple of subjects like social studies in Spanish.
They have a full-time counselor, psychologist, and medical doctor on the ground.
They are willing to accommodate to individual learning needs.
About the Creator
Mihwa Lee
Writer of erotic romance novels (Rogues Worth Saving Series). I lived in 4 countries, moved over 40 times, travelled to over 20 countries, owned successful businesses, & had hot sex on 5 continents. I have shit to say.
www.mihwawrites.com
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